Sr. Dir, Biology-Discovery
Merck
August 08, 2026
On-site
Cambridge, MA
Clinical Research and Development
Senior Director, Translational and Biomarker Lead
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and mentor translational and biomarker research teams; set scientific direction and prioritize portfolio opportunities.
- Drive translational/biomarker portfolio via strategically structured experiments (in vitro, ex vivo patient samples, animal models) linking mechanism of action, disease biology, PK/PD, and clinical endpoints.
- Oversee translational experimental plans, analysis strategies, and forward-/reverse-translational studies with internal and external partners; ensure fit-for-purpose approaches and readiness for FIH/PoC studies.
- Provide biomarker strategy implementation leadership across preclinical and clinical settings (with Discovery, Non-Clinical Drug Safety, Translational Medicine, Data Science).
- Champion emerging technologies/platforms/modalities for immunology target discovery and prosecution (small molecules, peptides, biologics & T cell engagers).
- Maintain awareness of scientific developments to strengthen team capability and portfolio decisions.
- Engage investigators/KOLs and external partners to enable high-quality execution and collaboration.
- Oversee preparation of abstracts, presentations, and manuscripts.
Qualifications
- Education: Bachelor’s (20+ years), Master’s (18+ years), or Ph.D. (10+ years) in Immunology, Cell Biology, or related field; at least seven (7) years direct industry experience.
Required Experience and Skills
- Knowledge of immune-mediated diseases, molecular pathways, relevant clinical trial results, and competitive landscape in immunology/autoinflammation.
- Experience ideating/establishing/executing translational research strategies; coordinate data generation/interpretation with computational scientists and other functions.
- Experience in immunology discovery research and drug development (autoimmune/inflammatory focus).
- Experience developing clinically relevant biomarkers for target engagement and pharmacodynamic measures.
- 5+ years direct management experience overseeing multiple teams.
- Strong awareness of safety/environmental requirements.
- Understanding of pharmaceutical development integration/partnering (Translational Medicine, Clinical, CMC, Regulatory, Operations, etc.).
- Effective communication/collaboration/negotiation with senior cross-functional leaders.
Required Skills
Assay Development, Biochemical Assays, External Collaboration, High Performance Team Building, High Throughput Drug Screening, Immunoassays, Immunology, In Vitro Studies, Mechanism of Action Studies, People Leadership, Pharmaceutical Biology, Research Methodologies, Translational Research.
Application Instructions
- 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 and mentor translational and biomarker research teams; set scientific direction and prioritize portfolio opportunities.
- Drive translational/biomarker portfolio via strategically structured experiments (in vitro, ex vivo patient samples, animal models) linking mechanism of action, disease biology, PK/PD, and clinical endpoints.
- Oversee translational experimental plans, analysis strategies, and forward-/reverse-translational studies with internal and external partners; ensure fit-for-purpose approaches and readiness for FIH/PoC studies.
- Provide biomarker strategy implementation leadership across preclinical and clinical settings (with Discovery, Non-Clinical Drug Safety, Translational Medicine, Data Science).
- Champion emerging technologies/platforms/modalities for immunology target discovery and prosecution (small molecules, peptides, biologics & T cell engagers).
- Maintain awareness of scientific developments to strengthen team capability and portfolio decisions.
- Engage investigators/KOLs and external partners to enable high-quality execution and collaboration.
- Oversee preparation of abstracts, presentations, and manuscripts.
Qualifications
- Education: Bachelor’s (20+ years), Master’s (18+ years), or Ph.D. (10+ years) in Immunology, Cell Biology, or related field; at least seven (7) years direct industry experience.
Required Experience and Skills
- Knowledge of immune-mediated diseases, molecular pathways, relevant clinical trial results, and competitive landscape in immunology/autoinflammation.
- Experience ideating/establishing/executing translational research strategies; coordinate data generation/interpretation with computational scientists and other functions.
- Experience in immunology discovery research and drug development (autoimmune/inflammatory focus).
- Experience developing clinically relevant biomarkers for target engagement and pharmacodynamic measures.
- 5+ years direct management experience overseeing multiple teams.
- Strong awareness of safety/environmental requirements.
- Understanding of pharmaceutical development integration/partnering (Translational Medicine, Clinical, CMC, Regulatory, Operations, etc.).
- Effective communication/collaboration/negotiation with senior cross-functional leaders.
Required Skills
Assay Development, Biochemical Assays, External Collaboration, High Performance Team Building, High Throughput Drug Screening, Immunoassays, Immunology, In Vitro Studies, Mechanism of Action Studies, People Leadership, Pharmaceutical Biology, Research Methodologies, Translational Research.
Application Instructions
- Apply via https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or Workday Jobs Hub for current employees). Application deadline is stated on the posting.