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

We are a global health care leader with a diversified portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines and animal health products. The difference between potential and achievement lies in the spark that fuels innovation and inventiveness; this is the space where our Company has codified its legacy for over a century. Our Company’s success is backed by ethical integrity, forward momentum, and an inspiring mission to achieve new milestones in global healthcare.

Our Company is on a quest for cures and is committed to being the world’s premier, most research-intensive biopharmaceutical company. Today, we’re doubling down on this goal. Our Company's Research Laboratories is a true scientific research facility of tomorrow and will take our Company’s leading discovery capabilities and world-class small molecule and biologics Research and Development expertise to create breakthrough science that radically changes the way we approach serious diseases. 

Our Company's Research Lab's Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics (DMPK) group within Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics, Metabolism and Bioanalytics Department (PDMB) in South San Francisco, CA, is seeking a Co-op Scientist. The Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics group evaluates the adsorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) properties of therapeutic small molecules, peptides, and proteins in early discovery through drug development. The Co-op scientist will conduct 3D cell-based assays to triage and enable the prediction of the ADME properties of biologics and/ or peptides.

The ideal candidate will learn basic concepts of pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) and will be trained in techniques/methods including: Flow cytometry, Fluorescence imaging, ELISA and UPLC-MS/MS. In addition to laboratory skills, the Co-op will have the opportunity to analyze, interpret and present data in various meetings and collaborate cross-functionally across various teams at our Company.

We are seeking Co-op candidates with strong academic performance, communication skills, teamwork, and the ability to work in a multi-functional environment.

Education:

• Candidates must be a currently enrolled graduate student pursuing a Master's or a PhD degree in Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a related field.

Required Experience and Skills:

• Candidates must be available to work full-time for up to (6) consecutive months beginning in the first half of 2026.

• Candidates must have more than 1-year of hands-on experience with mammalian cell culture (2D and/or 3D), cryopreservation of cell lines and performing in vitro cell-based assays.

• Candidates must demonstrate proficiency in maintaining safety protocols within a BSL-2 laboratory and strictly adhere to Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) regulations and guidelines in a research setting.

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Candidates should have experience with flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Experience with Flowjo for flow cytometry data analysis is highly preferred.

• Candidates should have experience with fluorescence imaging of 2D and/or 3D cell samples.

• Candidates should have basic laboratory skills with good track record of lab safety and research experience, including various biochemical assays and molecular biology techniques, such as protein labelling with fluorophores, SDS-Page, Western blotting, LC-MS/MS.

• Candidates should have strong leadership, interpersonal, communication, problem solving, presentation and collaboration skills along with strengths in delivering results in a fast-paced environment. 

• Candidates should have a GPA of 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:

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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”.

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):

Yes

Required Skills:

 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.