Senior Scientist/Senior Data Scientist, Talent Accelerator Program

Job Description

• Become a “multilingual” scientist, integrating biology, data, and AI to drive the next breakthroughs in drug discovery.

• Accelerate your career through a two-year program designed to build deep expertise and cross-disciplinary innovation.

• Turn real-world research into impact-help shape the next generation of medicines from day one.

At our company, we are committed to becoming the premier, research-intensive biopharmaceutical company and are dedicated to provide leading innovations and solutions for today and the future.

Our Research Scientists serve as the driving force behind our Innovations. We identify and target mechanisms or pathways involved in the disease process and invent novel treatments/therapeutics to address unmet medical needs. This exceptionally COMPLEX task represents one of the most MULTIDISCIPLINARY endeavours in the field.

INNOVATION thrives at the intersection of disciplines. We believe the next breakthrough in medicine will be driven by the integration of biology, technology, data science and AI - enabled by “multilingual” scientists who can operate seamlessly across these domains. To deliberately build this capability, we are launching a Talent Accelerator Program where innovators of tomorrow will undergo a two-year training. You will be part of a research-driven environment supported by industry-leading expertise, based in our Quantitative Biosciences team at our state-of-the-art research facility, in Biopolis, Singapore - where collaboration, capability-building, and scientific impact come together.

IMAGINE stepping into a role where every day brings NEW DISCOVERY-apply your expertise to real-world challenges while learning through hands-on projects with leading AI/ML experts, clinicians, and global scientific trailblazers. If you are PASSIONATE to further develop your career as a “multilingual” scientist at the forefront of Drug Discovery, Technology, and Data Science, and are excited to take on the CHALLENGE of contributing to the next generation of drug discovery capabilities, we invite you to apply and join us in shaping the future of translational medicine.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

• Opportunity to shape and establish new scientific capabilities within a multidisciplinary drug discovery environment.

• Direct involvement in projects that inform pipeline decisions and translational strategy.

• Exposure to cutting-edge technologies and global expertise, while contributing your own domain knowledge.

• A collaborative environment that supports both scientific leadership and cross-disciplinary growth.

WHAT YOU WILL DO …

This role is positioned at the Senior Scientist or Senior Specialist (Data Science) level and requires independent scientific contribution, ownership of deliverables, and the ability to translate deep expertise into organisational capability.

As part of this Talent Accelerator Program, you will start with one of the four core expert areas outlined below as your “native” scientific language, where you are expected to begin with a strong foundation. During the two-year program, you will have the opportunity to learn new “languages” across complementary domains and build true cross-disciplinary fluency.

We will support this primarily through your work in project teams, where you will apply your core expertise while deepening your understanding of medical and disease biology and drug discovery in real-world settings. In the process, you will be part of large internal teams and will also collaborate with leading external experts in AI/ML, technology, and clinicians as well as highly experienced scientists from global teams, including many with over 20 years of experience and recognised as scientific and thought leaders within the industry.

You will also have opportunities for targeted rotations into multiple project teams as well as to develop new areas of expertise and grow into a subject matter expert in additional domains. Together, these experiences are designed to help you connect biology, technology, and data science for the discovery of pharmaceutical medicine in a natural and meaningful way. Over time, the goal is to help you grow into a truly scientifically multilingual individual.

1. Core Technical, Scientific and Functional Expertise

Core A: Translational Science & Discovery:

• Design, develop, optimize and deploy advanced translational human-derived/human-relevant models to study disease biology and therapeutic mechanisms

• Drive investigation of disease-relevant pathways and mechanisms to inform target identification and validation

• Drive evaluation of therapeutic candidates by linking experimental findings to disease biology and clinical relevance

• Synthesize experimental and computational insights into clear, actionable recommendations that translates findings into actionable recommendations that inform decision-making

Core B: Spatial Omics, Imaging & Medical Technology:

• Apply advanced imaging, spatial profiling, and experimental technologies (e.g. immunohistochemistry, spatial omics, flow cytometry, genomics- and omics-based assays) to generate and interpret complex datasets that link experimental models to disease biology

• Drive the development, optimization, and applications of assays, imaging workflows, and experimental platforms in translational research

• Translate experimental outputs into biologically meaningful insights relevant for disease understanding and therapeutic development

• Contribute to establishing robust and reproducible experimental approaches that support downstream analysis and decision-making

Core C: AI/ML Model Development & Image Analysis

• Develop robust, reusable software and analytics pipelines that establish and extend AI/ML capabilities across multiple applications

• Apply AI/ML and advanced image analysis methodologies to spatial multiomics and digital pathology datasets (e.g., spatial transcriptomics, spatial proteomics, spatial metabolomics, immunohistochemistry, H&E)

• Design and implement analysis pipelines for image processing, feature extraction, segmentation, and spatial pattern recognition

• Evaluate and benchmark emerging AI/ML approaches to enable appropriate application in scientific research and decision-makingundefined

Core D: Multimodal Data Integration & Biomarker Discovery

• Develop frameworks to integrate multi-modal data, including multi-omics, clinical, imaging (including MRI, PET, etc), and biobank-derived datasets

• Apply big data modelling approaches to uncover novel disease-associated patterns, biomarker signatures, and mechanistic insights

• Leverage multimodal data to enable precision medicine strategies, including patient stratification and identification of potential responders

• Apply computational methods to uncover relationships across modalities and biological scales, from molecular to tissue-level phenotypes

• Build scalable and reproducible workflows for data integration, analysis, and interpretation to support translational insights

2. Cross-disciplinary integration & collaboration: You will operate across disciplines to integrate biology, technology, and data science in solving complex scientific problems.

