Director, Discovery Process Chemistry
Merck
July 02, 2026
On-site
West Point, PA
Clinical Research and Development
Director, Discovery Process Chemistry, West Point, PA
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the West Point Discovery Process Chemistry (DPC) team; manage a portfolio of preclinical projects and approximately 7–10 discovery process chemists.
- Recruit, appraise, develop, and recommend personnel actions (within company policy).
- Oversee new route design, synthetic methodology development, and support of API campaigns for discovery and preclinical efforts; transfer technical information to support API preparation internally and with external partners.
- Plan resources, assess risks, manage drug substance supply/demand, and oversee budgets.
- Enable rapid transition of compounds from discovery into development via close collaboration with discovery and preclinical colleagues.
- Serve on a discovery review committee core team for therapeutic-area discovery portfolio oversight and candidate selection for preclinical development.
- Establish and maintain external contacts; engage with the local academic community.
Qualifications
- Ph.D. in Chemistry or related biopharmaceutical science plus 5+ years’ industry experience in drug discovery and/or early drug development.
Required/Preferred Skills
- Leading cross-functional groups; employee development/retention; strong communication and collaboration.
- Deep understanding of medicinal chemistry SAR, physical properties, and preclinical safety workflows.
- Subject matter expertise in Discovery/Process/Medicinal Chemistry (early clinical development).
- Deliver results on tight deadlines; select and prioritize project portfolios.
- Internationally recognized with peer-reviewed publications and external presentations.
- Skills: Bioanalytical Analysis; Chemical Biology; Data Analysis; Medicinal/Process/Synthetic Chemistry; Mentoring; People Leadership; Project Leadership; Strategic Thinking; Catalysis; Peptide Chemistry; Professional Networking.
Benefits/Pay (if applicable)
- Eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive (if applicable).
- Salary range: $173,200.00–$272,600.00; comprehensive benefits (medical/dental/vision, 401(k), paid time off).
Application
- Apply via https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or Workday Jobs Hub for current employees); application deadline is stated on the posting.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the West Point Discovery Process Chemistry (DPC) team; manage a portfolio of preclinical projects and approximately 7–10 discovery process chemists.
- Recruit, appraise, develop, and recommend personnel actions (within company policy).
- Oversee new route design, synthetic methodology development, and support of API campaigns for discovery and preclinical efforts; transfer technical information to support API preparation internally and with external partners.
- Plan resources, assess risks, manage drug substance supply/demand, and oversee budgets.
- Enable rapid transition of compounds from discovery into development via close collaboration with discovery and preclinical colleagues.
- Serve on a discovery review committee core team for therapeutic-area discovery portfolio oversight and candidate selection for preclinical development.
- Establish and maintain external contacts; engage with the local academic community.
Qualifications
- Ph.D. in Chemistry or related biopharmaceutical science plus 5+ years’ industry experience in drug discovery and/or early drug development.
Required/Preferred Skills
- Leading cross-functional groups; employee development/retention; strong communication and collaboration.
- Deep understanding of medicinal chemistry SAR, physical properties, and preclinical safety workflows.
- Subject matter expertise in Discovery/Process/Medicinal Chemistry (early clinical development).
- Deliver results on tight deadlines; select and prioritize project portfolios.
- Internationally recognized with peer-reviewed publications and external presentations.
- Skills: Bioanalytical Analysis; Chemical Biology; Data Analysis; Medicinal/Process/Synthetic Chemistry; Mentoring; People Leadership; Project Leadership; Strategic Thinking; Catalysis; Peptide Chemistry; Professional Networking.
Benefits/Pay (if applicable)
- Eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive (if applicable).
- Salary range: $173,200.00–$272,600.00; comprehensive benefits (medical/dental/vision, 401(k), paid time off).
Application
- Apply via https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or Workday Jobs Hub for current employees); application deadline is stated on the posting.