Job Description

Under the general direction of the Associate Vice President, Vaccine/Infectious Disease Epidemiology, the Postdoctoral Research Fellow will conduct applied epidemiologic and real-world evidence research focused on building an integrated data and patient network for immunocompromised populations. The primary focus of this position is to develop scalable epidemiologic resources, methods, and tools that support clinical development, regulatory decision-making, and external scientific dissemination across vaccine and infectious disease programs.

Key responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• Lead applied epidemiologic and real-world evidence research focused on immunocompromised populations, including studies that support vaccine and infectious disease clinical development, regulatory strategy, and scientific decision-making.
• Contribute to the development of an integrated immunocompromised data and patient hub, including reusable cohort definitions, analytic approaches, and data resources that enable efficient evidence generation across programs.
• Develop and apply epidemiologic approaches to define, characterize, and stratify immunocompromised populations based on clinical conditions, treatment exposures, disease severity, and other relevant factors.
• Collaborate with internal cross-functional mentors and partners, as well as external investigators, to evaluate data fitness-for-purpose, ensure scientific rigor, and support potential future clinical research needs.
• Design and execute research examples or case studies that demonstrate how the immunocompromised data and patient hub can inform study feasibility, patient identification, evidence gaps, and program planning.
• Prepare high-quality scientific deliverables, including research plans, protocols or analysis plans, reports, presentations, abstracts, posters, and manuscripts for internal and external audiences.
• Communicate research plans, progress, findings, and recommendations to cross-functional stakeholders and external scientific audiences in a clear and timely manner.
• Maintain scientific independence while engaging actively with mentors and collaborators to advance research objectives, build scientific expertise, and support professional development.

Education Minimum Requirement:

• Applicants should have completed doctoral training before the fellowship start date and demonstrate strong interest in applied epidemiology, real-world evidence, and vaccine or infectious disease research.
• Receive a Ph.D. no later than spring 2027.
• PhD, DrPH, MD, PharmD, or equivalent doctoral degree in Epidemiology, Public Health, Outcomes Research, Biostatistics, Clinical Epidemiology, Health Services Research, Pharmacy, Medicine, or a closely related scientific discipline.

Required Experience and Skills:

• Training or experience in epidemiologic study design, observational research methods, real-world data analysis, or clinical research.
• Demonstrated ability to work with large healthcare data sources, such as claims data, electronic health records, registries, specialty databases, or other patient-level data assets.
• Strong quantitative, analytic, and problem-solving skills, including ability to translate clinical and scientific questions into feasible research approaches.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with ability to prepare clear scientific documents and present research findings to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a cross-functional environment and engage effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple workstreams, timelines, and deliverables.
• Commitment to external scientific dissemination through abstracts, posters, presentations, and peer-reviewed publications.

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Background in vaccine, infectious disease, immunology, transplant, oncology, hematology, or other research areas involving immunocompromised populations.
• Experience defining or operationalizing immunocompromised cohorts using real-world data, including consideration of underlying condition, treatment exposure, severity, or clinical context.
• Experience with analytic tools or programming languages commonly used in epidemiology and real-world evidence research, such as SAS, R, Python, SQL, or comparable platforms.
• Experience developing reusable analytic tools, data products, dashboards, or user-oriented outputs that support efficient evidence generation.
• Experience collaborating with clinicians, external investigators, data vendors, or research partners to evaluate data fitness-for-purpose and support applied research objectives.
• Record of scientific productivity, including peer-reviewed publications, conference abstracts, posters, or oral presentations.
• Interest in building a broad research network and developing toward scientific independence in an industry research environment.
• Approximately 5% travel may be required for scientific meetings or collaborator engagement.

The salary range for this role is: $82,000- $92,000

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs. 

The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable. 

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits. Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days.

Required Skills:

Preferred Skills:

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

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:

Relocation:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Job Posting End Date:

*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.