Future Talent Program – Intern

Job Description

The Future Talent Program features internships that last up to 12 weeks and will include one or more projects. These opportunities in our Research & Development Division can provide you with great development and a chance to see if we are the right company for your long-term goals.

Our company's Research and Development departments across multiple geographies are seeking summer interns with a passion for scientific research, strong academic performance, communication skills, and the ability to work on cross-functional teams. We offer opportunities in our state-of-the-art science laboratories to solve fundamental synthetic or biological problems relevant to drug discovery and development, while functioning as fully integrated members of the company project teams.

Discovery Sample Management (Rahway, NJ)

The Discovery Sample Management (DSM) group enables drug discovery through the establishment of industry-leading synthesis-to-assay workflows, application of innovative automation and engineering designs, and collaboration with stakeholders across the internal and external network. The group is offering a summer internship opportunity for an undergraduate student to learn how to adapt laboratory instrumentation and robotics to enable the drug discovery process in the "Big Pharma" setting. Additionally, the intern will be exposed to various automation applications and liquid handling principles. The summer intern will become a member of the Discovery Sample Management group and work in a team environment to operate and optimize benchtop robotics as well as large-scale automation systems.

Depending on the type of projects in which the lab is engaged at the time of the internship, activities that the intern may have the opportunity to undertake include, but are not limited to:

• Interface with our Research & Development Division's scientific staff to understand scientific workflows and associated automated systems.

• Create, troubleshoot, and test protocols on instrumentation.

• Optimize and calibrate laboratory instrumentation and equipment.

• Create data transfer tools to assist with integration of instruments with Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS)

• Observe and learn various sample management and quality control workflows.

Education:

• Candidate must be currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Biology, Computer Science, or Engineering.

Required Experience and Skills:

• Candidates must have experience in a laboratory setting.

• Candidates must be available to work full-time for 11-12 weeks beginning from May or June to August 2026.

• Candidates must have strong interest utilizing laboratory robotics and automation.

Preferred Experience & Skills:

• Candidates should have familiarity with programming languages such as Visual Basic, Python, HTML.

• Candidates should have previous experience with Spotfire, Pipeline Pilot or similar.

• Candidates should have a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 or higher.

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

Under New York City, Colorado State, Washington State, and California State law, the Company is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the salary range for this job. 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.

Salary range:

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

FTP2026

RL2026

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:

No

Travel Requirements:

No Travel Required

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Required Skills:

Assay Development, Assay Development, Automation Engineering, Clinical Research, Cloud Data Catalog, Communication, Computer Science, Data Analysis, Database Management, Data Science, Data Security, Data Visualization, Data Wrangling, Detail-Oriented, Drug Discovery Process, ETL Pipelines, Event Planning, Key Performance Indicators (KPI), Laboratory Equipment Calibration, Laboratory Informatics, Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), Microsoft Visual Basic, Process Research, Project Management, Python (Programming Language) {+ 5 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.