2027 Future Talent Program - Discovery Bio-Analytics - Intern

Job Description

The Future Talent Program features internships that last up to 12 weeks and will include one or more projects. These opportunities in our Research and Development Division can provide you with great development and a chance to see if we are the right company for your long-term goals.

Our Discovery Bioanalytics group within Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics (DMPK) supports early-stage screening, characterization, and lead optimization of therapeutic drug candidates. The successful intern candidate will contribute to innovative, non-laboratory projects that advance our analytical capabilities through data analytics, machine learning, and predictive modeling. This internship provides a unique opportunity to work alongside leading discovery scientists, gain hands-on experience applying data science within a real-world pharmaceutical workflow, and help shape tools that directly accelerate drug discovery timelines.

Overview:
The intern will support efforts to improve efficiency, speed, and data-driven decision-making within discovery bioanalytical workflows. Activities may include analyzing historical compound and chromatographic datasets, developing predictive machine learning models, and building a recommendation framework to streamline analytical method setup.

Primary Responsibilities

• Source historical compound and analytical method data related to chemical properties and liquid chromatography

• Develop a predictive machine learning model to serve as a recommendation framework

• Collaborate with bioanalytical scientists to evaluate and validate the predictive accuracy of the model

• Explore opportunities to expand the scope of the model to address additional method development parameters, helping to further streamline workflows

Required Education

• Currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in:

  • Data Science

  • Computer Science

  • Chemical, Biological, Biomedical, or Computational Engineering

  • Chemistry

  • Biology

  • Pharmacology

  • Related scientific discipline

Required Skills

• Basic data analysis ability and problem-solving skills

• Interest in applied AI/ML, predictive modeling, or data-driven decision making

• Familiarity with programming tools such as Excel, Python, or R

• Strong verbal and written communication skills

• Ability to work both independently and within collaborative, fast-paced environments

Preferred Skills

• Basic understanding of liquid chromatography principles and analytical methods

• Prior exposure to basic machine learning workflows, data visualization tools, and statistical analysis

• Completed coursework in bioanalytics, data science, statistics, computer science, or related fields

• Strong curiosity for translating data science tools into practical workflows

• Interest in early/discovery drug development

Learning Opportunities

The intern will gain exposure to:

• Discovery bioanalytical workflows supporting drug development

• Applied machine learning and data science workflows in early-stage pharmaceutical discovery

• Foundational concepts of analytical chemistry and method development

• Data science applications in bioanalytics

• Cross-functional collaboration within a pharmaceutical research organization

• Scientific communication and presentation skills

Expected Deliverables

• Analytical dataset and model documentation

• Prototype of a predictive modeling tool

• Final intern presentation summarizing project objectives, methods, results, and impact

Please note that this position may be closed before the posted end date or may remain open longer, at the discretion of the company.

Salary range:
The salary range for this role is $39,108 through $111,111.

FTP2027

RL2027

Required Skills:

Analytical Chemistry, Bioinformatics, Biological Data Analysis, Biological Engineering, Biology, Chemical Characterization, Chemistry, Clinical Research, Computational Chemistry, Computational Sciences, Data Analysis, Data Analysis Tools, Data Science, Data Security, Drug Discovery Research, High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Liquid Chromatography (LC), Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS), Pharmaceutical Research, Project Management, Python (Programming Language), Scientific Literacy, Scientific Research, Scientific Writing

Preferred Skills:

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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.

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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. 

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:

10/9/2026

*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.