Senior Scientist, Computational Chemistry

Job Description

Our Company's Research Laboratories located in South San Francisco are a thriving hub for discovery research. Located in the heart of the Bay Area's biomedical community, our research ranges from exploratory biology to early clinical development. We work on diverse modalities - small molecules, peptides, bioconjugates and biologics. Our laboratories are an integral part of our Company's influential network of drug and vaccine discovery.

Join our diverse, inclusive, respected, and collaborative organization where every employee contributes to our critical mission of discovering drugs. At our Company's Research Laboratories, you'll have the opportunity to expand your knowledge, develop your skills, and advance your career while working with the best minds in the industry.

The Role:

We are seeking an extraordinary, motivated, and curious scientist for our Modeling and Informatics group. As a Senior Scientist (R3), you will be part of a multidisciplinary team, collaborating with Medicinal Chemists, Structural Biologists, Pharmacologists, and Biologists in a highly collaborative environment. Your role will be pivotal in advancing drug discovery projects and innovating medicines to improve patients' lives. Do you have an insatiable appetite for learning, applying advanced computational techniques, and developing innovative computational methods? Then, you are the person we are looking for.

We are seeking candidates preferably with:

• Familiarity with one or more molecular modeling packages such as MOE, Schrodinger, OpenEye
• Proficiency in applying computational methods such as molecular dynamics, quantum chemistry, and machine learning to biological problems
• Cheminformatics experience to analyze and understand data

Key Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to discover new drugs
• Spearhead the modeling and informatics initiatives on project teams, strategically applying computational methodologies throughout all stages of the drug discovery process.
• Utilizing various informatics and modeling techniques to analyze large datasets and accelerate the evolution of drug discovery leads to drug candidates.
• Engaging in research in areas of molecular modeling relevant to drug discovery and maintaining an external scientific presence through significant scientific publications and presentations

Qualifications:

Education:

• Ph.D. (or completion by July 2026) in Computational Chemistry, Biophysics, Chemistry, Biochemistry or related field and relevant experience

Required Experience and Skills:

• Programming/scripting proficiency in Python, including experience manipulating large datasets
• Familiarity with Linux and high-performance computing
• Strong written and oral communication skills, and ability to work well in multidisciplinary teams
• Evidence of creative application of computational chemistry approaches to problems of biological interest, demonstrated through multiple publications and external presentations

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Experience applying computational methods such as molecular dynamics, quantum chemistry, and deep learning to problems of biological interest
• Experience with lead identification and lead optimization of diverse therapeutic modalities
• Ability to use molecular modeling packages such as MOE, Schrodinger, and OpenEye
• Have experience with Cheminformatics tools such as Spotfire to analyze and visualize the data
• Excited to learn and implement novel technologies including AI/ML to advance the pipeline
• Experience working in multidisciplinary teams that include experimental scientists

- #EligibleforERP

Required Skills:
Biochemistry, Biophysics, Chemistry, Computational Chemistry, Data Science, Drug Discovery Process, High Performance Computing (HPC), Informatics, Linux, Machine Learning (ML), Molecular Modeling, Python (Programming Language), Quantum Chemistry, Scientific Modeling

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

U.S. Hybrid Work Model

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".

The salary range for this role is
$159,600.00 - $251,200.00

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 .

You can apply for this role through (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/International

VISA Sponsorship:
Yes

Travel Requirements:
10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:
Not Applicable

Shift:
1st - Day

Valid Driving License:
No

Hazardous Material(s):
NA

Job Posting End Date:
02/12/2026
*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: R383078