2026 Future Talent Program – Co-op

Job Description

The Future Talent Program features Cooperative (Co-op) education that lasts up to 6 months and will include one or more projects. These opportunities in our Research and Development Division can provide you with great development and a chance to see if we are the right company for your long-term goals

The Precision Genetics group within the Data, AI and Genome Sciences (DAGS) Department is recruiting a Co-op student to process and analyze proteomic data generated by large consortium using different platforms. We are seeking a self-motivated student to work along with our company scientists to develop a comprehensive data processing and analysis pipeline. This pipeline will enable cross-platform comparison and integrative analysis with other 'omics data, facilitating robust biomarker discovery and mechanistic insights. This project offers a valuable opportunity for a Co-op student to gain hands-on experience with state-of-the-art data analysis approaches and contribute to advanced method development in proteomic data analysis.

In this exciting role, you will be:

1. Contributing to Data Collection: Large-scale plasma proteomic datasets generated using Olink, SomaLogic, and mass spectrometry technologies will become available to our company starting Q4 2025 and continuing through 2026-2028. A major data source is the UKB-PPP consortium, where our Company is a member. Complementary whole genome sequencing and blood transcriptomic data from UK Biobank participants will also be accessible. The student will familiarize themselves with these datasets, their formats, and associated study designs.

2. Implementing Data Processing and Analysis Pipeline: Preprocessing and quality control (QC) of proteomic data are essential, especially given the heterogeneity of technologies and cohorts. The student will participate in implementing standardized QC pipelines to ensure comparability across datasets. Genetic association analyses, such as protein quantitative trait locus (pQTL) mapping, will be performed. Then, proteomic data will be stratified by clinical phenotypes (e.g., disease status), followed by construction of association and causal networks for each subgroup. This phase will provide the student with experience in best practices for data processing, QC, and integrative analysis.

3. Performing Exploratory Analyses and Contributing to Method Development: Multiple therapeutic areas at our Company, including neurodegenerative diseases and immunology, urgently need proteomic biomarkers for patient subgrouping and drug development. Beyond identifying differentially abundant proteins, the student will explore differential regulation of proteins and biological pathways by comparing proteomic networks across technologies, cohorts, and diseases. Network comparison methods are rapidly evolving, and the student will have the opportunity to contribute to the development and application of advanced computational approaches in this area.
 
Learning Outcomes for the Co-op Student

•    Gain expertise in handling large-scale proteomic and multi-omics datasets.
•    Develop skills in data preprocessing, quality control, and genetic association analyses.
•    Learn to construct and interpret biological networks and perform integrative analyses.
•    Contribute to cutting-edge method development in proteomic data integration and network comparison.
•    Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams across our company and consortium partners.

Education: 

•    Candidates must be currently enrolled in a minimum of a Bachelor's degree program major in analytic sciences such as mathematics, statistics, computer science, physics, computational biology or a related field of study. 
•    Students enrolled in graduate programs (MS or PhD) are highly encouraged to apply. 
•    Candidates must be available to work full-time for 6 months in 2026.  

Required Experience and Skills:

•    Candidates must have excellent academic achievement and analytical ability. 
•    Candidates must demonstrate understanding in multi-omics data analysis.
•   Candidates must have proficiency in R/Python.
•    Candidates must possess good oral and written communication skills.

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

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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”.

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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:

 Preferred Skills:

Job Posting End Date:

11/3/2025

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