Director, Bioinformatics (South San Francisco) Job

Director, Bioinformatics (South San Francisco)-RES001918

Description

Merck Research Laboratories South San Francisco, a wholly owned subsidiary of Merck and Co., is focused on driving discovery research. Our new multi-disciplinary discovery research site offers state-of- the-art resources to explore the most promising science combined with Merck’s world-class R&D expertise in small molecules and biologics. Located within the heart of the Bay area’s biomedical community, research conducted in our new laboratories spans exploratory biology through early clinical development and is an integral part of Merck’s powerful world-class network of drug and vaccine discovery.

At Merck, we are inspired by the belief that a research-driven enterprise dedicated to scientific excellence can create medicines and vaccines that save and improve lives. Every employee is building on our proud legacy of scientific breakthrough. Our ability to impact the lives of patients worldwide depends on the integrity, creativity, humility and scientific acumen of our team. We are creating a diverse organization that is inspired by invention and founded on a culture of respect and collaboration. At Merck Research Labs South San Francisco, you’ll have the opportunity to expand your knowledge and skills through collaboration with talented and dedicated colleagues while advancing your career.

We are currently recruiting a key individual to contribute to Merck’s drug discovery effort in our growing South San Francisco site. At Merck Research Labs South San Francisco, you'll have the opportunity to expand your knowledge and skills through collaboration with talented and dedicated colleagues while advancing your career. However, the most important singular quality we are looking for is a bioinformatics investigator that seeks to put patients first as the front and central goal of their research. The location will be the preclinical research laboratories at our new state of the art facility in the South San Francisco Bay Area where you will be able to participate in a vibrant culture connecting leading academic and biotech research centers. Beyond local connections, you will also be able to supplement your research activities by taking advantage of the technologies and capabilities of the wider Merck network of sites in Boston, MA as well as NJ and PA.

This Director will perform both a strategic role, as well as hands-on role, in igniting, linking, integrating, seeding, and overseeing the scientific direction of the intersection of computational and experimental research relating to the early drug development programs, initially involving the SSF site for target identification and validation. This individual will also play a vital role in helping to develop the site, as well as integrating key computational biology resources into the site activities including interactions with discovery genetics, quantitative trait sciences, genome sciences and chemical biology, and translational medicine.

This South San Francisco-based position will report into the Executive Director of Computational Biology. The qualified individual will be expert in the field of bioinformatics and computational biology with experience in drug development, small molecule or biologics and will have a strong understanding of various biological approaches, including functional interrogation of genetic findings, systems biology, chemical biology, and drug development. In addition to providing operational leadership, the incumbent will work closely with teams in discovery genetics and functional biology across all major therapeutic areas. The Director will be expected to operate in a highly collaborative environment, partnering with peers on site (all therapeutic areas, pharmacology, chemistry, experimental medicine) and at other locations in Boston, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and emerging markets. This position will also involve interactions with external partners, including leaders in academia as well as other Pharma/biotech companies.

Specific responsibilities include:

- Participating as part of SSF leadership team in developing, and driving, the strategy to identify and prioritize programs entering the early pipeline across all therapeutic areas.

- Support the research efforts of discovery wet-lab and clinical scientists responsible for target identification and validation rooted in the area of metabolism, immunology, inflammation, oncology, and neurosciences

- Develop computational strategies and analysis pipelines to help SSF researchers discover new drug targets and stratify patients for existing drug candidates. Engage with internal peers in diverse areas – informatics, pharmacology, biologics, chemistry, chemical biology, therapeutic area biology, experimental medicine – to identify opportunities for drug development based on computational approaches.

- Integrate diverse biological datasets with human genetic, molecular, and clinical data to identify novel pathways for drug development across all therapeutic areas.

- Build and manage a team to provide bioinformatics and computational biology expertise to Merck’s SSF site.

- Collaborate across functional areas and in a matrixed environment to develop integrated research plans, optimize resource allocation, and maximize efficiencies to best execute on programs.

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Working closely with genetic discovery, functional biology, and clinical teams to design studies, including writing and defending project approval documents

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Written and verbal communication of study results to project team and the scientific community, including proposals for further experiments and publications in leading journals

Qualifications

Education:

- Required: PhD or equivalent experience in Computational Biology, Computer Science, or related field

Required Experience:

- Minimum of (5) years demonstrated experience in Bioinformatics and/or Computational Biology expertise (peer reviewed publication, history of achievement, patents, etc.).

- Expertise and experience with drug development, small molecule or biologics.

- Demonstrated leadership skills. Proven ability to create and work within high performance teams and/or matrix organization, strong influencing skills.

- Demonstrated ability to conduct research individually and collaboratively and prioritize work against departmental and company goals.

- Excellent oral and written communication skills, ability to establish and maintain productive cross-site and high caliber external collaborations.

- Proficiency to critically evaluate scientific and therapeutic proposals and adopt novel technologies or algorithms to facilitate ground-breaking research.

- Proven track record in change management including ability to eliminate obstacles/barriers in order to implement change.

- Experience collaborating on partnerships with external organizations.

The quality of our team is essential to our success. We are creating a new and innovative approach to rewarding our employees and establishing a comprehensive value proposition. Our competitive compensation program and benefits are designed to support the wide range of goals, needs and lifestyles of our employees, and the people that matter the most in their lives. If you need an accommodation for the application process please email us at staffingaadar@merck.com.

Merck & Co., Inc. Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A. known as Merck in the United States and Canada, is a global health care leader with a diversified portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines and animal health products. Today, we are building a new kind of healthcare company – one that is ready to help create a healthier future for us all.



Merck is an equal opportunity employer, Minority/Female/Disability/Veteran – proudly embracing diversity in all of its manifestations.


Job: Research Science

Job Title:Director, Bioinformatics

Primary Location: NA-US-CA-South San Francisco

Employee Status: Regular

Number of Openings: 1

Company Trade Name:Merck