Merck Posted September 8, 2026

2027 Future Talent Program – Cellular Pharmacology – Intern

Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America FULL_TIME
Notify me about similar jobs

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

The Future Talent Program features internships that last up to 12 weeks and will include one or more projects. These opportunities in our Research and Development Division can provide you with great development and a chance to see if we are the right company for your long-term goals.

Our Research Scientists are our Inventors. We identify and target steps in disease mechanisms or pathways that could be inhibited or enhanced. Our goal is to isolate a compound that is effective against a disease target. Using innovative thinking, state-of-the-art facilities and robust scientific methodology we collaborate to discover the next medical breakthrough.

The Cellular Pharmacology group at the department of Quantitative Biosciences is seeking an innovative and experienced intern with a strong background in Cell Biology and Biochemistry to join our Quantitative Biosciences Department at our Research Laboratories in Boston. The successful candidate will play an essential role in developing assays in cellular context for screening and translational relevance.  The alignment of these screening and translational assays with biochemical, ex-vivo and in-vivo approaches will greatly enhance our capabilities in the discovery of innovative therapeutics.

Responsibilities:

Working collaboratively with members of department to investigate cellular aspects of in vitro pharmacology efforts against a variety of targets across diverse therapeutic areas.

This individual will be expected to conduct cell-based assays to understand potency, characterize cellular signaling and mechanisms of action.

Work with liquid handling stations and plate readers [ Echo, Bravo, Lynx, Envision, PHERAstar, SPARK and Mesoscale]

Independently analyze and interpret data, and trouble shoot experiments.

Function and communicate effectively in a highly productive and multi-disciplinary environment.

Experience:

Candidates should have basic knowledge of cell biology, biochemistry, and molecular biology

Candidates should have prior experience with mammalian cell culture and molecular biology

Candidates should be highly motivated and driven and willing to take initiative to learn new science

Candidates should be a strong team player

Candidates should have excellent oral and written communication skills

Candidates should be comfortable using a PC computer and proficient in Windows-based operating systems and basic applications, such as spreadsheets and databases

Candidates should have a GPA of 3.2 or higher

Education:

Candidates must be currently enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student, majoring in biological sciences or a related field

Other requirements:

Intern position commitment: Must be available for full-time for 10-12 weeks during the months of June - August 2027

We are a research-driven biopharmaceutical company. Our mission is built on the simple premise that if we “follow the science” that great medicines can make a significant impact to our world. We believe that a research-driven enterprise dedicated to world-class science can succeed by inventing medicine and vaccine innovations that make a difference for patients across the globe.

Please note that this position may be closed before the posted end date or may remain open longer, at the discretion of the company.

Salary range:

The salary range for this role is $39,108 through $111,111.

FTP2027

RL2027

Required Skills:

Biochemical Assays, Biology, Biotherapeutics, Cell-Based Assays, Cell Biology, Cell Culture Techniques, Cellular Therapies, Clinical Research, Data Analysis, Database Management, Data Science, Data Security, Design of Experiments (DOE), Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), Experimental Methods, In Vitro Research, In Vivo Models, In Vivo Studies, Life Science, Mammalian Cell Culture, Molecular Biology, Molecular Pharmacology, Pharmacology, Python (Programming Language), Software Proficiency

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

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:

Intern/Co-op (Fixed Term)

Relocation:

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

No Travel Required

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

1st - Day

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

Yes

Job Posting End Date:

10/9/2026 *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:R412706

Job details

Seniority
Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Function
Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
Employment type
FULL_TIME

How this role compares

Computed from every other active Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 87 comparable Intern/Fellow/Postdoc Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research roles across 20 biopharma companies.

87Comparable roles tracked
87Currently active
20Companies hiring similar roles
10Countries represented

Salary context

21 of 87 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)

Peers share this role's job function and a matching or adjacent seniority level -- not necessarily the same therapeutic area or country.

This roleSubject Not listed on this posting
Lowest disclosed · 2027 Future Talent Program – Biophysics Intern – Intern · Merck $39,908/yr – $111,111/yr
Highest disclosed · Advisor - Lab Lead – Preclinical Imaging CMR · Lilly $129,000/yr – $211,200/yr
Peer group range $75,510 – $170,100 (median $90,600)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 87 comparable roles

United States62
Germany5
Canada4
Belgium3
France3
Switzerland3

+ 4 more countries

Seniority mix

87 of 87 peers have a known seniority level

Intern/Fellow/Postdoc63
Associate24

Therapeutic area mix

12 of 87 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Oncology5
Neuroscience3
Immunology3
Cardiovascular / CVRM1

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.

60%similar
Lilly San Diego, California, United States of America Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Lilly Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Lilly Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Lilly Boulder, Colorado, United States of America Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Lilly San Diego, California, United States of America Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Lilly Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Same function Same seniority Same country

Notify me about similar jobs

Get an email when we spot other openings like this one – same job function, comparable seniority, roles you'd actually want to see.

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.

60%
Postdoctoral Research Scientist: Receptor-Mediated Enhancement of AAV Gene Delivery
Lilly · San Diego, California, United States of America · Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
60%
Postdoctoral Scientist – Synthetic & Medicinal Chemistry
Lilly · Boulder, Colorado, United States of America · Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
60%
2027 Spring Post-Doctoral Fellowship Opportunities, Waltham, MA
Sanofi · Waltham, United States · Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
60%
Postdoctoral Scientist - Lysosomal Biology & Neuroprotective Mechanisms
Lilly · Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America · Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
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.