2025 University Recruiting - Sterile and Specialty Product Formulation (PSCS) Co-op

Job Description

The Future Talent Program features co-op opportunity that last up to 6 months and will include one or more projects. These opportunities in our Research 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 Research Lab’s Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Supply organization is responsible for translating a therapeutic agent into a functional drug product optimized for patients. Sterile and Specialty Products is a multi-disciplinary group that enables sterile drug product and process development through application of pharmaceutical science and drug delivery research for clinical candidates. The department in Rahway (NJ) is seeking a co-op who will work collaboratively in a team environment to help solve key challenges in formulation development of sterile pharmaceutical products of diverse modalities including small molecules, peptides, biologics, and nucleic acids.

We are seeking a full-time co-op candidate with strong academic performance, communication skills, teamwork, and the ability to work in a multi- functional environment. The co-op will participate in departmental and project team meetings to learn a broad perspective on the drug development process in the pharmaceutical industry. In addition, the co-op student will have an opportunity to present their research results in both oral and written formats. During the co-op appointment they will work closely with an experienced pharmaceutical industry scientist on a research project with key tasks that include, but not limited to, the following:

• Utilization of a variety of physical and chemical characterization techniques to develop an understanding of the physicochemical characteristics of small molecules, proteins, and peptides, and associated formulations.

• Development of small-scale in vitro screening systems to predict formulation performance.

• Planning and executing research related to the design, development and characterization of novel drug delivery approaches for drug candidates.

Minimum Requirements:

• Candidates must be currently enrolled as an undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor's degree (sophomore, junior, or senior) OR a graduate student pursuing a Master's or PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Engineering, or related discipline.

• Candidates must be available to work full-time for 6 months from June - December 2025.

• Candidates must have completed a minimum of two (2) years of study toward a bachelor’s degree by June 2025.

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Candidates should have basic laboratory skills and research experience, such as: electronic notebook recording, HPLC, spectroscopy, analytical techniques, and safe lab practices.

• Candidates should have a GPA of 3.0 or higher

Number of openings: 1

Location: Rahway, NJ

FTP2025

MRL2025

PSCS

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

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We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.  For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

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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. 

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