Principal Scientist – Multiscale Separations Team Lead

We are seeking a Principal Scientist to join our Separations Sciences team, within the Analytical Enabling Capabilities Organization, located in Rahway, New Jersey.

The successful candidate will provide scientific leadership and operational oversight for purification and analytical chromatography capabilities supporting the development pipeline programs across multiple modalities, including small molecules, peptides, anti-body drug conjugates, adjuvants, biologics and other molecular entities.

This role requires hands on, deep technical expertise in both HPLC (multiple retention mechanisms) and SFC and demonstrated experience supporting a broad range of purification workflows, including targeted isolation to enable structure activity relationship (SAR) and structural elucidation studies, target enrichment to support impurity characterization and identification and structure function characterization, chiral/achiral separations to enable API control strategy and GMP toxicology deliveries. The role combines laboratory leadership, scientific expertise, capability development, scientific mentoring, and cross-functional collaboration to ensure the delivery of high-quality purification and analytical support for project teams.

The Principal Scientist will contribute to the advancement of Separation Sciences capabilities through the implementation of relevant innovative technologies, development of scientific talent, optimization of existing workflows, establishing novel workflows to address emerging pipeline opportunities, and partnership with colleagues across process chemistry, discovery process chemistry and adjacent functions. The selected individual will serve as a recognized subject matter expert while contributing to project, departments, capability strategies that enhance the effectiveness and impact of the organization.

• →Serve as a recognized subject matter expert in purification and separation sciences, providing scientific leadership and contributing to purification and analytical activities that enable the development pipeline.
• →Provide technical leadership and expertise in chromatographic purification, analytical separations, impurity isolation, and related technologies, while guiding resolution of complex scientific and operational challenges.
• →Foster a culture of scientific excellence, operational efficiency, safety, and quality throughout laboratory operations.
  

• Partner with DSCS digital technologies (DDT) to drive and implement innovative technologies, laboratory informatics platforms, automation-enabled purification workflows, and digital capabilities that enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, and impact of Separation Sciences capabilities.
• Establish best practices, drive continuous improvement initiatives, and contribute to capability roadmaps aligned with CMC needs.
  

• Partner with the Director of Separation Sciences to identify, recruit, mentor, and develop scientists and laboratory staff, building both technical expertise and leadership capability across the organization.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing environment that supports employee development, succession planning, and scientific excellence.
  
  

• Partner closely with key partners in Process Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Analytical Sciences, Automation, Informatics, IT, and other research functions to support project progression and capability development.
• Serve as a trusted scientific partner to project teams, contributing purification and analytical expertise to project strategy and departmental initiatives.
  

• Partner in laboratory operations, instrumentation strategy, capital planning, and implementation of automation and digital solutions that improve scientific productivity.
• Partner with Facilities, Procurement, Engineering, IT, and external vendors to ensure reliable laboratory operations, regulatory compliance, and continuous capability advancement.
  

• Maintain awareness of emerging technologies and scientific advances in separation sciences and chromatography, contributing to our company's scientific reputation through publications, presentations, collaborations, and external engagement.
  
  

• Ph.D. in Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemical Engineering, or a related scientific discipline with a minimum of 8 years of relevant industrial experience in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or related drug development and research environment.
• M.S. in Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemical Engineering, or a related scientific discipline with 10-12 years of relevant industrial experience in a pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or related drug discovery research environment.

• Extensive experience in chromatographic purification and analytical separations supporting drug development programs, with expertise in HPLC, uHPLC, LCMS, SFC, and preparative chromatography technologies.
• Working knowledge of orthogonal detection technologies, including PDA, Multi-angle light scattering, charged aerosol detection etc.

• Demonstrated hands-on experience delivering purification solutions across a broad range of scales (µg to kg), enabling seamless translation from early-stage experimentation through larger-scale execution.
• Demonstrated experience supporting multiple therapeutic modalities, including small molecules, peptides, adjuvants, and other emerging modalities.

• Demonstrated ability to provide scientific leadership, influence technical direction, and deliver results through a laboratory-based scientific capability, including scientific leadership in chromatography, separation sciences, analytical chemistry.
• Experience implementing new technologies, laboratory informatics platforms, LIMS solutions, automation-enabled purification workflows, digital workflows, instrumentation, and process improvements.
• Experience mentoring, and developing scientific staff, with strong communication, collaboration, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to safety, quality, and operational excellence.
  
  

• Track record of cross-functional and cross-site scientific leadership, capability deployment, technology transfer, and successful collaboration across purification networks including internal and external CDMOs, scientific disciplines, and research organizations.
• Experience in mass spectrometry and its application in MS-directed chromatographic purification.
• Experience partnering with IT, Informatics, Automation, Facilities, Procurement, and external vendors to develop and advance scientific capabilities.
• Experience with laboratory capital planning, laboratory build-out, infrastructure strategy, or management of scientific instrumentation portfolios.
• Publications, presentations, patents, or other evidence of external scientific engagement and professional visibility.
• Pharmaceutical cGMP experience is a plus.

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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.