Postdoctoral Research Fellow: Novel Polymeric Materials

Job Description

New hires working in our US & Puerto Rico locations will be required to demonstrate that they have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or qualify for a medical or religious exemption or accommodation to this vaccination requirement, subject to applicable law.

Be a part of the legacy: Postdoctoral Research Fellow Program

Our Research Laboratories’ 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.

Position Overview:

This position will be full-time within the Enabling Technologies group in the Department of Process Research and Development in Rahway, New Jersey, USA in a unique laboratory environment with world-class capabilities, equipment, expertise, and knowledge at the cutting edge of innovation in the pharmaceutical industry. The postdoctoral fellow will serve at the interface of the Particle Engineering and Catalysis groups to develop new technologies for API processing. The postdoc will rationally design, synthesize, and characterize new polymers to impact particle properties of pharmaceutical solids. Additionally, the postdoc will generate composite materials containing pharmaceuticals and the novel polymers to evaluate structure-function relationships to optimize their processing behavior and dissolution under biorelevant conditions. The candidate will have the opportunity to author peer-reviewed publications and deliver conference presentations, as well as to share work internally amongst our company's scientists.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Iterative design and synthesis of new polymeric materials.
• Characterization of polymers using standard analytical techniques including NMR, FT-IR, DSC, PXRD, and chromatography.
• Generation of pharmaceutical materials containing new excipients and studying bulk powder properties and in vitro performance.
• Documenting and communicating results effectively in a timely manner.
• Collaborating with colleagues across our company's Process Research & Development, and working effectively with adjacent functional areas, such as Analytical Chemistry and Formulation Sciences.
• Presenting ideas and results in both our Company's internal and external venues.
• Manuscript preparation (summarizing data & writing) for high-quality publications.
• Contributing to a safe work environment.

Education Minimum Requirement:

• Candidates should currently hold a PhD in Chemistry or Materials Science, or a related field (OR will you receive a PhD by summer of 2022).

Required Experience and Skills:

• Candidates should have experience in the synthesis and characterization of polymers or organic materials.
• Candidates should be able to independently design experiments, interpret data, and incorporate data into new experimental designs, and communicate results
• Candidates should have experience in at least one of the following fields: materials science, polymer chemistry, organic chemistry, crystallization, physical organic chemistry, solid-state characterization.

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Experience in synthesis and characterization of polymeric materials by free radical polymerization or other methods.
• Experience in the rational design of organic materials at the molecular level for targeted macroscopic properties.
• Experience characterizing organic materials using one or more of the following methods: PXRD, UV-vis, FT-IR, ss-NMR, SEM.
• History of publication in peer-reviewed journals considered a plus.
• Demonstrated aptitude for learning new techniques.
• Effective leadership, problem solving, and troubleshooting skills.

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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.

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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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Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., Kenilworth, 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):

Number of Openings:

Requisition ID:R159429