Merck Posted August 12, 2026

Specialist, Engineering

De Soto, Kansas, United States of America FULL_TIME
Manufacturing & CMC

Merck is the source of truth for this posting and owns the application process. We surface normalized context and market comparison you won't find on the original listing.

About this opportunity

Job Description

For over 130 years, we have pioneered groundbreaking science.  Today, we are driven by continuous innovation to develop breakthrough medicines, vaccines and technology.  Rooted in direct experience on the farm and in the clinic, we work hand in hand with our customers every step of the way.

Our singular focus is to empower those who care for animals, helping them manage their vital responsibility with confidence.  Because when it comes to animal health, no one sees it like we do.

Our Manufacturing Operations teams are the people that make our products. We work in the manufacturing plants with a “Safety First, Quality Always” mindset striving for continuous improvement. We work in the local plant connected to our global manufacturing network to ensure the highest quality of raw materials, intermediates and finished products.

The function of a Specialist at Tech Hub is to provide technical support to Vaccine and Biologicals process development for Manufacturing within a multidisciplinary environment you will cooperate with your colleagues at Bioprocess Technology Solutions, Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality and R&D. Your main field of attention is to provide all around technological support on Vaccine and Biologicals Manufacturing of new (R&D) products.

Position Responsibilities:

Works as a team member on the development and scale up of processes or technologies of microbial, virus and cell cultivations, biomolecules concentration and purification and final formulation of veterinary vaccines and therapeutics.

Works as a team member on the transfer of processes or technologies of microbial, virus and cell cultivations, biomolecules concentration and purification and final formulation of veterinary vaccines and therapeutics to the production lines.

Works as a team member on the development of processes or technologies and its transfer to the production lines within the timelines set for this purpose, whereby these processes and technologies meet the requirements of the customer with regard to safety, quality, cost-efficiency, practical applicability and consistency.

Works as a team member on technical investigations, validation and/or process improvement projects.

Examines issues from diverse perspectives (safety, compliance, automation, equipment, process and people) in order to best understand and resolve the root cause.

Whether or not in collaboration with team members from other departments (e.g. QC, Pharmaceutical Technical Support, R&D, Production or Analytical Technical Services) gives direction to scientifically based decisions within projects aimed at the improvement of products, solving problems or development of new products.

If necessary, performs development, introduction and/or testing of new technologies. Collaborates and interfaces with R&D and Manufacturing and other departments to bring new products to market.

Works within large cross-functional teams and demonstrates working knowledge of current USDA regulatory guidelines and advanced technical knowledge.

Develops project charters and project plans and align with all sponsors and stakeholders. Key capabilities include standard project management activities: development of timelines, use of project tracking tools, definition of deliverables, definition of roles and responsibilities, risk identification tracking and mitigation.

Coordinates and tracks team activities by leading or participating in core team meetings, communicates project risks and status to appropriate stakeholders and escalates issues to sponsors as needed in advance of deviation from project plans. In concert with Commercialization, Quality, and Regulatory, support inspection readiness for new product introductions and transfers.

Assures consistent application of standardized work, engineering and process tools. Conducts and designs experimental protocols as needed using the Technical Operations lab facilities and/or production equipment at full scale.

Creates and updates technical and manufacturing documents necessary for investigations, process design/definition, engineering studies, process demonstrations, change control and validation.

Displays our Company's leadership behaviors and demonstrate a high emotional intelligence. Effectively collaborates with peers on site and above site as required. Contributes to international projects (Global Projects). Interacts closely with fellow scientists from your own and other departments. If required with external collaboration partners.

Actively contributes to the improvement or acceleration of activities within the department, also in the field of Environment Health and Safety.

Trains and guides employees and / or trainees.

Performs off-shift work (only as needed).

Education Minimum Requirement:

Bachelor’s degree in Biochemical Engineering, Biotechnology, Chemical Engineering, Biology, Biochemistry, Protein Chemistry, Microbiology with 2 years’ experience in vaccine/biopharmaceuticals Research and Development, Process Development and/or Biological manufacturing or closely related field (or Master's degree with1 years’ experience or PhD in related field).

Required Experience and Skills:

Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Excellent project management, documentation and writing skills.

Excellent teamwork skills.

