Associate Scientist, Postdoctoral Fellow - Next Generation Drug Conjugates

Merck & Co.•South San Francisco, CA

61d•$75,000 - $86,000

About The Position

We are seeking a highly motivated and talented Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join our Discovery Chemistry department at our company's Research Laboratories in South San Francisco. The role offers the opportunity to work in a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment alongside the Quantitative Biosciences (Pharmacology) department. The Postdoctoral Research Fellow will independently drive projects that address fundamental hypotheses in targeted therapies for oncology to enhance our mechanistic understanding and shape strategies to improve therapeutic efficacy. These projects will require design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of chemical probes using high content imaging and other cellular assays to study intracellular trafficking. Our Postdoctoral Research Fellow Program aims to be best-in-industry for industrial postdoctoral researchers, designed to provide an academic research focus in a commercial environment. With the resources, reach, and expertise of a large pharmaceutical company, our postdoctoral researchers are positioned to excel at an institution committed to breakthrough innovation in research and discovery. If you are a highly motivated individual with a strong desire to pursue cutting-edge research at the interface of chemistry and biology, we invite you to consider joining our team.

Requirements

PhD completed within 6 months of hire in Organic Chemistry, Chemical Biology, or a closely related field; or hold a Ph.D. degree with less than 2 years of prior postdoctoral experience.
Proven ability to complete research projects, as evidenced by peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.
Demonstrated expertise in synthetic organic chemistry, including multi-step synthesis, purification, and characterization.
Proficiency with standard chromatographic methods and analytical techniques such as NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and HPLC.
Strong knowledge of reaction mechanisms, synthetic methodology, and retrosynthetic analysis.
Proficiency with mammalian cell culture and relevant cell biology techniques and assay technologies.
Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively to drive research initiatives and solve complex scientific/technical problems, with excellent organization and communication skills.
Rigorous and innovative experimentalist with enthusiasm for learning new techniques and a strong growth mindset.

Nice To Haves

Hands-on experience with live cell and/or high-content imaging methods and automated image analysis software tools.
Hands-on experience with peptide synthesis, analysis, characterization, and related techniques.

Responsibilities

Develop hypothesis-driven and comprehensive study plans to drive project proposals towards learnings applicable to drug discovery programs.
Design, synthesize, and characterize small molecule and peptide-based tool molecules, and independently troubleshoot synthetic challenges as required.
Design and execute cellular assays to characterize intracellular trafficking and pharmacology of tool molecules using high content imaging and other experimental methodologies.
Analyze and interpret study results to inform on subsequent design of iterative tool molecules and experiments.
Properly document all experimental designs, protocols, and findings.
Maintain compliance with all laboratory trainings and safety requirements.
Independently guide and evolve research direction based on new learnings.
Stay up to date with new literature pertinent to the project proposal and related ideas.
Publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals, and present at scientific conferences and to internal teams.