Merck · 1 month ago
Associate Scientist, Postdoctoral Fellow - Pharmacokinetics
Cambridge, MA
Full-time
Hybrid
New Grad, Entry Level
$70K/yr - $111K/yrMerck is a leading pharmaceutical company committed to breakthrough innovation in research and discovery. They are seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral fellow with expertise in machine learning to help transform drug discovery and preclinical development by developing advanced methods and collaborating with interdisciplinary teams.
BiotechnologyHealth CareMedicalPharmaceutical
Responsibilities
Conduct original research to develop state-of-the-art AI/Machine learning methods for drug discovery (e.g., molecular generative models, multi-objective optimization, property prediction, active learning, document authoring, document generation, hybrid AI system, multi-agent system)
Design and execute experiments, analyze results rigorously, and iterate rapidly on model architectures and training strategies
Build robust, reproducible code and workflows; contribute to shared libraries and documentation
Collaborate with chemists, biologists, Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics, Metabolism, and Bioanalytics (PDMB) scientists, and data/ML engineers to translate methods into impactful applications
Communicate findings through internal presentations and peer-reviewed publications; present at conferences and workshops
Qualification
Required
Ph.D. (or completion within six months) in Computer Science, Statistics, Physics, Applied Mathematics, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Chem/Informatics, Engineering, or a related field
Demonstrated research excellence and problem-solving ability; strong motivation to learn, innovate, and deliver
Proficiency in core ML/statistics topics such as probability, statistical inference, optimization, discrete math/algorithms, and/or probabilistic modeling
Strong programming skills in Python and experience with modern ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow)
Track record of publications and/or presentations in ML, computational chemistry/biology, or related fields
Excellent collaboration and communication skills; proven ability to work in cross-functional teams
Preferred
Experience with molecular representations (e.g., SMILES, graphs), generative models (e.g., diffusion models, VAEs, flow models), and sequence/structure models (e.g., transformers, GNNs, protein or RNA models)
Familiarity with cheminformatics/biophysics toolkits (e.g., RDKit), docking or molecular simulation, ADMET modeling, or DMPK-relevant endpoints
Practical experience with experimental design, active learning, uncertainty quantification, or multi-objective optimization
Software engineering best practices (Git, testing, containers), and experience working with large datasets and cloud/GPU environment postdoctoralopportunities
Benefits
Medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family)
Retirement benefits, including 401(k)
Paid holidays
Vacation
Compassionate and sick days
Company
Merck
Merck is a biopharmaceutical company that offers medicines and vaccines for various diseases.
Founded in 1891
10001+ employees
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$5.59MKey Investors
Private Capital Advisors"Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance"
2018-11-25Post Ipo Equity· $0.59M
2016-01-21Series Unknown· $5M
1980-12-19IPO
Leadership Team
Betty Larson
Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Dean Li
Executive Vice President and President, Merck Research Laboratories
Recent News
2026-02-04
Pharma Letter
2026-02-04
2026-02-03
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