Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement
Associate Scientist, Vaccines Formulations (Onsite)
Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement, West Point, Pennsylvania, us, 19486
Associate Scientist, Vaccine Drug Product Development
Job Description
Vaccine Drug Product Development (VDPD), a part of our company's Research Laboratories, is seeking an Associate Scientist to join our department in West Point, PA. Our mission is to develop novel vaccine drug products that will profoundly improve global human health—directly building from our company's 50+ year legacy as pioneers in the discovery, development, and manufacturing of novel vaccines to eliminate disease. Our department is responsible for developing vaccine adjuvant systems and complex drug products from preclinical studies through Phase III clinical trials with line of sight to commercialization. We ensure robust composition, primary packaging, and process development through deep fundamental understanding and characterization such that the process is scalable without compromising safety, efficacy, or stability. During development, we leverage smart experimental design, cutting‑edge analytical tools, and statistical/predictive approaches to inform formulation and process development. Our team enables the translation of vaccine preclinical candidates from concepts into robust commercial drug products.
Responsibilities
Design and perform hypothesis‑driven formulation and process development experiments for sterile vaccine drug products (buffers, stabilizers, antigen/adjuvant, vials, syringes) across multiple vaccine modalities (subunit, conjugate, live‑attenuated, etc.).
Prepare formulations and fill vials/syringes for characterization & animal studies using aseptic technique and Good Laboratory Practices; support transfer to GMP manufacturing.
Conduct stability and forced‑degradation studies; analyze data, summarize findings, and author technical reports and electronic notebook entries.
Operate and troubleshoot benchtop unit operations (mixing, filtration, pumping, lyophilization), common lab instruments (pH, scales, pipettes), and analytical tools (DLS, SLS, KF, DSC, DSF).
Collaborate with cross‑functional teams (discovery, analytical, manufacturing, regulatory) to meet project timelines and deliverables.
Continuously learn and apply current literature, methods, and technologies to improve formulations and processes.
Minimum Qualifications
B.S. in Chemical/Biochemical/Biomedical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Immunology, Materials Science, or related field — or equivalent laboratory experience.
Hands‑on laboratory experience (academic or industry) with basic sterile technique, buffer preparation, and sample handling.
Strong written and verbal communication skills; experience documenting experiments in electronic or paper lab notebooks.
Basic data analysis skills (Excel; ability to summarize and visualize experimental results).
Team‑oriented, motivated to learn, and able to manage multiple priorities under technical supervision.
Comfortable working in a face‑paced environment and adapting to change.
Preferred Qualifications
Familiarity with biophysical/biochemical analytical methods (e.g., DLS, HPLC, SDS‑PAGE, UV/Vis).
Understanding of aseptic/formulation processes in a non‑GMP or GMP environment.
Familiarity with statistical/design‑of‑experiments tools (JMP, Minitab) or numerical software (Matlab).
The salary range for this role is $70,500.00 - $110,900.00.
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.
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, Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other U.S. State Acts.
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Vaccine Drug Product Development (VDPD), a part of our company's Research Laboratories, is seeking an Associate Scientist to join our department in West Point, PA. Our mission is to develop novel vaccine drug products that will profoundly improve global human health—directly building from our company's 50+ year legacy as pioneers in the discovery, development, and manufacturing of novel vaccines to eliminate disease. Our department is responsible for developing vaccine adjuvant systems and complex drug products from preclinical studies through Phase III clinical trials with line of sight to commercialization. We ensure robust composition, primary packaging, and process development through deep fundamental understanding and characterization such that the process is scalable without compromising safety, efficacy, or stability. During development, we leverage smart experimental design, cutting‑edge analytical tools, and statistical/predictive approaches to inform formulation and process development. Our team enables the translation of vaccine preclinical candidates from concepts into robust commercial drug products.
Responsibilities
Design and perform hypothesis‑driven formulation and process development experiments for sterile vaccine drug products (buffers, stabilizers, antigen/adjuvant, vials, syringes) across multiple vaccine modalities (subunit, conjugate, live‑attenuated, etc.).
Prepare formulations and fill vials/syringes for characterization & animal studies using aseptic technique and Good Laboratory Practices; support transfer to GMP manufacturing.
Conduct stability and forced‑degradation studies; analyze data, summarize findings, and author technical reports and electronic notebook entries.
Operate and troubleshoot benchtop unit operations (mixing, filtration, pumping, lyophilization), common lab instruments (pH, scales, pipettes), and analytical tools (DLS, SLS, KF, DSC, DSF).
Collaborate with cross‑functional teams (discovery, analytical, manufacturing, regulatory) to meet project timelines and deliverables.
Continuously learn and apply current literature, methods, and technologies to improve formulations and processes.
Minimum Qualifications
B.S. in Chemical/Biochemical/Biomedical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Immunology, Materials Science, or related field — or equivalent laboratory experience.
Hands‑on laboratory experience (academic or industry) with basic sterile technique, buffer preparation, and sample handling.
Strong written and verbal communication skills; experience documenting experiments in electronic or paper lab notebooks.
Basic data analysis skills (Excel; ability to summarize and visualize experimental results).
Team‑oriented, motivated to learn, and able to manage multiple priorities under technical supervision.
Comfortable working in a face‑paced environment and adapting to change.
Preferred Qualifications
Familiarity with biophysical/biochemical analytical methods (e.g., DLS, HPLC, SDS‑PAGE, UV/Vis).
Understanding of aseptic/formulation processes in a non‑GMP or GMP environment.
Familiarity with statistical/design‑of‑experiments tools (JMP, Minitab) or numerical software (Matlab).
The salary range for this role is $70,500.00 - $110,900.00.
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.
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, Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other U.S. State Acts.
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