Job Description

Our company has grown an interdisciplinary team of scientists in London and has exciting plans to evolve further from our recent expansion into ‘Skylab’ at the Francis Crick Institute to the move into our new ‘state of the art’ London Discovery Research Centre and UK headquarters at the heart of London’s Knowledge Quarter in 2027. This will be home to approximately 180 scientists alongside other colleagues in clinical, regulatory, and business roles, including marketing, finance, and administration.

Our teams combine leading drug discovery capabilities and world-class R&D with the purpose of turning breakthrough science into life-changing medicines, applying cutting-edge medicinal, synthetic, and computational chemistry to support target validation and identify high quality clinical candidates.

We are currently recruiting for Senior Scientists in Chemistry to join our growing London Discovery Chemistry group. These exciting laboratory-based roles are integral to our mission to use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. Successful candidates will actively participate in a vibrant culture as part of a diverse and collaborative multidisciplinary team. They will be key to driving our programs forward through chemical synthesis as well as data analysis and new target design. Research activities may be supplemented by taking advantage of the extensive technologies and capabilities of the wider network of company sites.

The candidate must be highly self-motivated, possess strong experimental skills, have excellent written and oral communication abilities, collaborate effectively on multidisciplinary teams and across geographies, and be able to demonstrate flexibility in adapting to change in a fast-paced, dynamic research environment. In addition, the candidate will be expected to remain current with the latest synthetic methodologies, drive innovation, apply new concepts to continuously improve group capabilities, and be active in the external scientific community via publications and presentations.

Start dates are flexible and we would welcome applications from both newly qualified PhDs and candidates with significant previous industrial experience.

Education Minimum Requirement:  

Ph.D. in Chemistry (achieved or expected in 2025), which may be accompanied by time spent in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry; or MSc/BSc in Chemistry with experience in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry

Required Experience and Skills:  

Must have conducted outstanding research in field of expertise exemplifying excellence in theoretical and practical Synthetic ChemistryAdvanced knowledge of modern chemical literature and good appreciation of the latest innovations and Synthetic Chemistry technologiesDemonstrate creativity and ingenuity in problem-solving by applying scientific knowledge and through the ability to mine literature and databasesHigh laboratory productivity and efficiency achieved through planning and prioritisationExcellent interpersonal skills including: communication (written and verbal), attention to detail, collaborative team-working mentalityEstablished scientific reputation supported by publications and/or external presentationsAbility to work flexibly across the portfolio and adapt to new priorities/emerging data while thriving on increasing levels of responsibilityOpen mind-set with a proactive outlook to personal development through learning new skills and growing knowledge and expertiseA diverse and inclusive attitude, seeking to champion a varied outlook to identify novel solutions

Experience in any of the following would be advantageous:

Reaction optimisation through high-throughput experimentation (HTE) and design of experiments (DoE)Large-scale chemical synthesisEmerging knowledge of Medicinal Chemistry design principles (e.g., structure-based drug design and the influence of physiochemical properties) and related scientific disciplines (e.g., pharmacology, ADME, drug safety/toxicology, IP)Use of computational tools, for example to analyse data and design molecules/synthetic routesTraining and mentoring team members in chemical synthesisKnowledge of the technology and latest innovations in chemical biology

Closing date for applications: 23rd February 2024

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

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:

Regular

Relocation:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Job Posting End Date:

02/23/2025

*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:R334836