Merck Posted September 8, 2026

2027 Future Talent Program – Optical Imaging Data Science – Intern

Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America FULL_TIME
Biostatistics & Data Science Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
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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

T he 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.

We are seeking an enthusiastic and motivated undergraduate intern with a background in Data Science, Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, or Bioinformatics, and an interest in vivo Imaging and Analysis. This internship offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the automation and standardization of optical imaging data analysis and management within a preclinical research environment, all while learning about preclinical imaging and how it impacts drug discovery.

Key Responsibilities:

Develop or implement automated workflows for optical imaging data processing and analysis

Create standardized, publication- and presentation-ready visual outputs from imaging datasets

Assist with data visualization and preparation of scientific materials

Gain hands-on experience with preclinical in vivo optical imaging workflows

Collaborate with scientific team members to identify opportunities for process improvement

 

Required Skills:

Experience with Python, R, MATLAB, or similar tools

Exposure to image processing or scientific data workflows

Preferred Skills:

Experience with data management, documentation, or workflow standardization

Interest in preclinical research and biomedical imaging

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

RL2026

Required Skills:

Data Analysis, Database Management, Data Processing, Detail-Oriented, Image Analysis, Image Processing, Imaging Software, MATLAB, Medical Imaging Analysis, Python (Programming Language)

Preferred Skills:

Biomedical Engineering, Biomedical Imaging, Clinical Imaging, Cloud Data Catalog, Data Science, Imaging Techniques, In Vivo Models, Optical Imaging, Preclinical Research, Python Numpy, Scientific Analysis

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):

n/a

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:R412885

Job details

Seniority
Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Function
Biostatistics & Data Science
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
Employment type
FULL_TIME

How this role compares

Computed from every other active Biostatistics & Data Science role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 26 comparable Intern/Fellow/Postdoc Biostatistics & Data Science roles across 8 biopharma companies.

26Comparable roles tracked
25Currently active
8Companies hiring similar roles
3Countries represented

Salary context

7 of 26 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 - Data Science - Intern · Merck $39,908/yr – $111,111/yr
Highest disclosed · Advisor - Project Statistician in Product Development · Lilly $153,000/yr – $246,400/yr
Peer group range $75,510 – $199,700 (median $95,500)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 26 comparable roles

United States24
Germany1
Switzerland1

Seniority mix

26 of 26 peers have a known seniority level

Intern/Fellow/Postdoc20
Associate6

Therapeutic area mix

1 of 26 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Neuroscience1

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
Novartis Cambridge (USA), United States Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Johnson & Johnson Cincinnati, United States Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
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60%similar
Bayer Residence Based, United States Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
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60%similar
Johnson & Johnson Cincinnati, United States Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
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60%similar
Merck West Point, Pennsylvania, United States of America Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Merck Rahway, New Jersey, 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%
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Novartis · Cambridge (USA), United States · Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
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Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
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Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
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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.