Job Description

The Future Talent Program features Co-Ops that last about 6 months and will include one or more projects. These opportunities in our Manufacturing & Supply Division can provide you with great development and a chance to see if we are the right company for your long-term goals.

At our Company's campus in Elkton, Virginia, our Engineers have opportunities across many diverse areas including Biological, Chemical, Automation, Maintenance, Safety, Process Development, Technical Services, Utilities and Validation. The manufacturing facility is located in the Shenandoah Valley along the Shenandoah River and the Blue Ridge Mountains a short distance from the University of Virginia and James Madison University.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to apply their enthusiasm and technical skills as a member of a multidisciplinary team supporting the operation of biopharmaceutical and vaccine product manufacturing facilities.

Project responsibilities can include:

In-line product support in technical operations and manufacturing operations
Maintain products at a high level of performance and regulatory compliance
Execute strategic projects to enhance our World Class Supply posture – decrease inventory, shorten cycle times, lower costs.
Analyze and solve problems
Maintain manufacturing processes at high levels of performance
Engineer plant site improvements to enhance safety, quality and the environment
Optimize existing processes to achieve improvements in process quality, yield and efficiency

If you are the kind of individual who thrives on challenge and possess the technical, leadership and business skills that are of value to our business, we invite you to apply.

Medical Clearance may be required.

Required Education and Experience:

Candidates must be currently enrolled in a sophomore or junior level curriculum working toward a Bachelor’s degree or pursuing a Master’s in Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, Biological Systems Engineering, Biomedical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering, Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, or Biotechnology.
Candidates must be available for a minimum of a 5-month Co-Op beginning in January of 2026 or May 2026.
Candidates must have superior technical competency as demonstrated by excellent academic record and work achievements.
Candidates must have strong communication skills, personal character, and ethics.
Candidates must have leadership accomplishments achieved through direct leadership roles or leading by influence.

Preferred Experience and Skills:

Candidates should have work experience in a business, manufacturing or industrial setting.
Candidates should have familiarity with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) and its application.
Candidates should have delivery results in a multi-functional, multi-disciplinary environment.
Candidates should have a minimum GPA of 3.20

Please note that this position may be closed before the posted end date or may remain open longer, at the discretion of the company.

Our Manufacturing & Supply Division is committed to be the most trusted supplier of biopharmaceuticals worldwide. Our facilities, along with our external contractors, suppliers, and partners, create an interdependent global manufacturing network that’s committed to delivering a high quality, reliable supply to customers and patients on time, every time.

Salary range:
The salary range for this role is $39,600.00-$105,500.00 USD

MD2026

FTP2026

Current Employees apply HERE

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:

EEOC Know Your Rights

EEOC GINA Supplement

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.

Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts

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”.

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:

Intern/Co-op (Fixed Term)

Relocation:

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

N/A

Required Skills:

Biochemistry, Biochemistry, Biological Engineering, Biological Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Biopharmaceutical Industry, Biopharmaceuticals, Chemical Engineering, Clinical Research, Cloud Data Catalog, Data Analysis, Database Management, Data Science, Data Security, Data Visualization, Data Wrangling, Detail-Oriented, Event Planning, Immunochemistry, Key Performance Indicators (KPI), Manufacturing Processes, Mechanical Engineering, Microbiology, Process Improvements, Project Management {+ 2 more}

Preferred Skills:

Job Posting End Date:

11/3/2025

*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.

Future Talent Program – Manufacturing Co-op

Merck

Compensation Overview