2027 Future Talent Program - Vaccines Process Research & Development Upstream - Co-Op

About the role

The Future Talent Program features Cooperative (Co-op) education that lasts 4-6 months and will include one or more projects. These opportunities in our Research Division can provide you with great development and a chance to see if we are the right company for your long-term goals.

Our Research Scientists are our Inventors. We identify and target steps in disease mechanisms or pathways that could be inhibited or enhanced. Our goal is to isolate a compound that is effective against a disease target. Using innovative thinking, state-of-the-art facilities, and robust scientific methodology we collaborate to discover the next medical breakthrough.

Applications are sought for a scientific co-op opportunity in our company's Vaccines and Advanced Biotechnologies Process R&D division. Under the direction of a project mentor, a successful candidate will perform lab-scale process development/scale-up studies, and develop robust, efficient, scalable cell culture processes for vaccine production.

Duties may include lab-scale fermentation or cell culture, in-process assay support, process scale-up and engineering, maintaining/coordinating raw material and equipment inventories to support development experiments, technology transfer to later stage development groups, and functioning as a key member of an early-stage process development team.

The candidate may also work on pilot-scale campaigns for the GMP manufacture of bulk clinical material. In this role, assignments could encompass aspects of campaign preparation, execution, and closeout of a GMP campaign.

The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate the ability to convey the results of their work in both verbal and written formats. In addition to the core duties outlined above, the candidate will be expected to keep careful notes, comply with all required training, and maintain focused attention on laboratory safety for themselves and their team.

Education Minimum Requirement

• Candidates must be enrolled in a minimum of a BS/BA in: Chemical/Biomedical/Biological Engineering, Bioengineering, Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, or closely related field.

Required Experience and Skills

• Must have the ability to work independently and as part of a team, self-motivation, adaptability, and a positive attitude.
• Must have ability to learn new techniques, perform multiple tasks simultaneously, keep accurate records, follow instructions, and comply with company policies.
• Must have proven ability to work in hands-on laboratory setting.
• Must have effective organization, interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills
• Must be available to work full-time 4-6 months in 2027 (June - November or March - August)

Preferred Experience and Skills

• Should have direct experience with cell culture/fermentation, upstream process development, and/or expression system development for vaccines and/or biologics is strongly preferred.
• Should have hands-on immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, and/or virometry (flow-based nanoparticle analysis) experience preferred.

• To learn more about the PRD team, click: Join Our Process Research & Development Team
• Please note that this position may be closed before the posted end date or may remain open longer, at the discretion of the company.

Salary range

• The salary range for this role is $$39,908 - $111,111
• FTP2027
• RL2027
• PRD

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.
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• 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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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: Intern/Co-op (Fixed Term)
• Relocation: No relocation
• VISA Sponsorship: No

Travel Requirements

• No Travel Required
• Flexible Work Arrangements: Hybrid
• Shift: 1st - Day
• Valid Driving License: No
• Hazardous Material(s): n/a
• Job Posting End Date: 11/23/2026

Additional information

*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.