• Expand into complementary domains to integrate biology, technology, and data science

• Apply cross-disciplinary knowledge to connect experimental and computational insights

• Collaborate with internal drug development experts and external KOLs to translate findings across domains

• Contribute to multi-modal problem-solving for integrated scientific solutions

• Communicate insights clearly to support cross-functional alignment and decision-making

3. Innovation & continuous development: You will apply and expand your capabilities across wet and dry lab domains to drive innovative solutions to address complex scientific challenges.

• Explore and implement emerging technologies and methodologies (e.g., advanced imaging, multi-omics integration, AI-driven analysis, translational models)

• Propose and test innovative approaches to address complex scientific challenges and unmet medical needs

• Stay current with the latest scientific technologies and knowledge and best practices to continuously enhance experimental and analytical capabilities

4. Scientific impact & communication: You will translate complex data into meaningful insights that inform research and pipeline decisions, while contributing to the development of new capabilities for the organisation.

• Present data and insights clearly through presentations, reports, and visualizations tailored to diverse audiences

• Contribute to internal communications, project updates, and potentially scientific publications or conference presentations

• Translate complex scientific findings into concise narratives to support strategic decisions

WHAT YOU MUST HAVE …

We are seeking highly motivated individuals who are passionate about working at the intersection of biology, technology, and data science to advance translational drug discovery, and who demonstrate strong alignment with our Enterprise Leadership Skills.

Beyond passion, we look for clear evidence of capability, initiative, and growth trajectory toward becoming a multilingual scientist -someone who connects disciplines, translates data into actionable insights, and drives meaningful impact, enabled by curiosity and strong learning agility.

Successful candidates will demonstrate:

• A strong passion and proven commitment to working across boundaries and disciplines

• A track record of exploring solutions beyond conventional approaches

• A well-developed integrator mindset-demonstrated as a practiced, evidence-supported capability

Candidates should clearly show the potential and trajectory to evolve into a “multilingual” scientist through continuous learning, experimentation and cross-functional engagement.

1. Foundational expertise and domain depth

• PhD in a relevant field (e.g., Cell Biology, Biomedical Sciences, Biochemistry, Bioengineering, Data Science, Computational Biology, Computer Science), or Bachelor’s with 5+ years, or Master’s with 3-5 years of relevant experience.

• Strong foundation in at least one area: cell biology/disease models, data science/statistics/computational biology, imaging technologies/analysis, or omics.

• Experience in scientific innovation, experimental design, data generation, or quantitative analysis preferred.

2. Cross-disciplinary and integrative thinking (“multilingual” mindset)

• Strong interest and ability to integrate biology, technology, and data science to solve complex challenges

• Ability to work cross-functionally and connect insights across diverse scientific domains. With high learning agility and curiosity, with the ability to quickly build and apply new skills beyond core expertise

3. Scientific impact and innovation

• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills with a data-driven approach

• Ability to generate, analyze, and translate complex datasets into actionable biological and translational insights

• Demonstrated initiative in experimentation, innovation, and challenging conventional approaches

• Commitment to scientific rigor, reproducibility, and delivering high-quality, decision-enabling outcomes

4. Collaboration, ownership, and drive

• Proven ability to work effectively in cross-functional, matrixed environment.

Strong communication skills, able to simplify complex scientific concepts for diverse stakeholders

• Ownership mindset with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic setup. High integrity, accountability, and commitment to advancing science for patient impact.

• Self-motivated, adaptable, and driven, with strong curiosity and passion for translational drug discovery

Additional Information:

• Please provide any of the following resource list,if relevant

  • LinkedIn profile

  • A list of publications in conferences/journal, Google Scholar, bioRxiv/medRxiv

  • Innovation projects: links to patents, university spin-off features, or technical project summary

  • For data science expertise: Github, Kaggle, Stack Overflow, Arxiv, a digital portfolio link

• Shortlisted candidates will be requested to submit a 2-min video, demonstrating why Talent Accelerator Program is right for your career.

WHO WE ARE …

We are known as Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey, USA in the United States and Canada and MSD everywhere else. For more than a century, we have been bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world's most challenging diseases. Today, our company continues to be at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions and advance the prevention and treatment of diseases that threaten people and animals around the world.

We are a research-driven biopharmaceutical company. Our mission is built on the simple premise that if we “follow the science” and that great medicines can make a significant impact to our world. And we believe that a research-driven enterprise dedicated to world-class science can succeed by inventing medicine and vaccine innovations that make a difference for patients across the globe.

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