Strong problem-solving skills and a hands-on approach to solving problems inclusive of diverse perspectives (e.g. safety, compliance).

Can work together in multidisciplinary and international teams.

May be required to work nights AND/OR weekends as needed

Preferred Experience and Skills:

Experience in bioprocess scale up and vaccine manufacturing.

Working knowledge of USDA regulations.

Knowledge of GMP requirements for manufacture and testing of biological products.

Understanding of statistics and application to process monitoring and control

Required Skills:

Adaptability, Adaptability, Animal Vaccination, Biopharmaceuticals, Change Control Management, Chemical Engineering, Chemical Technology, Data Analysis, Equipment Troubleshooting, Global Manufacturing, GMP Compliance, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Identifying Risks, Inspection Readiness, Lean Manufacturing, Multidisciplinary Collaboration, New Product Development, Personal Initiative, Process Optimization, Professional Integrity, Project Management, Protein Chemistry, Root Cause Analysis (RCA), Teamwork, Technical Writing {+ 2 more}

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

The salary range for this role is

$87,300.00 - $137,400.00

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 https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits .

You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (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:

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

1st - Day

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

08/24/2026 *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:R412089

Job details

Seniority
Not listed
Function
Manufacturing & CMC
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
De Soto, Kansas, United States of America
Employment type
FULL_TIME

How this role compares

Computed from every other active Manufacturing & CMC role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 1527 comparable Manufacturing & CMC roles across 125 biopharma companies.

1527Comparable roles tracked
1434Currently active
125Companies hiring similar roles
44Countries represented

Salary context

455 of 1527 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)

Peers share this role's job function. This posting doesn't list a seniority level, so peers aren't narrowed by seniority either -- the range below may span more levels than usual.

This roleSubject $87,300/yr – $137,400/yr
Lowest disclosed · Senior Scientist II – CMC Developmental Sciences · AbbVie $0/hr – $0/hr (≈ $0–$0/yr)
Peer group range $0 – $540,400 (median $140,000)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 1527 comparable roles

United States781
India104
Germany74
Singapore67
France64
Ireland54

+ 38 more countries

Seniority mix

705 of 1527 peers have a known seniority level

Senior251
Manager165
Principal79
Associate68
Director64
Associate Director44
Senior Director21
Intern/Fellow/Postdoc8
Executive/VP5

Therapeutic area mix

7 of 1527 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Vaccines & Infectious Disease6
Oncology1

Similar opportunities

The closest matches from our peer group, ranked by how similar they are, not how well you'd qualify for them -- treat this as market context, not a guaranteed shortlist; a weak match is labeled as one below.

40%similar
Alexion New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
Same function Same country
40%similar
AstraZeneca Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America Director
Same function Same country
40%similar
Alexion New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
Same function Same country
40%similar
40%similar
Lilly Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America Associate
Same function Same country
40%similar
Lilly Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America Senior Director
Same function Same country

How we calculate "similar"

No black box, no LLM guesswork: a deterministic score built from four normalized attributes. Here's this role's own peer group at different match levels, so you can see the mechanism, not just the result.

Every comparison starts from the same 100-point budget: 25 for working in the same function, 40 for the same therapeutic area, 20 for the same or adjacent seniority, 15 for the same country. A dimension we can't confirm on both sides contributes nothing, never a guess, never a free pass.

40%
Scientist II, LC Development, Biologics Analytical Development
Alexion · New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America · Seniority not listed
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
Director, Global Regulatory Affairs – Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC), Platform Innovation – Synthetic Peptides and Oligonucleotides
Lilly · Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
Senior/Principal Scientist, Bioprocess Purification Development
Lilly · Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America · Principal
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
Senior Principal Scientist - Bioanalytical Research
Lilly · Louisville, Colorado, United States of America · Principal
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
Unmatched or unknown dimensions score exactly the same: 0 points, never a partial guess. A role we know almost nothing about beyond its function bottoms out at 25%; it never inflates to 100% just because there's little to compare against. Seniority uses a defined ladder (Associate → Manager → Associate Director → Senior → Principal → Director → Senior Director → Executive/VP) so "Director" and "Senior Director" count as adjacent, but "Director" and "Executive/VP" do not.