Senior Scientist, NGS Profiling & Expression

Job Description

The Profiling & Expression department within Translational Medicine helps bridge Discovery and Development programs in multiple therapeutic areas through expertise in multimodal molecular analysis of tissues and model systems. We are a platform-based functional group leveraging a close partnership of pathologists, gene expression scientists, image analysis specialists, assay developers and data scientists to contribute to target validation, generation of quality mechanistic data, and the discovery and development of response and PD biomarkers with line of sight to the clinic. The Molecular Profiling group, within the Profiling & Expression department, provides key work for understanding: target tissue distributions in normal and diseased tissues, characterization of preclinical model systems, mechanism of action and proof of biology for candidate therapeutics, and drug response prediction.

The Molecular Profiling Senior Scientist will work primarily with our research division's Discovery Oncology organization, providing targeted and NGS gene expression profiling support to reverse translation and preclinical target and biomarker validation efforts. Early discovery and pre-clinical work in support of other therapeutic areas will also be provided as needed. This high throughput lab requires an organized, highly motivated individual who can work collaboratively across multiple organizations in the development of therapeutic targets in the Discovery Portfolio.

Job responsibilities include the following:

• Provide insight and guidance to cross-functional collaborators regarding experimental design for gene expression-based work

• Wet-lab support for project-based work including RNA isolation and gene expression profiling from bulk tissue, bulk sorted cell, and single cell populations

• Present and lead discussions on experimental results and data interpretation at team and/or department meetings

• Serve as Molecular Profiling representative to the Oncology translational research group as well as other program teams

 

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education:

• Bachelor's (with 7+ years), Master's (with 4+ years) or Ph.D. in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology or related field and relevant experience

Required Experience and Skills:

• Experience with molecular biology techniques, including RNA/DNA isolation and NGS library preparation

• Experience with targeted RT-qPCR and NGS platforms

• Experience with multi-omics NGS platforms, low cell number sorted populations, and/or single-cell RNAseq

• Experience in analysis of mid-density and/or whole transcriptomics gene expression data types

• Prior experience in Oncology or Immunology

• Strong interpersonal skills with an ability to contribute effectively in a team-based environment

• Highly organized and able to manage time effectively

• Ability to interface with translational, discovery, and clinical cross-functional colleagues to drive assay development and implementation into discovery and/or clinical programs as needed

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Experience with RNA/DNA QC platforms such as the Qubit, Fragment Analyzer, Agilent Bioanalyzer or Tapestation

• Experience with liquid automation for sample RNA/DNA isolation and NGS library prep

• Experience with NGS analysis data visualization software such as Cell Ranger, Partek, OmniBrowser, or BioTuring

• Familiarity with computer software: Illumina BaseSpace, Illumina Dragen, Spotfire, Graphpad Prism, Ingenuity Pathway Analysis

• With management guidance, ability to incorporate innovative scientific and technical advances to support Profiling & Expression priorities

 #EligibleforERP 

Required Skills:

DNA Isolation, Immunology, Molecular Biology, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), Oncology, RNA Isolation, RNA Sequencing

Preferred Skills:

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Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

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The salary range for this role is

$131,400.00 - $206,800.00

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. 

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

Domestic

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

No Travel Required

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

1st - Day

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

N/A

Job Posting End Date:

07/22/2026

*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.