Merck Hiring Sterile Product Development Co-op

Job Description

The 2027 Future Talent Program includes a 6-month Co-op opportunity with one or more projects. These roles in our Research Division offer solid development and a chance to see if we are the right company for your long-term goals.

Our Research Lab's Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Supply organization turns therapeutic agents into functional drug products optimized for patients. The Sterile and Specialty Products department is a multidisciplinary group that enables sterile drug product and process development through pharmaceutical science and drug delivery research for clinical candidates. The Sterile Product Development department in Rahway (NJ) is seeking co-ops to work collaboratively in a team environment, solving key challenges in formulation development of sterile pharmaceutical products across diverse modalities including small molecules, peptides, biologics, and nucleic acids.

We are looking for co-op candidates with strong academic performance, communication skills, teamwork, and the ability to work in a multi-functional environment. The co-op will join departmental and project team meetings to gain a broad perspective on the drug development process in the pharmaceutical industry. They will also present their research results in both oral and written formats. During the appointment, they will work closely with an experienced pharmaceutical industry scientist on a research project with tasks including, but not limited to:

• Using various physical and chemical characterization techniques to understand the physicochemical characteristics of small molecules, proteins, and peptides, and associated formulations.
• Using modeling tools to assess formulation stability and performance.
• Developing small-scale in vitro screening systems to predict formulation performance.
• Planning and executing research related to the design, development, and characterization of novel drug delivery approaches for drug candidates.

Minimum Requirements

• Currently enrolled as an undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor's degree (sophomore, junior, or senior) OR a graduate student pursuing a Master's or PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Available to work full-time for 4-6 months.
• Completed a minimum of two (2) years of study toward a bachelor's degree by June 2027.

Preferred Experience and Skills

• Basic laboratory skills and research experience, such as electronic notebook recording, HPLC, spectroscopy, analytical techniques, and safe lab practices.
• GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Please note that this position may close before the posted end date or remain open longer, at the company's discretion.