Merck · 3 days ago
Senior Principal Scientist, Microbial Process Operations
Rahway, NJ
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
$187K/yr - $294K/yr
15+ years expMerck is seeking a Senior Principal Scientist with expertise in microbial process development for the production of enzymes used in biocatalysis. This role involves shaping strategy, driving innovation, and ensuring robust microbial fermentation processes to meet performance targets, while collaborating with cross-functional teams throughout the enzyme manufacturing lifecycle.
BiotechnologyHealth CareMedicalPharmaceutical
Responsibilities
Partner with functional area project teams and subject matter experts to establish and implement the scientific strategy for upstream and downstream process development, optimization, and technical innovation
Provide scientific oversight for the microbial process team, leading the planning, implementation, and documentation of experiments for the adoption and development of innovative technologies
Lead the design and execution of bench scale process development experiments to meet various project requirements, with the ultimate aim of delivering robust processes for scale-up and manufacturing
Work collaboratively to proactively identify risks and associated solutions to ensure on time delivery of project deliverables
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support technology transfer, scale-up activities, and process robustness
Mentor junior scientists to become our company's next generation of scientific leaders
Champion laboratory safety, compliance, and best practices, fostering a culture of scientific and technical excellence
Represent our company's externally through conference presentations, publications, and other relevant venues
Qualification
Required
PhD with 15+ years of relevant industry experience
Master's degree with 18+ years of relevant industry experience, or
Bachelor's degree with 20+ years of relevant industry experience in chemical engineering, bioengineering, biological sciences, or related fields
Demonstrated success in fermentation process development and optimization, ideally in the area of industrial enzymes
Excellent problem solving skills to overcome both technical and non-technical challenges
Demonstrated success leading scale-down model development along with scale-up and technology transfer from R&D to pilot and commercial manufacturing scales
Demonstrated success in leading projects or programs and being leveraged as a technical resource across multiple areas
Demonstrated ability to coach and mentor fellow researchers
Excellent organizational, documentation, and problem-solving skills, with a strong commitment to maintaining rigorous safety and quality standards
Strong track record of peer-reviewed publications and research presentations
Ability to collaborate effectively across multidisciplinary teams and promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace
Collaborative Leadership
Data Management
Digital Strategy
Documentations
Downstream Processing
Fermentation Process Development
Mentorship
Microbial Fermentation
Process Analytical Technology (PAT)
Process Scale Up
Regulatory Compliance
Scientific Innovation
Strategic Leadership
Strategy Implementation
Technology Transfer
Preferred
Knowledge in bioreactor and process in-silico design / modeling
Familiarity with drug development cycle, especially the CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Control) aspect, with skills to help advance our digital effort in this area
Familiarity with biocatalysis, protein engineering, biotherapeutics, and / or vaccines is advantageous
Knowledge and experience in downstream process development, such as flocculation, microfiltration, ultrafiltration, lyophilization, and spray drying
Understanding of microbial strain development and genetic engineering techniques to support process optimization
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.
10001+ employees
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$5.59MKey Investors
Private Capital AdvisorsGavi, 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
2026-01-24
2026-01-23
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