2027 Future Talent Program - Elkton Manufacturing Intern

Merck•Elkton, VA

1d•$39,908 - $111,111•Onsite

About The Position

The Future Talent Program features internships that last 10-12 weeks and will include one or more projects. These opportunities in our Manufacturing Division can provide you with great development and a chance to see if we are the right company for your long-term goals. At our Company's campus in Elkton, Virginia, our Engineers have opportunities across many diverse areas including Biological, Automation, Maintenance, Safety, Process Engineering, Process Development, Technical Services, Utilities and Validation. The manufacturing facility is located in the Shenandoah Valley along the Shenandoah River and the Blue Ridge Mountains a short distance from the University of Virginia and James Madison University. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to apply their enthusiasm and technical skills as a member of a multidisciplinary team supporting the operation of biopharmaceutical and vaccine product manufacturing facilities.

Requirements

Candidates must be currently enrolled in a sophomore or junior level curriculum working toward a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, Biological Systems Engineering, Biomedical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering, Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, or Biotechnology
Candidates must be available for a minimum of 10-12 weeks beginning in May 2027
Candidates are expected to work onsite
Candidates must have superior technical competency as demonstrated by excellent academic record and work achievements
Candidates must have strong communication skills, personal character, and ethics
Candidates must have leadership accomplishments achieved through direct leadership roles or leading by influence
Candidates must have robust problem-solving skills and a proactive approach to problem-solving, with a bias towards going to see problems for oneself in the field

Nice To Haves

Candidates should have work experience in a laboratory, manufacturing or industrial setting
Candidates should have familiarity with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) and its application
Candidates should have delivery results in a multi-functional, multi-disciplinary environment
Candidates should have experience using Lean/Six Sigma tools
Candidates should have capabilities for managing multiple tasks simultaneously, including leading small projects
Candidates should have experience in problem solving and/or troubleshooting
Candidates should have ability to examine an issue from diverse perspectives (safety, compliance, maintenance, automation, equipment, process, and people) in order to best understand and resolve it
Candidates should have strong desire to succeed and to help others to do the same
Candidates should have strong communication skills, written and verbal
Candidates should be enthusiastic, confident, and self-starters, with a passion for continuous learning
Candidates should have a minimum GPA of 3.20

Responsibilities

Providing on-the-floor support of operational and technical issues; collaborating with the shop floor on a variety of different projects and activities that are critical to ongoing manufacturing of vaccines at the Elkton, VA site
Working as part of a cross-functional team to support vaccine, biologic, and sterile manufacturing processes
Conducting technical/operational investigations and analyses and recommending corrective and preventative actions
Writing, reviewing, and improving procedures for operation of equipment and processes
Maintain manufacturing processes and products at a high level of performance and regulatory compliance
Completing projects to improve the performance of our processes and manufacturing performance, including projects aimed at improving Right-First-Time performance or preventing/reducing deviations, and continuous improvement projects that seek to improve manufacturing efficiencies (yield, cost, cycle times).
Perform data analysis, problem solving and/or troubleshooting for daily operations and projects
Collaboration with multi-functional, multi-disciplinary teams
Embracing and establishing an empowered, diverse, and inclusive team culture