Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Design of Bifunctional Degraders Through Conformation Study and Machine Learning

Job Description

Attention NJ Applicants: In April 2020, our Company announced plans to consolidate our New Jersey campuses into a single New Jersey headquarters location in Rahway, NJ by 2023. Therefore, the NJ work location for this role will be temporarily based and the exact timing of the departmental move to Rahway, NJ will be communicated at a future date.

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 Research Fellow with expertise in ligand conformation studies using conformation search / Molecular Dynamics Simulations and/or Machine Learning to join Modeling and Informatics (M&I) group in Kenilworth, NJ USA. We have a great interest in better understanding the conformational landscape of bifunctional degraders and their linkers through cutting edge computational approaches. The successful candidate will develop and implement new methods to allow the efficient sampling of degrader 3D conformations to address questions around degrader molecular properties and degradation activity. The resulting conformational space will then be analyzed with protocols developed by the Postdoctoral Fellow in collaboration with colleagues across Discovery Chemistry to drive testable hypotheses and design new bifunctional degraders and /or linkers libraries.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Conduct research across the fields of Biophysics and Machine Learning with application to bifunctional degraders

• Study degrader conformations and apply Machine Learning to degrader molecular properties predictions

• Develop novel methods that can be applied to a scale relevant for drug discovery campaigns and make them available to expert users in computational chemistry

• Attend and actively participate in department and group meetings and present project progress to the broader team

• Work with colleagues from different functions (Discovery Chemistry, Quantitative Biosciences, Analytical Chemistry) to test hypotheses

• Author scientific publications and present at conferences

We recognize that the diversity in our team is our strength and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Successful candidates must demonstrate inclusive behaviors in working with a diverse group of scientists to drive our core mission.

Education Minimum Requirement:

• Candidates must currently hold a Ph.D. or will you have completed your PhD within the next year, in Chemistry / Biochemistry / Biophysics with a computational emphasis.

Required Experience and Skills:

• Programming/scripting experience (e.g. Python, bash)

• Experience applying computational methods to study large biological or chemical data sets

• Experience with Machine Learning and/or conformation studies

• Ability to formulate and execute a research plan

• Strong oral and written communication skills

• Demonstrate publication record

• Ability to communicate, collaborate and deliver results while managing multiple priorities simultaneously

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Familiarity with conformation studies of degraders or other large molecules using conformation search or Molecular dynamics simulation methods

• Experience in applying machine learning to bifunctional degraders and knowledge of machine learning frameworks

• Familiarity with computational modeling of bifunctional degraders

• Experience with commercial modeling packages, for example, MOE and Schrodinger software.

MRLpostdoc

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.

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.

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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.

Post Doc:

Under New York City, Washington State and California State law, the Company is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the salary range for this job. Final determinations with respect to salary will take into account a number of factors, which may include, but not be limited to the primary work location and the chosen candidate’s relevant skills, experience, and education.

Expected salary range:

$75,000.00-$86,000.00

Available benefits include bonus eligibility, health care and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, paid holidays, vacation, and sick days. For Washington State Jobs, a summary of benefits is listed here.

For positions located in the United States and Puerto Rico – Subject to applicable law, all new hires (including internal transfers) must demonstrate that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or that they qualify for a medical or religious exemption to this vaccination requirement. New hires (including internal transfers) to a position that, as determined by the Company, requires routine collaboration with external stakeholders (such as roles in health services or customer-facing commercial or research-based roles) (“Customer-Facing Role”) who are not vaccinated must qualify for a medical or religious exemption and be in a position that the Company determines can accommodate unvaccinated employees without causing an undue burden to business operations. If, following dialog with the candidate as appropriate, it is determined that the candidate either a) does not qualify for a religious or medical exemption or, b) for candidates applying for Customer-Facing roles, it is determined that allowing the candidate to work without vaccination would cause an undue burden to the Company, the candidate will be ineligible for hire or transfer, or any offer of employment or transfer (if applicable) will be revoked. Please note that notwithstanding the approval of any reasonable accommodation, the Company reserves the right to monitor, modify, or revoke any such accommodation if it is determined, following dialog with the employee, that the accommodation is no longer effective or results in an undue burden to the Company.

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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.

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Requisition ID:R217471