Associate Principal Scientist, Immunology Discovery

Our company is a global health care leader with a diversified portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines and animal health products. As an R&D driven pharmaceutical company, we strive to excel and deliver for patients worldwide through leading edge research, scientific breakthroughs and dedication to improving the lives of patients. The Discovery Immunology organization is developing and advancing innovative therapies for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases across Gastroenterology, Rheumatology and Dermatology, to address significant unmet medical needs. We are seeking an Associate Principal Scientist with strong background in Immunology and experience in drug discovery to join our Immunology Discovery team in San Diego, CA. This role will serve as Project Lead on early-to-late stage immunology programs, driving the design and implementation of innovative strategies and technologies to enable target validation, differentiation and derisking, and development of next-generation modalities.

The successful candidate will lead large cross-functional teams, defining and executing the discovery strategy for multiple programs to support advancement of immunology and inflammation therapeutics from early discovery to clinical candidates, and represent the project teams at senior governance meetings to support portfolio and investment decisions.

• →Define and drive drug discovery immunology project/program strategies and collaborate effectively with colleagues within Discovery Immunology and across other functional areas (i.e. Discovery Biologics, Quantitative Biosciences, Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics, Metabolism and Bioanalytics) to achieve organizational objectives
• →Lead multiple cross-functional teams to advance therapeutic candidates from early discovery to clinic, ensuring successful and timely completion of project/program milestones
• →Present program recommendations, key milestones, and strategic decisions to senior-level governance committees.
• →Lead from the bench - independently designing, executing and interpreting complex in vitro and ex vivo studies aligned with program goals, while also leading and overseeing the experiments of others
• →Identify, validate and implement new and innovative approaches (including novel technologies) to increase efficiency and productivity and drive program progression
• →Share expertise with colleagues and provide mentorship to less experienced scientists to ensure a culture of scientific rigor, collaboration and continuous learning
• →Integrate and interpret complex data and communicate science and strategy to stakeholders and management

• Ph.D. (with 5+ years) in immunology, cell biology or related biomedical science and relevant experience in drug discovery

• Demonstrated experience leading early-to-late stage discovery programs and cross-functional teams in a matrixed environment
• Strong immunology background with extensive knowledge of immune-mediated diseases across Gastroenterology, Rheumatology or Dermatology, and related preclinical models
• Broad experience in cell biology techniques (including culture of cell lines, immune cells and other primary cells, in vitro and ex vivo cell-based assays, multi-color flow cytometry), immunoassay platforms (e.g. ELISA, our company) and molecular biology (e.g. RT-PCR)
• Proficiency in data analysis using Excel, Prism (GraphPad), FlowJo
• Ability to work independently and operate effectively within cross-functional and matrixed teams
• Strong problem-solving and critical thinking skills
• Ability to lead by influencing and mentoring others
• Ability to communicate data and program strategies effectively to broad audiences

• Experience leading cross-functional biologics or chemistry discovery programs for Gastroenterology, Dermatology, and/or Rheumatology, especially autoimmune or immune-mediated disorders, including in both large and small pharma contexts
• Experience in translational research and biomarker discovery
• Prior experience working with multiple therapeutic modalities (small molecule, peptide, biologic, etc.)

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The salary range for this role is

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.