2027 Future Talent Program – Modeling & Informatics - Co-op
Merck
Summary
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.
Job description
The candidate will participate in molecular modeling and/or cheminformatics research, either in an independent project or as part of a drug discovery team. Prior experience with cheminformatics approaches, such as chemigenomic data analysis, chemical reaction modeling, or chemical databases or data management, or molecular modeling approaches such as docking, molecular dynamics, protein design, small molecule design, peptide design, quantum chemical calculations, and machine learning will be beneficial.
The candidate will learn how to employ data, models, and methods to drive hypothesis-driven drug discovery and will be exposed to many areas of research relevant to the drug discovery and development process.
Locations
Rahway, NJ; Boston, MA; West Point, PA; South San Francisco, CA; Cambridge, MA
Please note when applying for this position, if the applicant is selected for an interview, they must be prepared to submit letters of recommendation, a brief research statement, and a copy of their transcript. Applicant must select location when applying for this position in those cases where multiple locations are listed.
Required Education, Experience and Skills
- Candidates must be pursuing BS/BA or Master’s/Ph.D. degree in related field with demonstrated interest/experience in research areas relevant to the drug discovery process.
- Candidates must have strong academic background in chemistry, biochemistry, biophysics, informatics, computer science, or applied mathematics.
- Candidates must have completed at least two years of studies toward BS/BA degree or at least 1 year towards Master’s/PhD at the time of the position start date.
- Candidates must be currently enrolled in an academic program at the time of the application and be continuing education for at least 1 semester once the position ends.
- Candidates must be available for full-time employment for 4 to 6 months during 2027.
Preferred Experience and Skills
- Candidates should have significant interest in applying modeling and/or informatics methods towards drug discovery research.
- Candidates should have Programming skills.
- Candidates should have GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Requirements
- Pursuing BS/BA or Master’s/Ph.D. degree in related field
- Demonstrated interest/experience in research areas relevant to drug discovery
- Strong academic background in chemistry, biochemistry, biophysics, informatics, computer science, or applied mathematics
- Completed at least two years of studies toward BS/BA degree or at least 1 year towards Master’s/PhD at position start date
- Currently enrolled in an academic program at time of application
- Continuing education for at least 1 semester once position ends
- Available for full-time employment for 4 to 6 months during 2027
Company overview
Merck & Co., Inc., known as Merck in the United States and Canada and MSD (Merck Sharp & Dohme) internationally, is a premier American multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey. Founded in 1891 as the U.S. subsidiary of the German Merck Group, the company became independent following World War I and has since grown into one of the world's largest biomedical companies, ranking fourth globally by revenue. Merck operates across three core business segments: pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and animal health products. The company is renowned for its groundbreaking research and development, having brought numerous life-saving medicines to market including Keytruda (pembrolizumab), a leading immunotherapy for cancer treatment that generated $29.5 billion in 2024 revenue, and Gardasil, a revolutionary HPV vaccine. With approximately 75,000 employees worldwide, Merck maintains a robust pipeline of innovative therapies focused on oncology, vaccines, hospital acute care, cardiology, neuroscience, virology, immunology, and diabetes. The company invests heavily in R&D, spending $17.9 billion in 2024 alone, demonstrating its commitment to advancing scientific discovery. Merck's legacy spans over 130 years of bringing hope to humanity through important medicines and vaccines, operating with a purpose to use leading-edge science to save and improve lives globally while fostering an inclusive workforce and responsible business practices.