What are the responsibilities and job description for the Associate Scientist, Post Doctoral Fellow-Epidemiology & Computational Biology - Hybrid position at Merck?
Job Description
Be a part of the legacy: Our Postdoctoral Research Fellow Program
aims to be a best-in-industry program for industrial postdoctoral researchers, designed to provide you with an academic focus in a commercial environment. With the resources, reach, and expertise of a large pharmaceutical company, postdoctoral researchers will be positioned to excel in an institution committed to breakthrough innovation in research and discovery.
We are looking for a motivated research postdoctoral fellow to join the Epidemiology team in our company's research lab, located at West Point, PA. The selected candidate will work on a series of multi-disciplinary and innovative projects which combine epidemiology, data science, genomics, proteomics and early drug development. The successful candidate should possess strong technical skills (e.g., genomic data analysis, biostatistics, machine learning, and real-world data analysis), be able to work independently and have excellent communication skills.
Education Minimum Requirement:
Ph.D. within 6 months of hire in computational biology, bioinformatics, epidemiology, biostatistics, genetics, data science, or a related scientific discipline.
Required Experience and Skills:
Experience with protein-level bioinformatics and structural prediction tools (e.g., AlphaFold or comparable approaches) and competence interpreting sequence-to-structure relationships in a biological context.
Demonstrated research experience applying machine learning or advanced statistical methods to biological problems, including development or evaluation of predictive models using genomic and clinical data.
Hands-on experience with genetic association analyses using individual-level data and common GWAS tools (e.g., PLINK, REGENIE, SAIGE) and familiarity with sequencing/bioinformatics workflows for variant-level analyses.
Ability to work with protein sequence and structure data formats, perform coordinate mapping between genomic/protein space, and visualize structural consequences of variants (e.g., PyMOL).
Proficiency in one or more programming languages used in computational biology (R and/or Python), plus working knowledge of SQL and shell scripting; experience using version control and reproducible analysis practices (e.g., Git/GitHub).
Experience working with large-scale datasets in high-performance or cloud compute environments (e.g., HPC, AWS, Databricks), including basic competence in data management and parallelized job submission.
Strong organizational, written, and verbal communication skills; ability to plan and execute independent research, manage multiple projects, and collaborate effectively across multidisciplinary teams.
Preferred Experience and Skills:
Strong organizational, written, and verbal communication skills; ability to plan and execute independent research, manage multiple projects, and collaborate effectively across multidisciplinary teams.
Research experience working with clinic-genomic oncology databases (e.g., cbioportal).
Practical experience on protein structure prediction (e.g., AlphaFold).
Research experience on Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA).
Demonstrated background or strong interest in immunology or immunogenomics, with the ability to apply these concepts to translational research.
postdoctoralopportunities
Required Skills:
Bioinformatics, Biostatistics, Computational Biology, Data Analysis, Epidemiology, Immunoassays, Programming Languages, R Programming, R Script, SAS SQL, Scientific Research, Scientific Writing, Statistical AnalysisPreferred Skills:
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Effective September 5, 2023, employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week, Monday - Thursday, although the specific days may vary by site or organization, with Friday designated as a remote-working day, unless business critical tasks require an on-site presence.This Hybrid work model does not apply to, and daily in-person attendance is required for, field-based positions; facility-based, manufacturing-based, or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note, this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as “remote”.
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Employee Status:
RegularRelocation:
VISA Sponsorship:
Travel Requirements:
Flexible Work Arrangements:
HybridShift:
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Job Posting End Date:
11/19/2025*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:R371430
