Postdoctoral Research Fellow-- Computational Microbiology (Drug Discovery/Oncology)

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:

We are seeking a postdoctoral fellow that is excited about using bioinformatics to obtain mechanistic insight from the microbiome and identify novel drug targets.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Lead research with the ultimate goal of enabling novel microbiome target identification and drug discovery in oncology.
• Work with a highly collaborative team of scientists at the Exploratory Science Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to develop a database of Biosynthetic Gene Clusters (BGCs) and their predicted function for use in reverse translational study analysis.
• As a postdoctoral fellow, a strong focus will be scientific and professional development, as well as publication. The fellowship is intended to last 2–3 years.
• Use Machine Learning classifiers to identify predictive features from functional microbiome datasets.
• Very strong collaboration, organization, and communication skills are required.
• Must be passionate about science and excited to learn new things.
• 10% travel (no travel during the pandemic).

Education Minimum Requirement:

• PhD in bioinformatics, computational microbiology, computer science or related field or plans to graduate with a PhD by March 2022.
• Less than 3 years of postdoctoral experience.

Required Experience and Skills:

• Programming experience (e.g. R and/or Python).
• Unix/Linux OS experience and Bash scripting.
• Experience working in a high performance and cloud computing environment, as well as managing data and workflows.
• Must have a proven track record using computational methods in at least one next generation sequencing modality.
• Familiarity or experience with microbiome analysis tools (e.g. Kraken2, metagenome assemblers), and BGC prediction and annotation tools (e.g. DeepBGC or antiSMASH).
• Familiarity or experience with Machine Learning methods (random forest, support vector machines, xgboost) and their use in microbiome datasets.

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Research experience in any of the following areas: microbiome/microbiology, immunology, next generation sequencing data analysis, genomics, data science, biochemistry.
• Experience working with version control tools such as git (e.g. GitHub, BitBucket).
• Familiarity or experience with relevant “bench” methods (e.g. PCR, sequencing library preparation, microbial culturing, metabolomics, natural product isolation).

We are a research-driven biopharmaceutical company. Our mission is built on the simple premise that if we “follow the science” that great medicines can make a significant impact to our world. We believe that a research-driven enterprise dedicated to world-class science can succeed by inventing medicine and vaccine innovations that make a difference for patients across the globe.

MRLpostdoc

Who we are …

We are known as Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, 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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Requisition ID:R154830