Merck
Senior Scientist, Respiratory Biology (Discovery Research)
USA - California - South San Francisco (Grand Ave) · Senior · Contract
Sponsorship not specified$131k-$207kDetected 1 day ago
HRISPharmacologyFlow CytometryMicroscopyCell CultureResearchCommunicationPublic Speaking
About the role
- Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.
- 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.
Responsibilities
- Design, execute, and interpret in vitro and ex vivo studies to support respiratory target discovery, validation and translational biology programs.
- Develop and apply disease‑relevant experimental systems, including primary airway epithelial cultures, air‑liquid interface (ALI) models, organoid systems, precision-cut lung slices (PCLS), and co-culture platforms.
- Perform and interpret flow cytometry/FACS‑based immune and cell phenotyping.
- Support translational biomarker discovery and validation using patient-derived samples and multiplex biomarker platforms (Meso Scale Discovery, Luminex, Olink, AlphaLISA).
- Collaborate closely across biology, pharmacology, DMPK, and translational and clinical teams within a matrixed discovery environment.
- The Senior Scientist will generate high-quality mechanistic datasets that inform target prioritization and program decisions and will collaborate closely within multidisciplinary discovery and translational teams.
Requirements
- Bachelor's (with 7+ years), Master's (with 4+ years) or Ph.D. biology, immunology, pharmacology, physiology, pulmonary biology or related discipline and relevant experience
- Required Experience and
- Education:
- Required Experience and Skills:
- Experience developing and applying disease-relevant in vitro and ex vivo systems such as ALI cultures, organoids, co-culture models, or precision-cut lung slices
- Experience with flow cytometry/FACS, imaging-based approaches (IHC, IF, ICC, confocal microscopy), image analysis, and multiplex biomarker platforms (Meso Scale Discovery, Luminex, Olink, AlphaLISA or equivalent)
- Ability to independently design, execute, troubleshoot, and interpret experimental studies
Nice to have
- Preferred Experience and Skills:
- Preferred Skills:
Skills
- Demonstrated expertise in respiratory biology and human primary cell culture systems, including airway and/or alveolar epithelial models
- Strong hands-on experience in molecular and cellular biology techniques
- Experience supporting translational biology, target validation, and mechanism-of-action studies
- Strong scientific communication skills and ability to present findings in cross-functional settings
- Prior experience in respiratory drug discovery, fibrosis, tissue remodeling, regenerative biology, or inflammatory lung disease research
- Experience with macrophage, fibroblast, epithelial, or immune-stromal co-culture systems
- Experience working with patient-derived respiratory tissues and primary human lung cells
- Familiarity with transcriptomic datasets including bulk RNA-seq and single-cell RNA-seq
- Experience with organoid biology, human tissue-based models, or spatial biology approaches
- Knowledge of translational biomarker strategies and human disease-relevant endpoints
Compensation
- The salary range for this role is
Company info
- Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
Visa & Work Authorization
- VISA Sponsorship:
This listing is sourced directly from Merck's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.