Scientist, Immunology Discovery

Job Description

Our Company, is a global health care leader with a diversified portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines and animal health products.  Our company's Research Labs San Diego is committed to bringing life changing therapies to patients in need. With a patient-focused approach harnessing cutting-edge precision medicine, it is our mission to transform the landscape of inflammatory and auto immune diseases. Immunology Discovery leads and supports our company's pipeline programs encompassing early target discovery and validation, drug discovery, and translational sciences, including bioinformatics, chemical biology, antibody discovery, and clinical development. These efforts are performed in collaboration with multi-disciplinary teams at our company.

Immunology Discovery is currently seeking a motivated, and detail-oriented Scientist with a background in biology research and drug discovery to support internal discovery efforts at our Research Division in San Diego, CA. The successful candidate will be responsible for designing and executing in vitro assays, analyzing data, and writing reports to support research programs in the immunology therapeutic area.

Responsibilities:

• Work independently and as part of a team to support the early development of novel therapeutics for inflammatory and auto immune diseases

• Design and perform cell-based functional assays (cell lines, primary cells) and biochemical assays with a wide range of methodologies to support target validation, antibody drug screening, mechanism of action studies, biomarker identification in the preclinical and IND-enabling space

• Analyze, critically interpret data, and utilize findings for assay development and optimization

• Keep meticulous records of experiments performed, maintain lab notebook entries, and share results with project teams as required

• Collaborate closely with members within the department and across functional teams in support of research projects/programs at different stages.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education:

• Bachelo'rs (with 3+ years) or Master's in Biology, Biochemistry, or related life sciences field with relevant experience

Required Experience and Skills:

• Strong cell culture skills including mammalian cell lines and human primary cells (PBMCs)

• Experience developing ex-vivo cell-based assays to assess immune responses from primary cells or cell lines

• Proficiency in optimizing and executing immunoassays (Meso Scale Discovery, ELISA, others) to measure analytes in serum, plasma, supernatant or cell lysates

• Experience in multi-color flow cytometry to immunophenotype human cells to assess immune response or cell signaling pathways

• Strong data analytical and problem-solving skills, with proficiency in standard scientific software used for data analysis (Excel, Prism (GraphPad), FlowJo)

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to function and communicate effectively in a multi-disciplinary environment and thrive in a team environment

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Experience in spectral flow cytometry

• Experience with molecular/ cell biology techniques such as CRISPR, RT-PCR, cell transfection, cell line generation

• Basic understanding of immunology

• Understanding of the drug discovery process with prior industry experience

#EligibleforERP

Required Skills:

Biochemistry, Cell-Based Assays, Cell Biology, Cell Cultures, Cell Culture Techniques, Cell Signaling, Data Analysis, ELISA Techniques, Ex Vivo Assays, Flow Cytometry, Immunoassays, Immunophenotyping, Mammalian Cell Lines, Meso Scale Discovery

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:

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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

The salary range for this role is

$87,300.00 - $137,400.00

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 https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (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

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

No Travel Required

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

1st - Day

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

N/A

Job Posting End Date:

08/1/2026

*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.