At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities. For more information, visit www.merck.com. 

This site is intended for residents of the United States and Canada and their territories only. FLS: http://merck.us/3TKXNuZ

Industry: Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
Company Size: 10,001+ employees

Merck

Savvy Admin PROD

**Job Description**

We are seeking an accomplished and highly motivated Senior Principal Scientist (Sr. Director equivalent) to serve as an Immunology Biomarker Lead within Translational Clinical Biomarkers. This role provides strategic and scientific leadership in the design, execution, analysis, and communication of clinical biomarker strategies across our immune-mediated therapeutic portfolio from discovery to pivotal clinical studies.

The successful candidate will drive decision-centric biomarker strategies that connect drug mechanism, disease biology, precision medicine, pharmacodynamics, dose decisions, and clinical endpoints, directly informing program- and portfolio-level decisions across the development lifecycle.

This role requires strong leadership of multi-disciplinary team efforts through deep scientific expertise, structured decision-making, sophisticated data analysis & interpretation; and cross-functional collaboration, aligning stakeholders in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.

**Primary Responsibilities**

**Strategic Leadership & Program Impact:**

- Lead and shape integrated biomarker strategies across discovery, early- and late-stage clinical programs, ensuring clear hypotheses, fit-for-purpose endpoints, and explicit linkage to key development decisions, in close collaboration with cross-functional leaders, particularly in Discovery, Late-Stage Clinical Development and across Translational Medicine

- Serve as the biomarker strategy lead within cross-functional program teams and represent multi-disciplinary team(s) in governance forums, ensuring biomarker strategies to address mission-critical questions for both forward and reverse translation

- Inform portfolio strategy by advancing biomarker-driven insights that inform target validation, patient selection, and go/no-go decisions

- Translate disease biology and therapeutic mechanism of action into clinically actionable biomarker strategies addressing critical program questions, e.g. proof of biology, pharmacodynamic effects, precision medicine and surrogate endpoints for efficacy.

- Drive selection and application of innovative biomarker approaches, aligned with biological rationale and clinical utility

**Cross-functional Leadership & Alignment**

- Lead biomarker sub-teams and related working groups, including clinical, discovery, translational, regulatory, bio-stats, and data sciences

- Collaborate effectively across disciplines to integrate scientific perspectives into cohesive strategies

- Provide scientific leadership to enable hypothesis-driven, decision-focused biomarker strategies

- Grow and develop team members, including mentorship of direct report(s) and other scientists in the department, acting as a role model and culture driver

**Data Interpretation & Communication**

- Champion biomarker analysis plans and provide critical scientific input to the interpretation of complex datasets to deliver scientifically rigorous and clinically meaningful conclusions

- Clearly articulate insights to internal stakeholders, governance bodies, and external scientific audiences

- Support external engagement, including publications, presentations, and KOL interactions, as appropriate

**NOTE: This role is available in Rahway, NJ, Boston/Cambridge, MA or Upper Gwynedd, PA based on candidate preference**

**Education**

**QUALIFICATIONS:**

- Ph.D. or M.D. with 12+ years in Immunology or related scientific discipline and relevant experience with autoimmune diseases and/or translational medicine

**Required Experience And Skills**

- Deep expertise in immunology and immune-mediated/inflammatory diseases, with experience in at least one of the following:

- Gastrointestinal/mucosal inflammation

- Rheumatology

- Dermatology

- Proven track record of driving translational strategies that inform clinical development decisions, including close cross-functional collaboration and partnership

- Demonstrated ability to lead highly matrixed organizations

- Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, with the ability to translate complex data into clear, decision-oriented insights

- Excellent communication skills, including experience presenting to senior leadership and external stakeholders

- Working knowledge with biostatistics, bioinformatics, and advanced data analytics

- Strategic mindset with a focus on decision impact rather than data generation alone

- Strong leadership presence and ability to influence cross-functional and senior stakeholders

- Proven ability to operate effectively in a fast-moving, matrixed environment

**Preferred Experience And Skills**

- Experience advancing precision medicine strategies

- Direct managerial experience

#EligibleforERP

**Required Skills**

Autoimmune Diseases, Biomarker Research, Dermatology, Gastrointestinal Disease, Immunology, Inflammatory Diseases, Leadership, Rheumatology, Strategic Planning, Translational Medicine

**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.

**Requirements**

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:

EEOC Know Your Rights

EEOC GINA Supplement

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

$210,400.00 - $331,100.00

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/International

**VISA Sponsorship**

Yes

**Travel Requirements**

10%

**Flexible Work Arrangements**

Hybrid

**Shift**

1st - Day

**Valid Driving License**

No

**Hazardous Material(s)**

N/A

**Job Posting End Date**

06/30/2026

- 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.

