Merck KGaA Posted October 31, 2026

R&D Scientist - Protein Purification

Livingston, West Lothian, United Kingdom FULL_TIME
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About this opportunity

Work Your Magic with us!

Ready to explore, break barriers, and discover more? We know you’ve got big plans – so do we! Our colleagues across the globe love innovating with science and technology to enrich people’s lives with our solutions in Healthcare, Life Science, and Electronics. Together, we dream big and are passionate about caring for our rich mix of people, customers, patients, and planet. That's why we are always looking for curious minds that see themselves imagining the unimaginable with us.

Your Role:

Working as an R&D Scientist at our Livingston site, you will perform laboratory operations supporting reagent development and manufacturing in compliance with quality and regulatory requirements. Responsibilities include protein expression, fermentation, purification, filtration, and immunoassay development; developing protocols and manufacturing procedures; analyzing and reviewing methods; meeting deadlines; and maintaining documentation in accordance with applicable cGMP, FDA, ISO, and Quality System requirements.

Essential Job Functions:

Perform laboratory operations such as fermentation, protein expression, protein purification, and immunoassays (eg, ELISA, SDS-PAGE, liquid chromatography)

Develop and control method design with respect to new products and contract manufacturing projects, and ensure smooth transition to routine manufacture

Collect, analyze, and interpret data from verification testing to ensure that products meet all specifications

Develop, write, and update documents pertaining to lab procedures and product manufacturing to maintain cGMP and ISO compliance; write lab reports or project summaries as requested

Contribute ideas and suggestions to improve standard laboratory techniques, improve protocols, processes, and equipment.

Provide customer support and direct customer communication as part of business development and ongoing customer interaction.

Support the Quality Management System to meet applicable Regulatory requirements (US FDA CFRs, IVD 98/79/EC, and any other applicable regulations) and International Quality Standards (ISO9001, ISO13485 and any other applicable standards).

Assist in the timely closure of all non-conformances, failure investigation reports and corrective/preventative actions, and help develop strategies for continuous improvement.

Who you Are:

BSc in a Life Sciences discipline (Biology, Biotechnology, Chemistry, etc.) with 2+ years of post graduate relevant laboratory experience – OR - MSc in a Life Science discipline with 1+ year of post graduate relevant laboratory experience - OR - PhD in a Life Science Discipline.

Experience in any of the following areas, with a preference of protein experience: protein expression systems (bacterial and/or mammalian), protein purification (eg, HPLC, FPLC), immunoassays (eg, ELISA, Western, SDS-PAGE), molecular biology techniques (eg, cloning, PCR, nucleic acid isolation); serological and biochemistry techniques

Excellent oral and written communication skills

Can work independently, but also works well in group setting/team mentality

Preferred Additional Qualifications:

Experience working in regulated environments (eg, GMP, ISO13485 and/or FDA-filings).

Good organizational, time management, and project management skills.

Multi-tasker who can handle multiple projects at one time.

Ability to troubleshoot problems in experimental design.

What we offer: We are curious minds that come from a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences. We believe that this variety drives excellence and innovation, strengthening our ability to lead in science and technology. We are committed to creating access and opportunities for all to develop and grow at your own pace. Join us in building a culture of inclusion and belonging that impacts millions and empowers everyone to work their magic and champion human progress!

Apply now and become a part of a team that is dedicated to Sparking Discovery and Elevating Humanity!

Job details

Seniority
Not listed
Function
Manufacturing & CMC
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
Livingston, West Lothian, United Kingdom
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 3428 comparable Manufacturing & CMC roles across 175 biopharma companies.

3428Comparable roles tracked
3175Currently active
175Companies hiring similar roles
61Countries represented

Salary context

813 of 3428 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 Not listed on this posting
Lowest disclosed · Operator – Plant Utilities · Lilly $13/hr – $28/hr (≈ $26,998–$58,302/yr)
Highest disclosed · Head of Analytical Development · ModernaTX, Inc. $272,200/yr – $490,100/yr
Peer group range $42,650 – $381,150 (median $127,400)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 3428 comparable roles

United States1571
Germany211
India155
France149
Ireland129
China125

+ 55 more countries

Seniority mix

1516 of 3428 peers have a known seniority level

Senior408
Manager359
Intern/Fellow/Postdoc208
Associate149
Principal129
Associate Director105
Director104
Senior Director48
Executive/VP6

Therapeutic area mix

22 of 3428 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Vaccines & Infectious Disease13
Rare Disease3
Dermatology & Aesthetics2
Oncology2
Immunology1
Respiratory1

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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.

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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.