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Merck · 1 day ago

Senior Principal Scientist, Upstream Process R&D

Rahway, NJ

Full-time

Hybrid

Senior Level, Lead/Staff

$187K/yr - $294K/yr

10+ years exp

Merck is a company dedicated to delivering medical breakthroughs through innovative science and technology. They are seeking a Senior Principal Scientist to lead upstream bioprocessing initiatives and collaborate with teams to develop robust manufacturing processes for biologics.

BiotechnologyHealth CareMedicalPharmaceutical

Comp. & Benefits

Responsibilities

Serve as a scientific leader to shape and drive innovation across the Biologics pipeline, strategy, and science

Anticipate and solve scientific and technical challenges across projects and functional teams, in a fast-paced, multidisciplinary environment

Lead the development of robust and scalable upstream processes for biologics in various stages of clinical development, as well as process characterization and regulatory filings for successful commercialization

Improve upstream processes by increasing efficiency and cost-effectiveness through research and innovation, while evaluating technologies and industry best practices

Collaborate with academia, industry, and vendors to facilitate the development and early adoption of novel process technologies

Contribute to strategic initiatives; work with senior leaders to establish overall project strategy and guide teams in its execution

Conceptualize, plan, and execute projects using effective organizational, prioritization, and problem-solving skills

Stay updated on the scientific and regulatory landscape; contribute scientifically and build your reputation through conference participation

Represent BPR&D as a upstream bioprocess expert/co-leader in internal and cross-functional project teams

Supervise, coach, and develop talent within the functional area; guide career development; build strong, collaborative teams

Champion compliance and safety while promoting a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion

Qualification

Cell-culture process developmentUpstream bioprocessingBiologics CMC developmentBioprocess EngineeringMammalian Cell CultureMedia/solution developmentScientific LeadershipInnovative ThinkingProject ManagementMentorshipCommunication

Required

Ph.D. with 10+ years, MS with 12+ years, or BS with 14+ years of industry experience in Chemical/Biochemical Engineering or a related field

Strong fundamental knowledge and subject matter expertise in cell-culture process development for biologics, fed-batch cell culture, bioreactor scale-up and scale-down, as well as recent advances, and challenges in the field

Expertise in independently conducting and directing the design, execution, analysis, and documentation of all stages of cell-culture process development

Track record of accomplishments in upstream bioprocessing with a history of peer-reviewed publications and presentations. Strong understanding of cell metabolism and biochemical pathways relevant to bioprocessing

Knowledge of biologics CMC development

Ability to adapt to and prioritize complex objectives under tight timelines in a rapidly changing environment

Experience leading internal and external cross-functional, matrixed teams

Demonstrated scientific leadership with significant, measurable project impacts across a diverse set of programs

Action-oriented mindset with a capacity for creativity; ability to take initiative, innovate, iterate, and solve problems

Supervise, coach and mentor scientists to maximize talent development and utilization

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills

Preferred

Leadership of CMC development teams

Experience with continuous biomanufacturing integrated with process-analytical technologies

Intensified inoculum and perfusion process development

Expertise in media/solution development and chemistry

High-throughput experimentation, automation, and process control

Knowledge of microbial fermentation

Cell culture predictive modeling (omics (transcriptomics, metabolomics, or/and proteomics), metabolic flux analysis); statistics, data-science, machine learning, artificial intelligence