**Requisition ID: **R399013

Senior Principal Scientist, Translational Clinical Biomarkers

BioSpace is the digital hub for life science news and jobs. We provide essential insights, opportunities and tools to connect innovative organizations and talented professionals who advance health and quality of life across the globe.

Industry: Internet News
Company Size: 11-50 employees

BioSpace

**Job Title **: Senior Principal Scientist, Lab Head Medicinal Chemistry

**Location: ** Cambridge, MA

Do you thrive on solving drug discovery challenges and driving therapeutic programs forward with speed and efficiency? Your skills could be critical in helping our teams accelerate progress.

Integrated Drug Discovery (IDD) is the small molecule drug discovery platform within Sanofi. IDD is an international, interdisciplinary group that spans medicinal chemistry, structural biology, screening, biochemistry, biophysics, cellular pharmacology, delivery technologies, sample management and more.

Our vision is to deliver valuable, high quality synthetic drugs of varying modalities to improve the lives of patients. Our mission is to provide innovation and key enabling technologies to drive the discovery of synthetic small molecules and emerging synthetic modalities as drug candidates in the Sanofi Research Portfolio; to deliver high quality science and innovative approaches to drug discovery, and to perform as a highly collaborative flexible and forward-looking organization with broad impact across the Sanofi pipeline. We are seeking a dynamic and experienced medicinal chemist to join our Cambridge, MA-based team as a Senior Principal Scientist.

We are an innovative global healthcare company with one purpose: to chase the miracles of science to improve peoples lives. Were also a company where you can flourish and grow your career, with many opportunities to explore, connect with people, and stretch the limits of what you thought was possible. Ready to get started?

**Main Responsibilities**

- The ideal candidate is an experienced leader who excels at solving complex challenges with innovative approaches, brings critical thinking and strategic vision, and consistently delivers results under pressure.

- A Senior Principal Scientist is responsible for applying deep scientific expertise and judgment to initiate, design, and direct medicinal chemistry in support of research goals.

- Is an expert in analyzing, interpreting and communicating scientific content to teams and stakeholders.

- Demonstrates continuous growth in depth and breadth of scientific knowledge and understanding of strategic goals of group, team and company.

- Successfully works as an impactful contributor, and as a leader of project teams and transverse initiatives; is an experienced and supportive manager and mentor of other medicinal chemists.

- Has an established and growing reputation in the external scientific community through high impact publications, productive scientific collaborations and active participation in conferences.

**Qualifications**

**About You**

- Demonstrated success leading multidisciplinary drug discovery projects from conception through key milestones.

- Experience in all phases of the small molecule discovery process from hit ID to candidate nomination.

- Exceptional technical skills and demonstrated ability to work and thrive in a collaborative cross-functional team setting; proven ability to analyze complex data sets, draw conclusions, and design follow-on experiments.

- Experience working with CROs and external collaborators.

- Comfortable and efficient in fast moving complex global environment.

- Demonstrated track record of intellectual contributions in drug discovery as evidenced by impactful peer-reviewed publications, presentations, patents, and project achievements.

- Proven track record mentoring and developing junior scientists with measurable impact on team performance and individual career growth.

- PhD in Organic/Medicinal Chemistry with 7+ years of experience in a pharmaceutical/biopharmaceutical environment.

- Or Masters degree in Organic Chemistry with 9+ years of experience in a pharmaceutical/biopharmaceutical environment.

- Or Bachelors degree with 12+ years of experience in a pharmaceutical/biopharmaceutical environment.

**Why Choose Us?**

- Bring the miracles of science to life alongside a supportive, future-focused team.

- Discover endless opportunities to grow your talent and drive your career, whether its through a promotion or lateral move, at home or internationally.

- Enjoy a thoughtful, well-crafted rewards package that recognizes your contribution and amplifies your impact.

- Take good care of yourself and your family, with a wide range of health and wellbeing benefits including high-quality healthcare, prevention and wellness programs and at least 14 weeks gender-neutral parental leave.

Sanofi Inc. and its U.S. affiliates are Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employers committed to a culturally diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race; color; creed; religion; national origin; age; ancestry; nationality; marital, domestic partnership or civil union status; sex, gender, gender identity or expression; affectional or sexual orientation; disability; veteran or military status or liability for military status; domestic violence victim status; atypical cellular or blood trait; genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing) or any other characteristic protected by law.

#GD-SA

#vhd

All compensation will be determined commensurate with demonstrated experience. Employees may be eligible to participate in Company employee benefit programs, and additional benefits information can be found here.

Senior Principal Scientist, Lab Head Medicinal Chemistry

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