Prep Lab Engineer, Specialist

Job Description

Specialist – Prep Lab Engineer

Job Description:

The Enabling Facilities (EF) group within the Chemical Engineering Research & Development (CERD) Department is seeking a highly motivated individual to work in a fast-paced job that provides a high degree of technical and project management responsibility. The Specialist –Prep Lab Engineering position will report to the Director, Engineering and will be a member of the EF Team at the Rahway NJ facility. This position will be located in the Prep Lab facility which is responsible for interfacing with scientists who are manufacturing drug substance to support early clinical studies, scaling up new chemistries, and exploring new technologies.  

Responsibilities of the Specialist – Engineer include the following:

The engineer role at the Specialist level is a member of the Prep Lab team and will be responsible for working directly with the Prep Lab staff to support scientific teams who are using the Prep Lab facility.  This support involves training scientists new to the Prep Lab, reviewing procedures with the teams prior to processing, ensuring that the labs and equipment in the facility are ready for the GMP and non-GMP work that the scientists need to perform, working with the scientists to set up their equipment and ensuring that labs and equipment are clean and turned over after use.  When the scientists encounter equipment and processing issues, the Specialist will be engaged in troubleshooting to find safe and compliant solutions to those issues in a timely manner.

The Prep Lab is building a new potent, multi-modality (small molecule, macrocyclic peptides, bioconjugates) drug substance lab and the Specialist will become a subject matter expert for this lab, and also for the related smaller scale potent development lab in the facility.  As the new lab is currently under construction, the selected candidate will contribute to equipment and facility commissioning/qualification, as well as other critical activity workstreams to enable lab startup.

The selected candidate is expected to be a key part of the Prep Lab team and foster a culture of collaboration, learning and innovation. They will work closely with the development engineers & chemists, compliance representatives, safety partners and other team members to ensure the quality and safe delivery of clinical supplies, and ultimately to enable flexibility and speed in the execution of the Company’s pipeline. This role may support facility operations, support compliance investigations/change management, author GMP documentation and manage/lead engineers in any of our enabling facilities.

Education Minimum Requirement: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences or related scientific field with minimum of 3 years relevant experience, or a Master’s degree with 1 year of relevant experience.

Required Experience and Skills:

• Experience working in a GMP clinical or manufacturing supply facility.

• Experience with small molecule drug substance and/or biologics process development.

• Experience in supporting compliance investigations and change management.

• Familiarity with US and EU GMP and Safety compliance regulations

• Ability to prepare Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and cGMP documents.

• Effective interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written.

• Excellent organizational skills to multi-task.

• Desire and willingness to learn, contribute and lead.

• Track-record of independent problem-solving.

• Experience with coordinating maintenance activities around processing activities to support reliable facility operation.

Desired Experience and Skills:

• Experience operating/maintaining pilot scale or prep lab (kg) scale equipment.

• Experience providing technical mentorship.

• Experience with Potent Compound processing and containment systems (e.g., isolators).

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U.S. Hybrid Work Model

Effective September 5, 2023, employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week, Monday - Thursday, although the specific days may vary by site or organization, with Friday designated as a remote-working day, unless business critical tasks require an on-site presence.This Hybrid work model does not apply to, and daily in-person attendance is required for, field-based positions; facility-based, manufacturing-based, or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note, this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as “remote”.

The Company is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the salary range for this job in certain states and cities within the United States. 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 US salary range:

Available benefits include bonus eligibility, long term incentive if applicable, health care and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, paid holidays, vacation, and sick days. A summary of benefits is listed here.

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

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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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