Merck Posted October 10, 2026

2027 Future Talent Program - Global Communications - Intern

Rahway, New Jersey, United States of America FULL_TIME
Communications & Public Affairs Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
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

2027 Future Talent Program: Transformation Communications Intern

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

Our company’s Global Communications organization has an opportunity for a summer 2027 communications intern. This individual will support internal communications for major transformation initiatives across our organization, bringing a unique perspective and contribution to efforts across the enterprise, including work related to AI-enabled capabilities. As a result, this individual will partner closely with a second intern supporting our AI communications work on a joint project. The role also connects this individual to cross-functional stakeholders within and beyond Global Communications, offering the chance to learn from leaders at all levels and across areas of scope.

This internship will be based in the Rahway, NJ, location. This individual will be expected to come to the Rahway, NJ, office 3 times a week.

Responsibilities of this role include, but are not limited to, the following :

Collaborate with the Human Health Communications team to support delivery of our U.S. customer engagement transformation communications strategy, which includes traditional and new ways to reach intended audiences

Apply an AI-first mindset across communications work, using generative AI tools to support research, content development, collaboration and more efficient ways of working

Support planning and execution of employee engagement moments, from agenda development, briefing materials and recaps for events to video shoot preparation and execution

Contribute to Human Health newsletters and quarterly messages, including drafting, sourcing stories and coordinating inputs and edits

Partner with cross-functional subject matter experts across change management, program management, strategy realization and other functional teams to gather and incorporate input into communications materials

Conduct research on change communications practices, employee experience and AI adoption in the workplace to inform our approach

Support measurement of communications effectiveness through coordinated listening channels, tracking and synthesizing data including open rates, click-through rates, event attendance, survey results and sentiment to translate recurring themes into recommendations for future communications tactics

Assist with the Global Diversity & Inclusion Experience Month, supporting content development, event promotion and toolkit materials that help teams activate locally

Help maintain existing SharePoint sites so employees can easily find current, accurate information about transformation programs, where timing and workload allow

Required experience and education:

Candidates must be currently in their junior year or above pursuing a college degree preferably in a related field (e.g., Business, English, Marketing/Communications)

Candidates must be available to work full-time for the summer months beginning in May 2027 through August 2027

Experience with Microsoft Teams, SharePoint or other digital collaboration platforms preferred

Familiarity with generative AI tools and an interest in their application to communications preferred

Coursework or demonstrated interest in organizational change, business transformation, public health, life sciences or healthcare communications preferred

Experience working in team environments and collaborating with diverse groups preferred

The ideal candidate:

Is a strong writer who can turn complex, technical information into clear, plain-language messages

Is curious about how organizations change and how communications helps people navigate and adopt it

Is comfortable with ambiguity and able to move work forward when not every detail is decided

Is organized, proactive and able to manage multiple priorities and deadlines

Brings creativity, curiosity and a willingness to learn new skills and approaches, including AI tools

Enjoys collaborating with people from different backgrounds, functions and regions

Communicates professionally and builds strong relationships with teammates and stakeholders

Demonstrates sound judgment, professionalism and attention to detail, particularly when handling sensitive or not-yet-public information

Is motivated by the opportunity to make complex information more accessible and meaningful for diverse audiences

Is eager to learn, asks thoughtful questions and seeks opportunities to grow

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 $39,908 - $111,111 USD.

FTP2027

GSF2027

Required Skills:

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:

Hybrid

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

11/13/2026 *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:R419876

Job details

Seniority
Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Function
Communications & Public Affairs
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
Rahway, New Jersey, United States of America
Employment type
FULL_TIME

How this role compares

Computed from every other active Communications & Public Affairs role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 19 comparable Intern/Fellow/Postdoc Communications & Public Affairs roles across 10 biopharma companies.

19Comparable roles tracked
17Currently active
10Companies hiring similar roles
8Countries represented

Salary context

None of this role's 19 tracked peers disclose a salary range yet.

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 19 comparable roles

France6
Germany4
United States3
China2
Philippines1
United Kingdom1

+ 2 more countries

Seniority mix

19 of 19 peers have a known seniority level

Intern/Fellow/Postdoc17
Associate2

Therapeutic area mix

0 of 19 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

No peers with a known therapeutic area yet.

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
Bayer Whippany, United States Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Johnson & Johnson Jacksonville, United States Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Same function Same seniority Same country
45%similar
Glaxo Wellcome Manufacturing Pte Ltd Jurong, Singapore Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Same function Same seniority
45%similar
AbbVie Berlin, BE Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Same function Same seniority
45%similar
AbbVie Wiesbaden, HE Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Same function Same seniority
45%similar
Servier SURESNES, France Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Same function Same seniority

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.

Or follow a whole field: get every new Communications & Public Affairs job in the United States, and choose locations and companies.

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%
Communications Intern (Whippany, New Jersey, US)
Bayer · Whippany, United States · Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
45%
Internship - Site Communications, Singapore (January to June 2027)
Glaxo Wellcome Manufacturing Pte Ltd · Jurong, Singapore · Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
45%
Stage chargé(e) de communication digitale Environnement de Travail (SURESNES, ILE-DE-FRANCE, FR, 92150)
Servier · SURESNES, France · Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
45%
Communication and Public Affairs Intern
Johnson & Johnson · Shanghai, China · 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.