2026 Future Talent Program - Chemical Engineering Research & Development - Intern

Merck & Co. • Rahway, NJ

110d • $39,600 - $105,500 • Onsite

About The Position

The Future Talent Program features internships that last up to 12 weeks 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 company's Chemical Engineering Research and Development department (CERD) within Merch Research Lab's Small Molecule Process Research & Development (SM PRD) organization is seeking interns who will operate as fully integrated members of our team for 11-12 weeks during summer 2026. Day-to-day research for the intern will focus on CERD department objectives such as small molecule drug substance process development using organic synthesis techniques, technology innovation, and process safety evaluation. This internship will provide insight into our department and company culture, teach the fundamentals of the pharmaceutical industry, and highlight opportunities throughout our Research & Development Division and our Manufacturing Division. Interns in CERD will participate in departmental and team meetings, have access to seminars on all aspects of pharmaceutical development, and network with mentors. Tours of pilot plants and development labs, as well as, a visit to a formulation facility may be integrated into the internship program to diversify exposure. The CERD department develops the processing knowledge necessary to successfully scale-up and efficiently produce small molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) at a commercial scale. Development efforts focus on ensuring robust, cost-effective, safe, environmentally benign chemical processes and advancing technologies for the laboratories, pilot plants, and manufacturing facilities to secure a competitive advantage for our company. Members also work closely with Commercialization sites to ensure the successful transfer and validation of the factory process and to provide material for product launch. CERD also invests in the development of new technologies and workflows to enable efficient process development. This work spans across diverse unit operations such as reaction engineering, biocatalysis, and particle engineering. The scouting of technologies and evaluation of their applications presents a unique opportunity for innovation and broad impact across the product portfolio. The intern will work with a technical mentor on a chemical engineering research project and will be responsible for accurate electronic notebook recording, experimental set-up techniques, interpretation of results, and safe lab practices. By taking ownership of the research project, the intern will utilize their chemical engineering skill set, be a subject matter expert on their topic, and will have the opportunity to present their results to the entire department. We are seeking intern candidates with innovative minds, hands-on laboratory skills, strong communication skills, technical know-how, teamwork, self-initiative, and the ability to work in a multi-functional and collaborative environment. We hope to provide interns with a great development opportunity and a chance to see if we are the right company for their long-term goals.

Requirements

• Must be a student pursuing a Bachelor's degree, Master's degree, or PhD in Chemical Engineering or Biochemical Engineering.
• Target graduation date of Winter 2026 or Spring 2027.
• Available for employment for 11-12 weeks during June - August 2026.
• Authorized to work in the U.S.
• Experience performing lab-based research/process development in a chemical engineering-related area.

Nice To Haves

• Strong technical/problem solving skills including grasp of chemical engineering fundamentals.
• Strong interest in process/technology development and process scale-up.
• Knowledge of organic chemistry and small molecule drug substance synthesis unit operations.
• High level of innovation, creativity, and self-initiative.
• Ability to plan and organize activities.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Participate in departmental and team meetings.
• Access seminars on all aspects of pharmaceutical development.
• Network with mentors.
• Conduct research focused on small molecule drug substance process development.
• Utilize organic synthesis techniques.
• Evaluate process safety.
• Record accurate electronic notebook entries.
• Set up experiments and interpret results.
• Follow safe lab practices.
• Present research results to the department.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern
• Industry: Chemical Manufacturing
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree