Senior Specialist, Data Science

MSD • Rahway, NJ

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

We are a global health care leader with a diversified portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines and animal health products. Our company’s Information Technology division partners with colleagues across the business to help serve our patients and customers around the world. Ours is a high-energy team of dynamic, innovative individuals dedicated to advancing our contribution to global medical innovation by leveraging information and technology to efficiently advance the business by driving revenue and productivity. We are seeking a senior data scientist for the Clinical Data Science Realization Team (DSRT) within the Data Science and Scientific Informatics (DSSI) Value Team at our Company's Research Laboratories IT division. Our DSRT team’s focus is on delivering end-to-end and scalable data science and AI solutions, as well as applications in the clinical domain. We collaborate with various business stakeholders to transform their hypotheses and questions into machine learning models. Additionally, we build or help develop applications that enable these models to be deployed in everyday business operations. We also work closely with other data science, AI, and MLOps teams within the value team, as well as other IT teams, to ensure seamless collaborations. Our work combines consultancy, computer engineering, and statistics, and spans a broad range of machine learning, technology, and business areas.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required in mathematics, statistics, data science, computer science, or other related engineering and science areas
• PhD Degree or master's degree with 3+ years of industrial experience in these areas preferred
• Strong communication skills — able to explain complex AI and machine learning concepts clearly to non-technical audiences
• Self-driven and able to work independently while staying closely aligned with remote teammates
• Proficient in Python or R
• Animal Vaccination
• Business Intelligence (BI)
• Collaborative Development
• Computer Engineering
• Computer Science
• Database Design
• Data Engineering
• Data Modeling
• Data Science
• Data Visualization
• Disease Prevention
• End to End Management
• Information Technology (IT) Support
• IT Project Lifecycle
• Machine Learning (ML)
• Prioritization
• Python (Programming Language)
• Software Development
• Stakeholder Relationship Management
• Veterinary Medicine
• Waterfall Model
• Working Independently

Nice To Haves

• Current Employees apply HERE
• Current Contingent Workers apply HERE
• US and Puerto Rico Residents Only
• San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance
• Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance
• Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully 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 place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.

Responsibilities

• You will be the dedicated onsite data scientist of our team in the United States, reporting to the team lead based in Prague.
• You will be co-located with colleagues from our broader value team and embedded within a collaborative environment of US-based IT colleagues and business stakeholders.
• Your role combines hands-on data science delivery with a strong stakeholder-facing dimension — you will be expected to both build and ship AI solutions and act as the first point of contact for partners navigating clinical AI questions.
• You will work hands-on with data — building and refining machine learning models and AI solutions within the clinical domain.
• You will be the go-to onsite contact for US-based IT colleagues and business stakeholders, fielding questions and translating needs into concrete data science deliverables on behalf of your team.
• You will facilitate meetings and working sessions to collect use cases, align priorities, and drive multiple opportunities forward with proper organization and prioritization.
• You will explain sophisticated AI concepts to non-technical audiences in a clear and engaging way to help extend our business impact.
• You will closely collaborate with your manager and teammates in both Prague and US, regularly syncing with your manager and colleagues on progress, insights, and emerging opportunities.

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

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior