2025 University Recruiting – Discovery Pharmaceutical Sciences Co-op

Job Description

The Future Talent Program features Cooperative (Co-op) education opportunities that last up to 6 months and will include one or more projects. These opportunities in our Research Division can provide you with great development and a chance to see if we are the right company for your long-term goals.

Our Research & Development Division’s Pharmaceutical Sciences organization is responsible for translating a therapeutic agent into a functional drug product optimized for patients. Discovery Pharmaceutical Sciences (DPS) is a multi-disciplinary research group that enables drug discovery and drug product development through application of pharmaceutical science and drug delivery research from target identification through clinical candidate selection. The department in Boston, MA is seeking a co-op who will work collaboratively in a team environment to help solve key challenges in formulation development of sterile nucleic acid pharmaceutical products.

We are seeking full-time co-op candidate with strong academic performance, communication skills, and the ability to work in a multi- functional environment. The co-op will participate in departmental and project team meetings to learn a broad perspective on the drug development process in the pharmaceutical industry. In addition, the student will have an opportunity to present their research results in both oral and written formats. During the appointment they will work closely with an experienced pharmaceutical industry scientist on a research project with key tasks that include, but not limited to, the following:

• Utilization of a variety of physical and chemical characterization techniques to develop an understanding of the physicochemical characteristics of nucleic acids and lipid nanoparticles.
• Development of small-scale in vitro screening systems to predict formulation performance.
• Planning and executing research related to the design, development, and characterization of novel drug delivery approaches for drug candidates.

Location: Boston, MA

Required Education and Experience:

• Candidates must be a currently enrolled undergraduate sophomore, junior, or senior student pursuing a Bachelor’s degree OR a currently enrolled graduate student pursuing a Master’s or Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, or Engineering.
• Candidates must be available to work full-time for up to 6 months from April 2025 – December 2025.
• Candidates must have completed a minimum of two (2) years of study toward a bachelor’s degree by the start of the co-op.

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Candidates should have basic laboratory skills and research experience, such as: electronic notebook recording, HPLC, spectroscopy, analytical techniques, and safe lab practices.
• Candidates should have a GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Candidates should have prior experience with nucleic acid medicines and/or nanoparticle delivery systems

FTP2025

MRL2025

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

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.

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”.

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:

Intern/Co-op (Fixed Term)

Relocation:

No relocation

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:

10/28/2024

• 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.

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