Job Description

The Future Talent Program features internships that last up to 12 weeks 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.

Our company is 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 Research & Development Division is a true scientific research facility of tomorrow and will take our company’s leading discovery capabilities and world-class small molecule and biologics R&D expertise to create breakthrough science that radically changes the way we approach serious diseases. 

Our Research & Development Division's Data, Automation, and Translation (DAT) group within the Pharmacokinetic, Dynamics, Metabolism and Bioanalytics (PDMB) department is seeking a summer intern to work on leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) techniques to predict clinical adverse events (AEs) and de-risk drug development processes.

The intern is expected to:

Leverage LLMs for explaining adverse events, with public LLMs and internal LLMs Assemble training data from public and proprietary database for model development.

Build models taking drug candidate profiles as input and predict potential AEs.

Fine-tune existing LLMs for formulating compound de-risking strategies.

Develop a final model with prediction, explanation, and analysis components to support compound de-risking.

Learning opportunities for the prospective intern are:

Professional Development: Contribute to a high-impact project, showcasing the intern's ability to develop innovative solutions.

Field Exposure: Gain deep insights into pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and drug metabolism, and stay abreast of state-of-the-art research and developments.

Networking Opportunities: Build professional connections with mentors and team members, fostering valuable networking for future career growth.

Hands-on Experience: Apply AI and ML techniques to real-world problems in the pharmaceutical industry, enhancing technical skills in deep learning, data analysis, and model development, along with soft skills such as teamwork and project management.

The intern student will have an opportunity to present their research results in both oral and written formats.

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

Location: West Point, PA or Cambridge, MA.

This is a full-time internship position. Housing subsidy is not available as part of this program and must be funded 100% by the student.

Required Education:

Candidates must be currently enrolled in a Bachelor’s degree or higher education in computer science, data science, information science, computational science, engineering or related field

 

Required Experience and Skills:

Candidates must be available to work full-time for up to (12) consecutive weeks beginning in May or June of 2025.

Candidates must have completed at least (3) years of studies toward bachelor’s degree by June 2025.

Proficient in Python and machine learning packages is required.

 

Preferred Experience and Skills:

Prior research experience in AI/ML, especially in LLMs.

Prior experience with ChatGPT/Copilot/Claude/Llama or other LLMs and AI programmers is preferred.

Prior experience in leveraging and working with AI on creative topics, such as arts and research

Prior experience with prompt engineering, either from work experience, course projects, or personal projects

Quick learner and passionate in computational research in drug R&D.

Ability to follow procedures and thoroughly document experiments.

Strong interpersonal, communication, problem solving, and collaboration skills.

GPA of 3.3 or higher.

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.

Expected salary range:

$39,600.00-$105,500.00

FTP2025

MRL2025

Employees working in roles that the Company determines require routine collaboration with external stakeholders, such as customer-facing commercial, or research-based roles, will be expected to comply not only with Company policy but also with policies established by such external stakeholders (for example, a requirement to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to access a facility or meet with stakeholders).  Please understand that, as permitted by applicable law, if you have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 and an essential function of your job is to call on external stakeholders who require vaccination to enter their premises or engage in face-to-face meetings, then your employment may pose an undue burden to business operations, in which case you may not be offered employment, or your employment could be terminated. Please also note that, where permitted by applicable law, the Company reserves the right to require COVID-19 vaccinations for positions, such as in Global Employee Health, where the Company determines in its discretion that the nature of the role presents an increased risk of disease transmission.

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.

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:

EEOC Know Your Rights

EEOC GINA Supplement​

Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination

We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing diverse, talented, and committed people together. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when diverse ideas 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

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, generally Tuesday, Wednesday and either Monday or 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”.

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):

N/A

Job Posting End Date:

11/22/2024

*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.

Requisition ID:R310521