Associate Director, Machine Learning

Overview

Job Description

The Computational Toxicology group within the Nonclinical Drug Safety (NDS) division at our company is actively seeking an enthusiastic AI/ML data Scientist to contribute to the discovery and development of effective, safer therapeutics for patients. This key role will be instrumental in supporting NDS’s broader vision to be at the forefront of AI/ML application and data science methodologies towards drug safety prediction.

Note: This position is available in South San Francisco, CA or West Point, PA based on candidate preference.

Key Responsibilities:
• Individual contributor role, requiring mentorship of junior scientists
• Prepare ML model-ready dataset by curation, integration, and harmonization of multimodality data from the internal and external domains, in partnership with the subject-matter experts within NDS and our company’s Research IT teams
• Apply probabilistic, neural networks ML models, and generative AI methods to inform prioritization for chemistry and toxicology resources
• Leverage LLM and generative AI models (e.g. GAN, VAE) to understand mechanisms of toxicity, identify molecules with desired drug-like properties, to prioritize animal resources
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across multiple sites and functional areas to deploy, utilize, and increase the visibility of ML approaches in selection of chemical series with a high probability of success, and enable prioritization of in vivo resources
• Upscale NDS staff on the utility of predictive AI/ML approaches in drug safety
• Stay abreast with new AI approaches and regulatory landscape in the field of predictive toxicology

Qualifications:

Education:
• Ph.D. (with 4+ years) or Master’s (with 8+ years) in computer science, computational biology, cheminformatics or related data science fields with relevant years of experience

Required Experience and Skills:
• Proven experience in applying traditional machine learning methods as well as, Deep Neural Networks, Generative AI and LLM on data from pharmaceutical or other industry sectors
• Fluency in python, R programing, standard python packages like Pandas, NumPy, Matplotlib, and ML frameworks such as TensorFlow, Pytorch
• Experience with version control and related code reproducibility practices such as git documentation
• Experience with Linux and high-performance or cloud computing environments (e.g., AWS) and data lake platforms (e.g., Databricks)
• Self-motivated with a high level of autonomy
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and collaboration skills to effectively distill complex technical concepts for a broad range of stakeholders is necessary
• High interpersonal skills with a collaborative mindset
• Domestic travel 10-20% is required

Preferred Experience and Skills:
• Experience with ML models deployment frameworks such as ML-Ops
• Prior experience working in a multidisciplinary environment within the Pharmaceutical Industry, and other healthcare sectors

NOTICE FOR INTERNAL APPLICANTS

In accordance with Managers’ Policy – Job Posting and Employee Placement, all employees subject to this policy are required to have a minimum of twelve (12) months of service in current position prior to applying for open positions.

If you have been offered a separation benefits package, but have not yet reached your separation date and are offered a position within the salary and geographical parameters as set forth in the Summary Plan Description (SPD) of your separation package, then you are no longer eligible for your separation benefits package. To discuss in more detail, please contact your HRBP or Talent Acquisition Advisor.

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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 Company is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the salary range for this job in certain states and cities within the United States. Final determinations with respect to salary will take into account a number of factors, which may include, but not be limited to the primary work location and the chosen candidate’s relevant skills, experience, and education.

Expected US salary range:
$167,700.00 – $263,900.00

Available benefits include bonus eligibility, long term incentive if applicable, health care and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, paid holidays, vacation, and sick days. A summary of benefits is listed here.

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/International

VISA Sponsorship:
Yes

Travel Requirements:
10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:
Not Applicable

Shift:
1st – Day

Valid Driving License:
No

Hazardous Material(s):
No

Required Skills:
Business Intelligence (BI), Database Design, Data Engineering, Data Modeling, Data Science, Data Visualization, Machine Learning, Software Development, Stakeholder Relationship Management, Waterfall Project Management

Preferred Skills:

Job Posting End Date:
11/22/2024
• 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.

Requisition ID:R314301

Company:

Merck

Qualifications:

Language requirements:

Specific requirements:

Educational level:

Level of experience (years):

Senior (5+ years of experience)

Tagged as: Business Intelligence, Data Visualization, Industry, Neural Networks, NLP, United States