Senior Scientist, Computational Safety & Exploratory Pharmacology

Job Description

The Nonclinical Drug Safety (NDS) division at our company is seeking a motivated and talented biomedical engineer or integrative systems scientist with experience in signal processing and/or computational modeling using physiologic signals to join our Safety & Exploratory Pharmacology group.

The Safety & Exploratory Pharmacology (SEP) collaborates with our discovery research, preclinical, and clinical development partners to identify and develop effective, safe therapeutics. To that end, SEP utilizes a purposeful blend of standard screening tools, regulatory-enabling assays, fit for purpose capabilities and forward-looking innovative solutions to understand potential major organ system pharmacodynamic risk to influence drug development strategy.

To enhance that mission, we are looking for a MS or early-career PhD level individual contributor that will complement existing areas, expand the team’s expertise, and help drive future innovation. The successful candidate will have demonstrated experience in areas detailed below and will possess the attributes and interest in developing their career toward increasing levels of responsibility and independence within our team.

Key responsibilities will include:

Analyzing physiologic signals to contribute to risk assessment evaluations and developing data visualizations for scientific exploration

Building new in vivo analysis tools (signal processing, machine learning, AI) for nonclinical data and refining or developing new endpoints

Working with external vendors to identify and incorporate potential solutions

Collaborating with internal data science and IT teams to implement data tools

Integrating new analysis workflows into SEP

Contributing to SEP initiatives to develop and characterize novel alternative methods (NAMs) with in vitro scientists

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education:

Bachelor's (with 7+ years), Master's (with 4+ years) or Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering, Bioengineering, Computational Biology, or related scientific field with relevant experience in the collection and computational analysis of physiologic signals (e.g. ECG, EEG, blood pressure) and a background in pharmacology, physiology, biology, biomedical sciences, or toxicology

Required Experience and Skills:

Experience with nonclinical signal analysis

Proficiency with programming tools (Python, MatLab, R) for physiological signal analysis, feature extraction, and/or development of computational models (including AI tools and workflows)

Previous experience working with physiological, continuous, time-series data sets (including visualization, analysis, and/or interpretation)

Motivation and enthusiasm to expand programming/analysis skill set and learn new software tools

Ability to work within teams as a contributor and enable collaborations across departments that deliver current needs and future capabilities

Ability to collaborate with both laboratory scientists and data scientists/IT specialists

Excellent communication skills and ability to translate complex technical issues to laboratory scientists

Preferred Experience and Skills:

Nonclinical signal analysis experience in cardiovascular, neuroscience, or respiratory endpoints

Experience with statistical and data visualization tools and libraries

Experience with cloud computing environments

Previous exposure to data science best practices and reproducibility

Prior experience working in a multidisciplinary environment within the Pharmaceutical Industry

Willingness to influence safety pharmacology science through active participation in external consortiums, publications, and/or scientific presentations

#EligibleforERP

Required Skills:

Cardiovascular Research, Computational Models, Data Visualization, Machine Learning (ML), Neuroscience, Pharmacology, Python (Programming Language), Respiratory Pharmacology, Risk Assessments, Safety Pharmacology, Signal Analysis

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:

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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.

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The salary range for this role is

$106,200.00 - $167,200.00

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

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:

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:

09/30/2026 *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.

Requisition ID:R408085