Specialist, Data Science, Digital Operations and Innovation

Job Description

Position Overview

The successful candidate will be a contributing member of the DOI team, supporting initiatives that integrate artificial intelligence tools across scientific operations, automated authoring workflows, and laboratory operations. This role sits at the intersection of life sciences and data/computer science, and is well-suited for those with foundational experience in both domains who are eager to grow their skills in an applied, collaborative environment.

The candidate will contribute to AI-driven solutions for scientific search, summarization, and information extraction, helping NDS scientists and operational teams access and synthesize relevant scientific knowledge more effectively. They will also support ongoing efforts to develop automated authoring capabilities across NDS, assisting in the implementation and testing of AI tools that streamline scientific documentation and reporting.

Additionally, this role will support the development of tools, metrics, analytics, and models that provide insights into the operational health of our organization and improve our ability to predict and model workload based on both scientific and operational data.

The successful candidate will work closely with senior members of the DOI team and will have the opportunity to grow their skills and expand their contributions over time.

Key Responsibilities

AI Integration & Scientific Knowledge Management:

• Contribute to the integration of AI tools for scientific search, summarization, and information extraction in support of NDS scientists and operational teams

• Assist in the development and testing of automated authoring workflows across NDS, supporting the use of NLP and AI tools to streamline scientific documentation and reporting

• Stay informed on relevant AI and data science trends and share learnings with the team

Operational Modeling, Analytics, & Dashboarding:​

• Support the development of operational models, analytics, and reporting pipelines to assist data-driven decision-making across NDS

• Contribute to tools, metrics, and analytics that monitor lab space, equipment, and system utilization in support of vivarium modernization efforts

• Contribute to the development of scalable tools for data capture, integration, and reporting in support of operations projects

Collaboration & Continuous Improvement:

• Work closely with cross-functional teams and senior DOI colleagues to understand data challenges and contribute practical, user-friendly solutions

• Participate in continuous improvement efforts by staying current with emerging tools and technologies in data science and take on additional projects and responsibilities as you grow within the team

Qualifications

• Education

• Bachelor’s degree (or international equivalent) in computer science, data science, bioinformatics, life sciences, or a related field with 3+ years of relevant experience.

• Master’s degree (or international equivalent) in computer science, data science, bioinformatics, life sciences, or a related field with 0-1 years of relevant experience.

• Formal training in data/computer science with practical experience applying these skills in life‑science, biomedical, or regulated scientific settings

• Formal training in life sciences with demonstrated, hands‑on experience applying data science, analytics, or computational methods to scientific or operational problems

• Required Skills:

• Foundational analytical and problem-solving skills with a willingness to work both independently and collaboratively

• Ability to understand requirements defined by scientific and operational subject-matter experts (SMEs) and translate them into technical solutions

• Proficiency in Python programming, with some experience building or contributing to DASH applications

• Familiarity with AWS or other cloud-computing platforms

• Experience with GIT, Confluence, and good documentation practices

• Working knowledge of SQL for data manipulation and analysis

• Familiarity with Power BI and other Power Platform tools (experience with alternative dashboard tools such as Spotfire is a plus)

• Foundational exposure to AI/ML applications, including NLP, for scientific use cases

• Additional Skills:

• Exposure to NLP techniques and/or large language models (LLMs) for scientific text analysis, summarization, or information extraction is a plus

• Familiarity with automated authoring platforms or scientific content management systems is a plus

• Familiarity with data science platforms such as Dataiku is a plus

• Familiarity with Good Laboratory Practices (GLPs), SDLC, and GLP validation is a plus

Required Skills:

Bioinformatics, Business Intelligence (BI), Computer Science, Data Analytics, Database Design, Data Capturing, Data Engineering, Data Modeling, Data Science, Data Visualization, Digital Product Development, Distributed Application Development, Information Extraction, Knowledge Management, Life Science, Machine Learning (ML), Metrics Analysis, Operations Support, Python (Programming Language), Software Development, Stakeholder Relationship Management, Summarization

Preferred Skills:

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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.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.  As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.  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 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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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, Monday - 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”.

The salary range for this role is

$106,200.00 - $167,200.00

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs.

The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits.  Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.

San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance

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:

Regular

Relocation:

Domestic

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

N/A

Job Posting End Date:

05/11/2026*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.