Director, Cheminformatics - Modeling & Informatics
Merck
August 13, 2026
Remote friendly (Cambridge, MA)
United States
Clinical Research and Development
Responsibilities
- Set vision and strategy for cheminformatics capabilities and platforms that accelerate scientific learning and decision-making in drug discovery
- Lead a multi-site team of cheminformatics and data science specialists (data engineering, analytics, scientific software development)
- Develop talent, foster diversity of thought, and build an inclusive, high-performing culture
- Engage stakeholders across the drug discovery spectrum (target identification, chemical biology, lead optimization, safety)
- Translate scientific challenges into scalable data architectures, workflows, and algorithmic approaches
- Drive next-generation cheminformatics workflows using modern technologies (ML incl. generative/predictive modeling, knowledge graphs, emerging AI)
- Ensure developed capabilities are deployed and adopted with project teams and modeling partners
- Partner with IT to co-develop robust, sustainable scientific platforms
- Balance investment in new capabilities with effective utilization of existing solutions
- Collaborate with Bioinformatics, Biostatistics, Quantitative Biology, and Modeling leaders to align strategy and priorities
- Work with Modeling, Structure, and Biophysics to identify cheminformatics opportunities
- Maintain visibility across the discovery portfolio to identify emerging needs
Education & Qualifications
- BS/MS/PhD in a relevant STEM field (cheminformatics, bioinformatics, chemistry/biology, statistics, computational chemistry/biology, data science, AI/ML, computer science, math, etc.)
- PhD + 7+ years (or MS + 9+ years, or BS + 13+ years) applying computational/data science to interdisciplinary drug discovery problems
- 2+ years managerial experience in team building, talent development, and inclusive leadership
Required Skills
- Design/implement modern computational workflows (coding best practices, cloud systems, MLOps/DataOps)
- Strong cheminformatics, data analytics, and data engineering knowledge (early drug discovery)
- Predictive modeling and advanced analytics in a collaborative, matrixed environment
- Collaborate across functions and influence strategy across scientific/technical domains
- Engage effectively with IT to co-develop scalable platforms
- Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills
Application
- Apply via https://jobs.merck.com/us/en
- Set vision and strategy for cheminformatics capabilities and platforms that accelerate scientific learning and decision-making in drug discovery
- Lead a multi-site team of cheminformatics and data science specialists (data engineering, analytics, scientific software development)
- Develop talent, foster diversity of thought, and build an inclusive, high-performing culture
- Engage stakeholders across the drug discovery spectrum (target identification, chemical biology, lead optimization, safety)
- Translate scientific challenges into scalable data architectures, workflows, and algorithmic approaches
- Drive next-generation cheminformatics workflows using modern technologies (ML incl. generative/predictive modeling, knowledge graphs, emerging AI)
- Ensure developed capabilities are deployed and adopted with project teams and modeling partners
- Partner with IT to co-develop robust, sustainable scientific platforms
- Balance investment in new capabilities with effective utilization of existing solutions
- Collaborate with Bioinformatics, Biostatistics, Quantitative Biology, and Modeling leaders to align strategy and priorities
- Work with Modeling, Structure, and Biophysics to identify cheminformatics opportunities
- Maintain visibility across the discovery portfolio to identify emerging needs
Education & Qualifications
- BS/MS/PhD in a relevant STEM field (cheminformatics, bioinformatics, chemistry/biology, statistics, computational chemistry/biology, data science, AI/ML, computer science, math, etc.)
- PhD + 7+ years (or MS + 9+ years, or BS + 13+ years) applying computational/data science to interdisciplinary drug discovery problems
- 2+ years managerial experience in team building, talent development, and inclusive leadership
Required Skills
- Design/implement modern computational workflows (coding best practices, cloud systems, MLOps/DataOps)
- Strong cheminformatics, data analytics, and data engineering knowledge (early drug discovery)
- Predictive modeling and advanced analytics in a collaborative, matrixed environment
- Collaborate across functions and influence strategy across scientific/technical domains
- Engage effectively with IT to co-develop scalable platforms
- Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills
Application
- Apply via https://jobs.merck.com/us/en