Job Abstract

Job Description

At our company, we are inspired by the belief that a research-driven enterprise dedicated to scientific excellence can create medicines and vaccines that save and improve lives. Every employee is building on our proud legacy of scientific breakthrough. Our ability to impact the lives of patients worldwide depends on the integrity, creativity, humility, and scientific acumen of our team. We are creating a diverse organization that is inspired by invention and founded on a culture of respect and collaboration. At our company's Research Labs, you’ll have the opportunity to expand your knowledge and skills through collaboration with talented and dedicated colleagues while advancing your career.

Our company is currently seeking passionate synthetic organic or medicinal chemists for positions within the Discovery Chemistry Department located at our West Point, PA site. The successful candidate will join multidisciplinary, highly collaborative discovery teams to invent novel medicines by applying innovative synthetic chemistry, analytical techniques, and data analysis to design and synthesize drug candidates and intermediates.

Successful candidates must have excellent interpersonal, collaboration, and communication skills in a team environment and a proven record of solving complex problems. Additionally, it is expected that the successful candidate will learn quickly through on-the-job training to become increasingly skilled and independent in reaction setup, route design and optimization.

Specific responsibilities will include:

• Collaborative and independent synthetic route design, execution, and optimization to access assigned target molecules using modern synthetic chemistry techniques

• Selection and application of appropriate purification techniques including flash chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and recrystallization

• Acquisition and interpretation of analytical data such as NMR and LC/MS

• Using available data sets and in silico tools to generate novel, testable hypotheses and target molecules to enable clear decision making

• Participation in the triage and selection of molecules for additional studies (DMPK, in vivo experiments, counter screening etc.)

Education Minimum Requirement:

• Minimum qualifications include B.S. or equivalent degree in chemistry, biochemistry or related field with (3+) years of industrial and/or academic research experience or Master’s degree in chemistry, biochemistry or related field.

Required Experience and Skills:   

• Relevant experience must involve the application of organic synthesis

• Experience with independent synthetic route design, execution and optimization using modern synthetic techniques

• Experience with the selection and application of appropriate purification techniques (flash chromatography and HPLC) and analytical data (LC/MS and NMR) to support execution of synthetic routes

Optional skills:

• Knowledge and experience interpreting biological activity data (structure-activity relationships)

NOTICE FOR INTERNAL APPLICANTS

In accordance with Managers' Policy - Job Posting and Employee Placement, all employees subject to this policy are required to have a minimum of twelve (12) months of service in current position prior to applying for open positions.

If you have been offered a separation benefits package, but have not yet reached your separation date and are offered a position within the salary and geographical parameters as set forth in the Summary Plan Description (SPD) of your separation package, then you are no longer eligible for your separation benefits package. To discuss in more detail, please contact your HRBP or Talent Acquisition Advisor.

Employees working in roles that the Company determines require routine collaboration with external stakeholders, such as customer-facing commercial, or research-based roles, will be expected to comply not only with Company policy but also with policies established by such external stakeholders (for example, a requirement to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to access a facility or meet with stakeholders).  Please understand that, as permitted by applicable law, if you have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 and an essential function of your job is to call on external stakeholders who require vaccination to enter their premises or engage in face-to-face meetings, then your employment may pose an undue burden to business operations, in which case you may not be offered employment, or your employment could be terminated. Please also note that, where permitted by applicable law, the Company reserves the right to require COVID-19 vaccinations for positions, such as in Global Employee Health, where the Company determines in its discretion that the nature of the role presents an increased risk of disease transmission.

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Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.  For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

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We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing diverse, talented, and committed people together. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when diverse ideas come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.

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U.S. Hybrid Work Model

Effective September 5, 2023, employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week, generally Tuesday, Wednesday and either Monday or Thursday, although the specific days may vary by site or organization, with Friday designated as a remote-working day, unless business critical tasks require an on-site presence.  This Hybrid work model does not apply to, and daily in-person attendance is required for, field-based positions; facility-based, manufacturing-based, or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note, this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as “remote”.

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 in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails. 

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