Job Description

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Systems Immunology

Position Overview:

We are seeking a highly motivated and innovative scientist for a postdoctoral fellowship join the Exploratory Vaccines and Regulated Robotics team within the Department of Regulated Bioanalytics at our company in Upper Gwynedd, PA. The fellow will lead a data-driven research project integrating cellular immunology, transcriptomic profiling, and computational modeling to develop predictive approaches for selecting vaccine adjuvant combinations.

The successful candidate will work in state-of-the-art facilities, collaborate with multidisciplinary internal teams and external academic partners, and leverage advanced laboratory automation and immune-profiling technologies. This three-year fellowship provides opportunities to conduct high-impact basic and translational research, publish in peer-reviewed journals, present at scientific conferences, and gain experience in contemporary vaccine bioanalytics and systems immunology.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Design, execute, and interpret in vitro studies investigating adjuvant mechanisms, pattern-recognition receptor activation, and immune polarization.
• Develop primary immune cell co-culture models and evaluate responses to individual and combined antigen-adjuvant stimulations.
• Characterize cellular, cytokine, and transcriptional responses using multiparameter flow cytometry, multiplex cytokine assays, and transcriptomic approaches.
• Apply laboratory automation and collaborate with multidisciplinary scientists to develop and experimentally evaluate predictive models of combinatorial immune responses.
• Communicate research findings through peer-reviewed publications and presentations at scientific conferences.
• Maintain accurate, contemporaneous electronic laboratory records and adhere to data-integrity and BSL-2 safety requirements.

Education Minimum Requirement:

• Must currently hold a PhD OR
• Receive a Ph.D. no later than spring 2027
• Ph.D. in Immunology, Systems Biology, Bioengineering, Computational Biology, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, or a related scientific discipline

Required Experience and Skills:

• Record of scientific achievement demonstrated through peer-reviewed publications, submitted manuscripts, and/or scientific presentations.
• Hands-on experience with primary immune cell culture and functional cellular assays.
• Experience characterizing immune responses using flow cytometry, multiplex cytokine assays, molecular biology methods, or related technologies.
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills, including the interpretation of complex biological datasets.
• Ability to independently advance research while collaborating effectively across disciplines and communicating scientific findings clearly in oral and written formats
• Ability to work safely with human biological specimens and cell lines under BSL-2 laboratory practices.

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Experience or strong interest in integrating wet-lab cellular immunology with computational or predictive approaches.
• Familiarity with one or more of the following: RNA sequencing or bioinformatics workflows; statistical modeling or computational programming; or automated liquid handling and high-throughput screening.
• Knowledge of vaccine adjuvant biology, innate immune signaling, and T-cell polarization.
• Familiarity with statistical analysis and data-visualization tools, such as GraphPad Prism, R, Python, or similar platforms.

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:

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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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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

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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. 

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