Principal Scientist, Discovery Separation Sciences

Job Description

Position Overview

We are seeking an accomplished scientist and leader to join Discovery Chemistry as a Principal Scientist within the Boston Separation Sciences group.

The successful candidate will provide scientific leadership and operational oversight for purification and analytical chromatography capabilities supporting drug discovery programs across multiple modalities, including small molecules, peptides, targeted protein degraders, and emerging therapeutic formats. This role requires deep technical expertise in both HPLC and SFC chromatography and demonstrated experience supporting a broad range of purification workflows, including high-throughput library purification, singleton purification, chiral separations, and analytical support for medicinal chemistry programs. The role combines laboratory leadership, scientific expertise, capability development, people management, and cross-functional collaboration to ensure the delivery of high-quality purification and analytical support to project teams.

The Principal Scientist will contribute to the advancement of Separation Sciences capabilities through the implementation of innovative technologies, development of scientific talent, optimization of workflows, and partnership with colleagues across Discovery Chemistry and adjacent functions. The individual will serve as a recognized subject matter expert while contributing to project, departmental, and capability strategies that enhance the effectiveness and impact of drug discovery efforts.

Primary Responsibilities may include:

Scientific Leadership and Laboratory Delivery

• Serve as a recognized subject matter expert in purification and separation sciences, providing scientific leadership and contributing to purification and analytical activities that enable Discovery Chemistry programs through the delivery of high-quality compounds, analytical data, and scientific recommendations.

• Provide technical leadership and expertise in chromatographic purification, analytical separations, impurity isolation, and related technologies, while guiding resolution of complex scientific and operational challenges.

• Foster a culture of scientific excellence, operational efficiency, safety, and quality throughout laboratory operations.

Capability Development and Innovation

• Champion and implement innovative technologies, laboratory informatics platforms, LIMS solutions, automation-enabled purification workflows, and digital capabilities that enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, and impact of Separation Sciences capabilities.

• Establish best practices, drive continuous improvement initiatives, and contribute to capability roadmaps aligned with Discovery Chemistry priorities.

People Leadership and Talent Development

• Recruit, manage, mentor, and develop scientists and laboratory staff, building both technical expertise and leadership capability across the organization.

• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing environment that supports employee development, succession planning, and scientific excellence.

Cross-Functional Collaboration and Influence

• Partner closely with Medicinal Chemistry, Process Chemistry, Analytical Sciences, Automation, Informatics, IT, and other research functions to support project progression and capability development.

• Serve as a trusted scientific partner to project teams, contributing purification and analytical expertise to project strategy and departmental initiatives.

Operations and Infrastructure Leadership

• Partner in laboratory operations, instrumentation strategy, capital planning, and implementation of automation and digital solutions that improve scientific productivity.

• Partner with Facilities, Procurement, Engineering, IT, and external vendors to ensure reliable laboratory operations, regulatory compliance, and continuous capability advancement.

External Scientific Engagement

• Maintain awareness of emerging technologies and scientific advances in separation sciences and chromatography, contributing to our company's scientific reputation through publications, presentations, collaborations, and external engagement.

Education

Minimum Requirement:

• Ph.D. in Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemical Engineering, or a related scientific discipline with a minimum of 8 years of relevant industrial experience in a pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or related drug discovery research environment.

Or

• M.S. in Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemical Engineering, or a related scientific discipline with 10-12 years of relevant industrial experience in a pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or related drug discovery research environment.

Or

• B.S. in Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemical Engineering, or a related scientific discipline with 12-15 years of relevant industrial experience in a pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or related drug discovery research environment.

Required Experience and Skills

• Extensive experience in chromatographic purification and analytical separations supporting drug discovery programs, with expertise in HPLC, uHPLC, LCMS, SFC, and preparative chromatography technologies.

• Demonstrated experience supporting multiple therapeutic modalities, including small molecules, peptides, targeted protein degraders, and other emerging modalities.

• Experience with high-throughput experimentation (HTE), high-throughput and singleton purification workflows, laboratory automation, and analytical support within a Discovery Chemistry environment.

• Demonstrated ability to provide scientific leadership, influence technical direction, and deliver results through a laboratory-based scientific capability, including scientific leadership in chromatography, separation sciences, analytical chemistry, or related drug discovery capabilities

• Experience implementing new technologies, laboratory informatics platforms, LIMS solutions, automation-enabled purification workflows, digital workflows, instrumentation, and process improvements.

• Experience managing, mentoring, and developing scientific staff, with strong communication, collaboration, and organizational skills.

• Demonstrated commitment to safety, quality, and operational excellence.

Preferred Experience and Skills

• Track record of cross-functional and cross-site scientific leadership, capability deployment, technology transfer, and successful collaboration across Discovery Chemistry sites, scientific disciplines, and research organizations.

• Experience partnering with IT, Informatics, Automation, Facilities, Procurement, and external vendors to develop and advance scientific capabilities.

• Experience with laboratory capital planning, laboratory build-out, infrastructure strategy, or management of scientific instrumentation portfolios.

• Publications, presentations, patents, or other evidence of external scientific engagement and professional visibility.

Required Skills:

Preferred Skills:

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The salary range for this role is

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs.

The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits. Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.

San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance

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Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.

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