Job Description

Be a part of the legacy: Postdoctoral Research Fellow Program

Our Research Laboratories’ Postdoctoral Research Fellow Program aims to be a best-in-industry program for industrial postdoctoral researchers, designed to provide you with an academic focus in a commercial environment. With the resources, reach, and expertise of a large pharmaceutical company, postdoctoral researchers will be positioned to excel in an institution committed to breakthrough innovation in research and discovery.

Position Overview
We are seeking a highly motivated and talented postdoctoral fellow with expertise in immunology or vaccinology and a strong interest in vaccine development to join the Infectious Disease & Vaccines – Immunology group at our West Point, PA site.

In this role, you will collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of scientists to investigate the immunogenicity and mechanisms of action of novel adjuvant formulations. You will be responsible for evaluating new adjuvant candidates and will work closely with a mentor to design research plans, develop preclinical models, conduct mechanistic studies, and generate insights that contribute to the development of next-generation vaccine adjuvants.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish and optimize vaccine models in preclinical animal species

• Develop immunological assays to assess antigen-specific humoral and cellular immune responses

• Perform single-cell assays, including multi-parameter flow cytometry and cell sorting

• Analyze data and contribute to manuscript and patent preparation, publications, and presentations

Minimum Education Requirement

• Ph.D. in Immunology, Vaccinology, or a related field, completed within 6 months of hire

Required Experience and Skills

• Strong background in the in vivo development of adaptive immune responses

• Hands-on experience with preclinical animal models and sample handling

• Proficiency in aseptic tissue culture techniques

• Solid foundation in molecular biology

• Experience in developing and troubleshooting in vitro assays

• Proficiency in immunological techniques such as ELISA, ELISPOT, high-parameter flow cytometry, cell sorting, and in vitro restimulation assays

• Demonstrated ability to design and execute experiments, analyze data, and publish findings

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills

Preferred Qualifications (Not Required)

• Expertise in B cell responses to vaccination or infection

• Experience with dendritic cell co-culture systems involving B and/or T cells

• Familiarity with antigen presentation assays

• Experience working with BSL-2 level viral pathogens

• Knowledge of B cell receptor (BCR) repertoire sequencing and analysis

• Experience with vaccine adjuvants and/or vaccine platforms

postdoctoralopportunities

Required Skills:

Accountability, Adaptability, Analytical Chemistry, Cell Culture Techniques, Computational Biology, Data Analysis, Immunoassays, In Vivo Mouse Models, Mathematical Biology, Molecular Biology, Parasitology, Programming Languages, Scientific Research, Scientific Writing, siRNA Knockdown, Statistical Analysis, Synthetic Chemistry

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:

Regular

Relocation:

Domestic

VISA Sponsorship:

Yes

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

11/17/2025

*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.