Job Description

The Future Talent Program features Cooperative (Co-op) education that lasts up to 6 months and will include one or more projects. These opportunities in our Research and Development division can provide you with great development and a chance to see if we are the right company for your long-term goals.

Our Company is on the quest for cures and is committed to be the world’s premier, most research-intensive biopharmaceutical company. Today, we’re doubling down on this goal. Our Research & Development Division is a true scientific research facility of tomorrow and will take our company’s leading discovery capabilities and world-class small molecule, biologics, vaccine Research and Development expertise to create breakthrough science that radically changes the way we approach serious diseases.

We are seeking a Co-Op Scientist in the Exploratory Vaccines-Biodistribution team within Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics, Metabolism, and Bioanalytics (PDMB) at Spring House Innovation Park to development novel molecular biology-based assays in support of the vaccine and biologic therapeutic area. Specifically, this program aims for the candidate to develop then evaluate CRISPR/Cas based assay technologies that enable virus detection in clinical samples, focusing on metrics like sensitivity, accuracy, and ruggedness. The candidate will also assess correlation of this assay with qPCR and NGS platforms and explore the assay’s potential for high-throughput automation. Participants will gain skills in sample preparation, nucleic acid extraction, qPCR, NGS, bioinformatics and automation. By the end, candidates will be able to design a novel set of virus detecting molecular biology experiments, understand bioanalytical methods, learn and apply basic statistics, navigate regulatory documentation, and implement basic automation practices.

The successful candidate will be able to work collaboratively in a fast-paced environment. The candidate should also possess the following laboratory and molecular biology techniques such as sterile pipetting, safe laboratory practices, PCR design and optimization, NGS, nucleic acid purification and quantification along with basic knowledge of bioinformatics.

Responsibilities:

• Communicate results and provide unsolicited ideas to the team and project lead through presentations and reports.

• Provide input as a scientist on method development and test method optimization.

• Strong organizational and project management skills.

• Demonstrate urgency and sensitive to meet project timelines.

Education

• Must be a full-time student currently enrolled in a Masters/PhD program in biochemistry, molecular/cellular biology or equivalent bio-related science with > 1 year of molecular biology or related experience.

Required Experience and Skills:

• Experience executing routine molecular assays, data interpretation, and quality control techniques for technologies including NGS, nucleic acid extraction, RT-qPCR and digital PCR.

• Ability to follow established procedures, develop new protocols, and strong attention to detail.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to deliver ideas to an interdisciplinary team.

• Proven experience thinking critically and ability to solve complex technical issues.

• Competent individual that maintains full accountability for data generated and can work collaboratively in an organized setting.

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office, GraphPad Prism, and electronic laboratory notebooks.

• Experience with use of automated equipment and Biomek i7 liquid handler.

• Familiarity with troubleshooting and reworking experiments based on data interpretation.

• Experience analyzing and interpreting large data sets.

• Familiarity with Tibco Spotfire, R or Python for data visualization and analysis is a plus.

Please note that this position may be closed before the posted end date or may remain open longer, at the discretion of the company.

Salary range:
The salary range for this role is $39,600.00-$105,500.00 USD

FTP2026

RL2026

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

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We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.

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U.S. Hybrid Work Model

Effective September 5, 2023, employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week, Monday - Thursday, although the specific days may vary by site or organization, with Friday designated as a remote-working day, unless business critical tasks require an on-site presence.This Hybrid work model does not apply to, and daily in-person attendance is required for, field-based positions; facility-based, manufacturing-based, or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note, this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as “remote”.

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

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully
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.

Employee Status:

Intern/Co-op (Fixed Term)

Relocation:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Required Skills:

Bioanalysis, Bioanalysis, Clinical Research, Cloud Data Catalog, Data Analysis, Database Management, Data Interpretations, Data Science, Data Security, Data Visualization, Data Wrangling, Detail-Oriented, DNA Extractions, Event Planning, Immunochemistry, Immunology, Key Performance Indicators (KPI), Laboratory Documentation, Laboratory Safety, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Nucleic Acid Isolation, Nucleic Acid Purification, Project Management, Python (Programming Language) {+ 1 more}

Preferred Skills:

Job Posting End Date:

11/3/2025

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.