Principal Scientist, Immunology Biomarker Lead, Translational Medicine

Job Description

Translational Biomarkers (TB) develops and validates clinical biomarkers to support decision making across the development lifecycle for all therapeutic areas at our Company's Research laboratories. We are seeking a highly-motivated Principal Scientist to serve as an Immunology Biomarker Lead who will partner across functions to design and deliver biomarker strategies that connect drug mechanism, patient biology, and clinical endpoints across immune-mediated and inflammatory diseases.

The role requires a scientist who leads through scientific expertise, decision-focused logic, and collaboration, building alignment among teams on biomarker hypotheses, plans, and readouts tied to development decisions in a fast-moving matrixed environment.

The individual will have the following responsibilities:

• Shape and align biomarker strategies for early and late-stage clinical programs, emphasizing clear hypotheses, fit-for-purpose readouts, and decision-linked plans.
• Lead biomarker sub-teams within cross-functional development program teams and provide functional area point of view in governance interactions.
• Build alignment across stakeholders with diverse technical backgrounds, priorities, and perspectives to converge on pragmatic biomarker choices and tradeoffs as needed.
• Partner with subject matter experts to translate disease biology and drug mechanism into clinical stage biomarker plans that address key program questions and integrate diverse technical perspectives.
• Facilitate fit-for-purpose selection of innovative biomarker technologies and methodologies (e.g., immune profiling, omics, digital pathology) grounded in disease pathophysiology and aligned with therapeutic mechanism of action.
• Contribute to analysis planning and interpretation to ensure biomarker conclusions are scientifically rigorous, clinically meaningful, and clearly communicated, both internally and externally.

Position Qualifications:

Education Minimum Requirement:

• PhD (or MD/PhD) in a life sciences discipline (Biochemistry, Immunology, Molecular Pathology, Cell Biology, Translational Medicine, Pharmacology, Genetics/Genomics, Bioengineering, or STEM related field).
• MS or BS considered with equivalent experience.

Required Experience and Skills:

• PhD (or MD/PhD) 7+ years OR MS and 10+ years OR BS and 12+ years of experience in the biotech or pharmaceutical industry, specifically in translational or biomarker sciences.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence in highly matrixed environments driving outcomes without formal authority through scientific credibility, relationship-building, and strategic stakeholder engagement.
• Strong knowledge of immune-mediated and inflammatory disease biology and clinical development, spanning at least one of the following areas: gastrointestinal/mucosal inflammation, rheumatology, dermatology.
• Demonstrated experience applying biomarkers to assess drug activity and patient response to inform therapeutic decision making.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills, with the ability to synthesize ambiguity into clear options and recommendations as needed.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with fluid- and tissue-linked biomarker readouts and connecting them to clinical endpoints.
• Working knowledge of biomarker platforms and multi-modal data integration (e.g., immunoassays, flow/immune profiling, NGS, omics) with effective partnership across data sciences, bioinformatics, and biostatistics.
• Experience advancing precision medicine concepts and diagnostic considerations into clinical biomarker plans is advantageous.
• External scientific engagement, including KOL collaborations, publications, presentations, and/or scientific consortia participation.

#EligibleforERP

Required Skills:
Accountability, Bioinformatics, Biomarker Assay Development, Biopharmaceutical Industry, Biostatistics, Cell-Based Assays, Cell Physiology, Clinical Immunology, Clinical Judgment, Communication, Cross-Departmental Collaboration, Data Analysis, Dermatology, Exercises Judgment, Experimentation, Immunoassays, Immunogenicity Assays, Immunology, Innovation Program, Mentoring Staff, Research Proposal Development, Research Techniques, Rheumatology, Scientific Writing, Stakeholder Engagement

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

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.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.--As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.- For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

EEOC Know Your Rights

EEOC GINA Supplement•

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

Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts

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, Monday - 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".

The salary range for this role is
$172,700.00 - $271,900.00

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee's position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs.

The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits.- Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at .

You can apply for this role through (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.

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

Employee Status:
Regular

Relocation:
Domestic

VISA Sponsorship:
Yes

Travel Requirements:
10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:
Hybrid

Shift:
Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:
No

Hazardous Material(s):
N/a

Job Posting End Date:
01/16/2026
*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE -the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.

Requisition ID: R378654