Sr. Specialist, Technical Product Management

Merck • Cambridge, MA

7d • $117,000 - $184,200 • Hybrid

About The Position

We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company. We're at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We are seeking a Sr. Specialist Technical Product Management with deep expertise in the drug discovery and pre-clinical research process to help build and enhance data products. Join our team to bridge the gap between scientific requirements and data-driven product development and make a significant impact on global health.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Two or more (2+) years building tools or data assets supporting scientific or data analytics workflows.
• Three or more (3+) years working with scientific users (e.g., chemists) to define requirements for data products.
• Experience with data analytics or data science capabilities, especially in a scientific context.
• Experience building ERDs, logical data models, and source-target mappings for scientific data.
• Hands-on experience or working knowledge with data management services (AWS Athena, Glue, S3, Redshift, or similar).
• Proficiency in SQL and scientific data management.
• Ability to translate scientific/business problems into actionable requirements and tasks.
• Strong analytical problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage both technical and scientific stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple complex projects simultaneously.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree in a related field.
• Direct experience in pharmaceutical drug discovery and pre-clinical development.
• Domain knowledge or familiarity with cheminformatics, laboratory data, and scientific workflows.
• Knowledge of cheminformatics platforms (e.g., Pipeline Pilot, RDKit, OpenEye) and integration with data science tools.
• Familiarity with the drug discovery processes, including key endpoints such as potency, selectivity, ADMET properties, and lead optimization strategies.
• Familiarity with cheminformatics tools and concepts such as molecular descriptors, fingerprints, QSAR modeling, and chemical database management.
• Experience with Machine Learning Platforms (e.g., Sagemaker, DataBricks) in a scientific setting.
• Experience working in Agile software development.
• Familiarity with cloud-based software and scientific data platforms.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate closely with Product, Data Science, and Engineering teams to define and develop data products tailored for drug discovery and preclinical research.
• Gather, manage, and prioritize product requirements by engaging with scientific stakeholders to understand user problems, technical constraints, and strategic objectives.
• Define and refine the product backlog; create actionable user stories that reflect the unique workflows and challenges of preclinical drug discovery.
• Act as a user expert, deeply understanding the motivations, pain points, and goals of scientific users.
• Justify and prioritize improvements to existing products, focusing on delivering measurable value to scientific research and operations.
• Develop and maintain technical knowledge and domain expertise in drug discovery, cheminformatics, and data-driven research processes.
• Write clear problem statements and requirements; facilitate solution design with engineering teams.
• Serve as Product Owner on Agile teams or work closely with one to ensure scientific and data needs are met.
• Plan, design, and conduct testing activities; compile critical training and communication content for scientific end-users.
• Analyze data, observations, and research to generate insights that inform product strategy and decision-making.
• Support the Product Manager in defining and executing strategy in collaboration with engineering teams for one or more data products.
• Accept completed user stories, ensuring deliverables meet acceptance criteria and scientific requirements.
• Act as a customer champion, articulating and advocating for the needs of scientific stakeholders.

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