Job Description

Our Manufacturing Division is dedicated to being the most trusted supplier of biopharmaceuticals worldwide. Our facilities, along with our external contractors, suppliers, and partners, create a reliable global manufacturing network dedicated to delivering a high-quality, reliable supply to customers and patients on time, every time. The Quality organization ensures all products meet regulatory and company standards through robust testing and continuous improvement.

We are looking for talented and motivated students for a 6-month Quality Control Co-op, and will include one or more projects. This opportunity in our Quality organization can provide you with significant development and a chance to see if we are the right company for your long-term goals.

Selected individuals will support strategic projects related to process improvement in our Quality Control labs. Working alongside experienced team members, the successful candidate will assist with special projects, analyze and evaluate processes, and propose innovative solutions to drive improvement.

It is critical that, for all products manufactured at our facilities, high-quality and compliance with company requirements and regulations are delivered and sustained. The Quality Control Labs have a significant impact on achieving these objectives. Quality Control Labs provides testing for in-process controls and the release of products. This area is highly dynamic and challenges us to enhance the efficiency of test methods and procedures, ensuring we can deliver high-quality products to our customers, prevent supply chain delays, and meet demand.

We are working in partnership with our Operational Excellence area (MPS) to utilize Lean Six Sigma principles and tools in a project that analyzes our current capacity, identifies efficiency gains, and helps prepare the site for planned expansion.

As part of our Manufacturing Division and Quality organization, the Quality Control Co-op position will provide the student with a comprehensive introduction to the disciplines of Quality Control, Planning and Scheduling, and Process Improvement.

The co-op will engage with all levels within the Quality organization to participate in and/or lead projects that support De Soto quality operations, driving efficiency and productivity improvements. Activities may include (but are not limited to):

• Map QC lab processes and document current-state workflows, including touch time and cycle time measurements.

• Observe method execution on the QC shop floor and collect relevant operational data.

• Perform data analysis to identify trends, bottlenecks, and improvement opportunities.

• Apply problem-solving and Lean/Six Sigma tools to prioritize and design process improvements.

• Support implementation of process changes and track effectiveness.

• Engage cross-functionally with Quality, Planning & Scheduling, and MPS teams to support DeSoto site expansion planning.

Required Education and Skills:

• Candidates must be currently enrolled in a full-time BS/BA degree program in a science-related discipline (Biology, Pharmacy, Engineering, or Science).

• Candidates must be available to work full-time for up to 6 months beginning in May or June of 2026.

• Candidates must have completed at least (2) years of collegiate study by June of 2026.

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite

• Oral and written communication skills in an international environment

• Organizational skills

• Teamwork and leadership skills

• Ability to analyze, interpret, and solve problems

• Ability to think with creativity and innovation

• Ability to proficiently interact with all levels of specialists & management

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

FTP2025

Required Skills:

Accountability, Accountability, Analytical Instrumentation, Analytical Laboratory Equipment, Analytical Method Development, Applied Engineering, Biological Analysis, Biopharmaceutics, cGMP Training, Chemical Analysis, Clinical Techniques, Communication, Corrective Action Management, Immunochemistry, Laboratory Techniques, Leadership, Manufacturing Compliance, Microbiological Analysis, Pharmaceutical Biology, Process Improvement Projects, Productivity Improvements, Qualitative Testing, Quality Assurance (QA) Standards, Quality Control Management, Quality Improvement Programs {+ 3 more}

Preferred Skills:

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:

EEOC Know Your Rights

EEOC GINA Supplement​

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.

Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts

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:

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

N/A

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.