Merck Posted October 14, 2026

Technician, Operations-2

De Soto, Kansas, 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

For over 130 years, we have pioneered groundbreaking science.  Today, we are driven by continuous innovation to develop breakthrough medicines, vaccines and technology.  Rooted in direct experience on the farm and in the clinic, we work hand in hand with our customers every step of the way.

Our singular focus is to empower those who care for animals, helping them manage their vital responsibility with confidence.  Because when it comes to animal health, no one sees it like we do.

Our Manufacturing Operations teams are the people that make our products. We work in the manufacturing plants with a “Safety First, Quality Always” mindset striving for continuous improvement. We work in the local plant connected to our global manufacturing network to ensure the highest quality of raw materials, intermediates, and finished products.

We are recruiting for an Operations Technician position. The Operations Technician, in conjunction with the execution routine production activities, will support the team by driving completion of process work, sampling, documentation, and assisting with other initiatives.

The basic purpose of this position is to provide expert support for our Company Animal Health antigen production operations at our site in De Soto, Kansas.  This position provides technical and operations support to ensure that manufacturing schedules are met in a compliant manner with safety, quality, and regulatory requirements.  Responsibilities include that antigen products specifications are met prior to release for compliance to product Outlines, United States Department of Agriculture 9 Code of Federal Regulations, and cGMP. The scope of support includes every manufacturing stage from raw materials through final antigen product.

Our current opening is for the following shift:  

Monday – Friday, 7:00 AM -3:30 PM

Occasional weekend work or partial holiday shifts required

Responsibilities:

Models Company leadership principles and inclusive behaviors

Provides coaching and supports skills development and process capabilities within their team

Supports effective feedback and coaching within the team during the Performance Management cycle

Providing appropriate task-based training

Safety Compliance

Demonstrates a strong compliance mind-set (EHS and Quality) and continuously sets a high standard for themselves and others

Follows safe operating instructions for all tasks and equipment

Ensures that the right tools and equipment specified for the task are available and utilized

Ensures that the correct personal protective equipment required is available and utilized

Follow up any reported defects or workplace hazards immediately

Report all accidents, incidents and near misses within 24 hours and to participate in investigation and identification of effective corrective and preventative actions

Education Requirements:

Required | High School Diploma

Preferred | BSc Degree in a relevant scientific discipline plus experience working within a Pharmaceutical Manufacturing role

Experience Requirements:

​Strong knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practices demonstrated within applicable manufacturing environment

Efficient and effective attention to detail, achieve consistent error-free implementation of daily job assignments and complete documentation using Good Documentation Practices and be able to identify opportunities for process improvement and employ basic problem-solving skill

Principled verbal and written communications

Follow and comply with Manufacturing Directions, Standard Operating Procedures, Company/Corporate/Regulatory Policies

Demonstrate basic skills in effective time management to meet given deadlines and complete basic laboratory procedures

Ability to work effectively with team members and show initiative to assist others on the team

Proficient computer skills including Microsoft Word and Excel

Experience using quality improvement tools and continuous improvement processes and site quality metrics

Knowledge of system-controlled material usage through ERP environments such as SAP

 

Preferred Experience:

Experience working in a manufacturing environment and using large scale filtration and separation techniques

Knowledge of aseptic processes used in manufacturing

Required Skills:

Analytical Problem Solving, Computer Literacy, Data Entry, Equipment Maintenance, GMP Documentation, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Manufacturing Documentation, Manufacturing Operations, Manufacturing Quality Control, Media Preparation, Process Improvements, Regulatory Compliance, Safety Practices, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Writing, Sterilizing Equipment

#MSJR

The salary range for this role is: $48,600 - $76,600

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.

Required Skills:

Analytical Problem Solving, Computer Literacy, Data Entry, Equipment Maintenance, GMP Documentation, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Manufacturing Documentation, Manufacturing Operations, Manufacturing Quality Control, Media Preparation, Process Improvements, Regulatory Compliance, Safety Practices, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Writing, Sterilizing Equipment

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:

Regular

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:

10/27/2026 *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:R420053

Job details

Seniority
Not listed
Function
Manufacturing & CMC
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
De Soto, Kansas, 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
3319Currently active
172Companies hiring similar roles
64Countries represented

Salary context

906 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 Not listed on this posting
Highest disclosed · Head of Analytical Development · ModernaTX, Inc. $272,200/yr – $490,100/yr
Peer group range $0 – $381,150 (median $126,575)

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

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.

40%similar
AstraZeneca New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
Same function Same country
40%similar
40%similar
Lilly Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America Director
Same function Same country
40%similar
Lilly Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America Director
Same function Same country
40%similar
Lilly Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Same function Same country
40%similar
Lilly Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America Director
Same function 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.

Or follow a whole field: get every new Manufacturing & CMC 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.

40%
Development Scientist III, Analytical Development and Clinical Quality Control
AstraZeneca · New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America · Seniority not listed
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
Director - Analytical Chemistry
Lilly · Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
Director, Global Regulatory Affairs - Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC), Platform Innovation - Small Molecules
Lilly · Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
Principal Scientist/Engineer, Drug/Device Combination Products - Device Characterization
Merck · Rahway, New Jersey, United States of America · Principal
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.