Associate Director Upstream Tech Ops Lab

Job Description

Our Engineers support internal and external manufacturing operations remain operational, continuously improve and innovate. With our extensive range of facilities and environments, our Engineers have opportunities across many diverse areas including Biological, Chemical, Automation, Capital Projects, Maintenance, Safety, Process Development, Technical Services, Utilities and Validation.

At our Company campus in Elkton, Virginia, we currently have an opening for an Associate Director which will lead our Fermentation Lab within our Technical Operations team. The manufacturing facility is located in the Shenandoah Valley along the Shenandoah River and the Blue Ridge Mountains a short distance from the University of Virginia and James Madison University.

A successful candidate will have the opportunity to apply their enthusiasm and technical skills as a member of a multi-disciplinary team supporting the operation of pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, vaccine product manufacturing facilities.

More specifically, the Associate Director of Upstream Technical Operations Lab will lead a team of scientists that supports bioprocesses across the plant site and manufacturing networks including vaccine and potentially biologics manufacturing. The candidate will have in depth expertise of microbial fermentation, standard biochemical purification techniques and an ability to quickly adapt and respond to customer needs and challenges.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to:

• Lead the late-stage optimization and characterization of current and future fermentation processes at the laboratory scale

• Coach and develop scientific talent

• Work both independently and within multidisciplinary teams including scientists, engineers, and site and network leaders

• Produce high quality scientific work against firm deadlines

• Author and review technical documents, including regulatory filings

• Support laboratory scale process characterization studies for future products

• Maintain excellence of compliance with safety and environmental regulations

Education Minimum Requirement:

• B.S. degree in microbiology, biochemical engineering, biological systems engineering, biology, biochemistry, chemistry or related life science or engineering discipline and a minimum of 10 years of relevant industrial experience

• M.S. degree in microbiology, biochemical engineering, biological systems engineering, biology, biochemistry, chemistry or related life science or engineering discipline and a minimum of 8 years of relevant industrial experience

• Ph.D. in microbiology, biochemical engineering, biological systems engineering, biology, biochemistry, chemistry or related life science or engineering discipline and relevant industrial experience and a minimum of 6 years of relevant industrial experience

​Required Experience and Skills:

• The candidate must have experience in recombinant protein fermentation, preferably in multiple systems such as bacteria, yeast, mammalian cells etc.

• Ability to work independently and within a team collaborating with other site teams, site leaders, and network leaders

• Demonstrated scientific problem solving and bias toward going to see problems

• Prior project and team management experience

• Strong attention to detail

• Excellent technical, organizational, interpersonal, collaborative, and verbal/written communication skills are required.

• A strong desire to succeed and to help others to do the same.

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Experience with lab, pilot and commercial scale fermentation (Shake flask, 3L, 20L, or 200L or above)

• Experience with fermentation scale up and technology transfer.

• Experience working in a Good Laboratory Practice (GLP)/Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) environment

• Excellent organization and project management skills

• Strong team management skills

• Participation in regulatory agency inspections

Our Manufacturing & Supply Division is committed to be the most trusted supplier of bio-pharmaceuticals worldwide. Our facilities, along with our external contractors, suppliers, and partners, create an interdependent global manufacturing network that’s committed to delivering a high quality, reliable supply to customers and patients on time, every time.

Who we are …

We are known as Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey, USA in the United States and Canada and MSD everywhere else. For more than a century, we have been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world's most challenging diseases. Today, our company continues to be at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions and advance the prevention and treatment of diseases that threaten people and animals around the world.

What we look for …

Imagine getting up in the morning for a job as important as helping to save and improve lives around the world. Here, you have that opportunity. You can put your empathy, creativity, digital mastery, or scientific genius to work in collaboration with a diverse group of colleagues who pursue and bring hope to countless people who are battling some of the most challenging diseases of our time. Our team is constantly evolving, so if you are among the intellectually curious, join us—and start making your impact today.

NOTICE FOR INTERNAL APPLICANTS

In accordance with Managers' Policy - Job Posting and Employee Placement, all employees subject to this policy are required to have a minimum of twelve (12) months of service in current position prior to applying for open positions.

If you have been offered a separation benefits package, but have not yet reached your separation date and are offered a position within the salary and geographical parameters as set forth in the Summary Plan Description (SPD) of your separation package, then you are no longer eligible for your separation benefits package. To discuss in more detail, please contact your HRBP or Talent Acquisition Advisor.

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Employees working in roles that the Company determines require routine collaboration with external stakeholders, such as customer-facing commercial, or research-based roles, will be expected to comply not only with Company policy but also with policies established by such external stakeholders (for example, a requirement to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to access a facility or meet with stakeholders). Please understand that, as permitted by applicable law, if you have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 and an essential function of your job is to call on external stakeholders who require vaccination to enter their premises or engage in face-to-face meetings, then your employment may pose an undue burden to business operations, in which case you may not be offered employment, or your employment could be terminated. Please also note that, where permitted by applicable law, the Company reserves the right to require COVID-19 vaccinations for positions, such as in Global Employee Health, where the Company determines in its discretion that the nature of the role presents an increased risk of disease transmission.

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US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

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For more information about personal rights under Equal Employment Opportunity, visit:

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We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing diverse, talented, and committed people together. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when diverse ideas come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively. We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace.

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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:

Relocation:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Requisition ID:R220802