Associate Principal Scientist, genAI/ML Protein Engineer

Company: Merck
Location: Cambridge
Posted on: April 11, 2025

Job Description:

Job DescriptionOur company's Discovery Biologics Disruptive Technologies is seeking an exceptional generative AI protein engineer to drive the advancement and application of de novo design and therapeutic optimization technologies in support of our biotherapeutic portfolio. In addition to leading projects to improve technical capabilities, the individual is expected to partner closely with cross-functional discovery programs to turn great ideas into valuable medicines that help patients. The role is based out of our Cambridge, MA facility.We are on a quest for cures and are committed to be the world's premier, most research-intensive biopharmaceutical company. Our teams combine leading drug discovery capabilities and world-class R&D with the purpose of turning breakthrough science into life-changing medicines.We recognize that the diversity in our team is our strength and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Successful candidates must demonstrate inclusive behaviors in working with a diverse group of scientists to drive our core mission.In this role, a successful candidate will partner with computational and wet lab researchers to design experiments, identify and develop technologies, and create impactful medicines.Key Responsibilities

• Lead the advancement and application of generative AI and machine learning-based protein design and engineering technologies to invent valuable therapeutics; including de novo, structure-based, and data-supported protein design methods.
• Develop computational methods for therapeutic discovery efforts.
• Foster a high-performance culture of collaboration, engagement, self-accountability and inclusion.
• Effectively partner across multidisciplinary interfaces to achieve organizational objectives.
• Actively develop talent, strategically maximizing diversity to strengthen the team.
• Support external partnerships and collaboration opportunities.
• Stay abreast of external advancements in the relevant scientific fields.
• Promote the external reputation of our company's Discovery Biologics.Qualifications & Experience
  • PhD in Biochemistry, Computational Biology, Protein Engineering, Physics, or related field and minimum of 4 years of industry experience, or an MS and a minimum of 8 years industry experience, or B.S. and a minimum of 12 years industry experience.
  • Extensive expertise applying and developing GenAI/ML-based protein design methods.
  • Experience in data-driven, ML-based protein engineering approaches.
  • Proven industry track record of success working with cross-functional teams.
  • Commitment to scientific excellence and rigor.
  • Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
  • Champion for diverse and inclusive culture.
  • Strong external reputation with high-impact publications, presentations, and scientific community engagement.
  • Passion for sharing knowledge and helping colleagues develop.Required skills:
    • Expert-level knowledge in applying generative AI methods for protein design and engineering, including de novo design and lead optimization.
    • Experience evaluating and combining generative AI models and applying machine-learning-based methods to solve complex problems in biologics discovery and development.
    • Mastery of protein structural modeling and design tools (e.g. AlphaFold, Rosetta, RFDiffusion, protein MPNN, or similar).
    • Planning and leadership of projects in discovery of protein therapeutics and/or technology development.
    • Strong skills in data analysis and visualization and making data-driven decisions.
    • Comprehensive scientific knowledge across workflows and domains integral to the discovery of protein therapeutics.Preferred skills
      • Deep understanding of protein structure and sequence representations, featurization and embeddings.
      • Project leadership experience in discovery of protein therapeutics or technology development.
      • Experience in managing external collaborations.
      • Hands-on experience with NGS data.
      • Experience deploying scalable computational workflows.
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Keywords: Merck, Salem , Associate Principal Scientist, genAI/ML Protein Engineer, Engineering , Cambridge, Massachusetts