Principal Scientist, Late Stage Analytical Program Lead - Military Veterans

Job Description

Associate Director, IT Research Automation Engineer in RaDS IT

RaDS IT Research Infrastructure Product Line (RIPL) engineering team is seeking an Associate Director - Research Laboratory Automation Engineer. This position will be a member of the OT Research Automation Operations product (Laboratory and Plant) within RIPL. As an automation engineer, you will be responsible for the strategy, designing, implementing, and maintaining the automation platforms within the our Company Research Laboratories compound/sample screening laboratories and our Company Research Laboratories Pilot Plants using a variety of sophisticated robotic, automation, and manufacturing technologies across our Company enterprise and isolated OT networks. Your software experience in screening data automation, plant automation, and system integration will contribute to building new platforms, enhancing existing ones for expansion, efficiency and productivity across drug discovery modalities and clinical phases. You will collaborate with multidisciplinary organizations in our Company Research Laboratories and IT, including scientists, engineers, IT architects, infrastructure, quality, vendors in building, optimizing, and troubleshooting the automation systems.

As an Associate Director Technical Lead within RIPL, you will enable Automation capabilities that help our scientists generate hypotheses and draw rapid conclusions by interrogating target biology and its relationship to human disease and pharmacological interventions.

Additionally, you will be accountable for identifying opportunities to grow and improve the IT technical landscape while simultaneously ensuring consistent performance of existing IT applications. You will use your knowledge of these automation IT products to promote their meaningful use by giving product demos, sharing user stories, and showing the connection of our data and technology products to our mission to serve patients.

The primary location is West Point, PA., Boston, MA., or Rahway, NJ, and will provide support services to other sites.

Job Description

• Define overall strategy for Laboratory and Pilot Plant automation workflows


• Design and develop automated laboratory workflows, including sample preparation, assay execution on high throughput robotic screening platforms.


• Collaborate with our Company Research Laboratories scientists and engineers to identify automation needs and define project requirements.


• Collaborate with instrument vendors and suppliers to evaluate and implement new laboratory automation and robotics technologies.


• Proficient in modern object-oriented programming languages such as LabView, C#, Java, Oracle/SQL Server, Spotfire, Python, including real-time data automation, system integration and GUI design.


• Effectively troubleshoot the systems, including not only the software but other aspects such as the hosting servers and computers, instrument drivers such detectors, liquid handlers, centrifuge, etc. ensuring minimal disruption to research activities


• Test software prototypes and/or production systems according to safety, environment, electrical, software and essential performance specifications.


• Manage implementation and upgrade of software in support of maintenance and upkeep of the laboratory automation systems, improving operational efficiencies, reliability, operability, and maintainability.


• Act as the single point of IT contact for all technical matters within the assigned product


• Own IT product technology solutions from concept to retirement, while striving to increase ROI and reduce financial investment.


• Manage a team of cross functional technical resources assigned to multiple squads within the product.


• Develop and convey accurate and realistic project plans, resource estimates and timelines in alignment with prioritized business requirements.


• Demonstrate an eagerness to learn drug discovery & development processes and regulatory requirements as necessary to solve problems.


• Commit to IT infrastructure optimization, prioritizes, and proposes opportunities for continuous improvement by identifying gaps, common trends and inefficiencies and help establish services where none exists. Recommend obsolescent programs for the technology and infrastructure wherever possible.


• Prioritize and manage multiple IT tasks in capital and non-capital projects and responsible for the complete process adherence according to our Company standards and polices. Lead/assist project scopes, define IT and infrastructure deliverables, timelines and estimates for a wide array of technologies and services.


• Good understanding of all phases of SDLC (to enable rapid adoption of our Company SDLC processes).

Education Requirement:

• Bachelor's degree in automation, engineering, robotics, science, or computer engineering related degree.


• A Master's degree is preferred.


• Pharmaceutical experience preferred but not mandatory.

Required Experience and Skills:

• 8 years hands-on software development and operations in the High Throughput Screening (HTS) automation, interfacing with research scientists, robotic engineers, safety, and quality personnel.


• 8 years in IT with ability to architect, engineer, optimize and maintain software solutions to solve complex problems encountered by scientists that leverage Automation tools (Laboratory Automation and Pilot Plant automation) as their primary means of experimentation.


• 6 years' experience integrating robotic automation platforms such as Momentum, GreenButtonGo, Cellario, etc with Enterprise LIMs and Sample Management platforms. Have experience developing integration APIs with other laboratory systems.


• 6 year's hands-on experience programming in modern object-oriented programming languages such as LabView, C#, Java, Oracle/SQL Server, Spotfire, Python, including real-time data automation, system integration and GUI design.


• 3 years' experience of Windows Hyper-V, VMware workstation, Delta-V, Pi, Pi Historian, SCADA computer system backup and archival, data retention


• Strong communication and leadership skills with ability to influence strategic thinking.

Preferred Skills:

• 5 years of latest hands-on experience with AWS and HPC (high performance computing) services

• 5 years' experience with sample management systems and operations, such as Titian Mosaic, Screenwork, BioInventory, FreezerPro, etc.


• Experience working in a large organization with Engineering and Product Management teams working in a matrixed environment with geographically dispersed teams


• Familiar with networking, switches, vlans, subnets, firewalls, Windows active directory in virtual and physical environments.

Desired Technical Skills:

• Has Cloud solution architect and/or Developer certification.


• Experience in developing and deploying containerized applications (like Docker)


• Has performed installation and configurations of commercial-off-the-shelf enterprise applications in both Windows and Linux environments.


• Hands on experience with application development and relational databases


• Experience operating and delivering in a GxP compliant manner.


• Has used Jira and Confluence in the management and tracking of agile projects.


• Experience with ALM (Application Lifecycle Management) or other industry standard tools for test script management and approvals


• Experience with DevOps approach to application development and lifecycle management

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.

Employees working in roles that the Company determines require routine collaboration with external stakeholders, such as customer-facing commercial, or research-based roles, will be expected to comply not only with Company policy but also with policies established by such external stakeholders (for example, a requirement to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to access a facility or meet with stakeholders). Please understand that, as permitted by applicable law, if you have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 and an essential function of your job is to call on external stakeholders who require vaccination to enter their premises or engage in face-to-face meetings, then your employment may pose an undue burden to business operations, in which case you may not be offered employment, or your employment could be terminated. Please also note that, where permitted by applicable law, the Company reserves the right to require COVID-19 vaccinations for positions, such as in Global Employee Health, where the Company determines in its discretion that the nature of the role presents an increased risk of disease transmission.

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

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We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. 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 diverse, talented, and committed people together. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when diverse ideas come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another's thinking and approach problems collectively.

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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, generally Tuesday, Wednesday and either Monday or 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:
$135,500.00 - $213,400.00

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 .

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:
No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:
No

Travel Requirements:
25%

Flexible Work Arrangements:
Hybrid

Shift:
Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:
No

Hazardous Material(s):
N/A

Required Skills:
Data Engineering, Data Visualization, Design Applications, Software Configurations, Software Development, Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), Solution Architecture, System Designs, Systems Integration, Testing

Preferred Skills:

Job Posting End Date:
09/17/2024
*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.