Merck Posted October 9, 2026

Scientist, Oral Formulation Sciences (On-site)

Rahway, New Jersey, United States of America FULL_TIME
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About this opportunity

Job Description

Our company's Pharmaceutical Sciences organization translates molecules to medicines, working from the discovery interface through registration stability manufacturing by designing, developing and scaling-up the formulation, device, and manufacturing process.  Driving drug product design from the bench top to the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) manufacturing facilities, our Scientists use cutting edge science to transform drug delivery and manufacturing technology to positively impact patients.

The successful candidate will be a passionate scientist with strong academic fundamentals and a drive to develop new medicines to improve human health.  In this role, the individual will be responsible for supporting the formulation development of new chemical entities as part of a matrix team from initial first in human formulations (suspensions, solutions, capsules, tablets) through final market formulation definition and manufacturing process robustness assessment.

Primary Responsibilities:

 

Develops and applies basic principles and scientific concepts to execute work in a laboratory or pilot plant environment to develop solid oral drug products.

Capability to lead manufacturing operations in non-GMP and GMP environments.

Executes routine experiments and data interpretation with independently.

Ability to operate and  trouble-shoot equipment and processes .

Utilizes laboratory/pilot plant skills and fundamental scientific principles to execute on daily responsibilities and contributes to the development of project team strategy

Can understand overall project timelines to manage prioritization of individual contributor deliverables with minimal supervision

Works well with others in collaborative team environments.

Builds awareness of relevant new and current technologies to grow as a pharmaceutical scientist.

Education Minimum Requirements:

 

B.S. or M.S. degree in Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences or related discipline with a minimum of 2 years relevant industrial experience.

Required Experience and Skills:

Prior industry experience in the pharmaceutical industry or related field.

Ability to learn and apply new scientific principles to execution of daily responsibilities in an independent manner.

Demonstrated ability to collate and conduct basic data analysis in an independent manner

Prior experience with Microsoft Office, statistical software (JMP, Minitab), and numerical analysis software (Matlab)

Strong verbal and written communication skills.

Preferred Experience and Skills:

 

Ability to learn and grow independently and in team environments.

Prior experienced with advanced simulation/modeling software packages (gSOLIDS, Solidworks, ANSYS Polyflow, etc..)

Experience with advanced drug product manufacturing technologies.

Desire to build new capabilities through the evaluation of new technologies and hands-on optimization of existing technologies.

Demonstrated ability to apply the principles of physical/organic chemistry, physical pharmacy & materials science to solving practical pharmaceutical development problems.

Hands-on experience in pharmaceutical pilot plants.

We are a research-driven biopharmaceutical company. Our mission is built on the simple premise that if we “follow the science” and that great medicines can make a significant impact to our world. And 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.

Our company & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey, USA is known as “our company” in the United States, Canada & Puerto Rico. We are known as “our company” in Europe, Middle East, Africa, Latin America & Asia Pacific. We are a global biopharmaceutical leader with a diverse portfolio of prescription medicines, oncology, vaccines and animal health products.

We are driven by our purpose to develop and deliver innovative products that save and improve lives. With 69,000 employees operating in more than 140 countries, we offer state of the art laboratories, plants and offices that are designed to Inspire our employees as we learn, develop and grow in our careers. We are proud of our 125 years of service to humanity and continue to be one of the world’s biggest investors in Research & Development.

What we look for …

In a world of rapid innovation, we seek brave Inventors who want to make an Impact in all aspects of our business, enabling breakthroughs that will affect generations to come. We encourage you to bring your disruptive thinking, collaborative spirit and diverse perspective to our organization.

EligibleforERP

Required Skills:

Biochemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Data Analysis, Drug Formulations, Drug Product Development, Experimentation, GMP Documentation, Manufacturing Technologies, Pharmaceutical Industry, Pharmaceutical Research, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Process Qualification, Product Formulation

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:

Domestic

VISA Sponsorship:

Yes

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

1st - Day

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

10/21/2026 *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:R420887

Job details

Seniority
Not listed
Function
Manufacturing & CMC
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 Manufacturing & CMC role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 3720 comparable Manufacturing & CMC roles across 172 biopharma companies.

3720Comparable roles tracked
3320Currently active
172Companies hiring similar roles
64Countries represented

Salary context

905 of 3720 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
Highest disclosed · Head of Analytical Development · ModernaTX, Inc. $272,200/yr – $490,100/yr
Peer group range $0 – $381,150 (median $127,600)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 3720 comparable roles

United States1723
Germany246
India162
France148
Ireland133
China121

+ 58 more countries

Seniority mix

1647 of 3720 peers have a known seniority level

Senior429
Manager374
Intern/Fellow/Postdoc251
Associate165
Principal134
Director118
Associate Director114
Senior Director53
Executive/VP9

Therapeutic area mix

24 of 3720 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Vaccines & Infectious Disease15
Rare Disease3
Oncology3
Respiratory1
Dermatology & Aesthetics1
Immunology1

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How we calculate "similar"

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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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