Merck KGaA

Work Your Magic with us! 

Ready to explore, break barriers, and discover more? We know you’ve got big plans – so do we! Our colleagues across the globe love innovating with science and technology to enrich people’s lives with our solutions in Healthcare, Life Science, and Electronics. Together, we dream big and are passionate about caring for our rich mix of people, customers, patients, and planet. That's why we are always looking for curious minds that see themselves imagining the unimaginable with us. 

United As One for Patients, our purpose in Healthcare is to help create, improve and prolong lives. We develop medicines, intelligent devices and innovative technologies in therapeutic areas such as Oncology, Neurology and Fertility. Our teams work together across 6 continents with passion and relentless curiosity in order to help patients at every stage of life. Joining our Healthcare team is becoming part of a diverse, inclusive and flexible working culture, presenting great opportunities for personal development and career advancement across the globe.

Your role:

You will be a member of the Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design (MCDD) department at our main research site in Darmstadt, located in the thriving greater Frankfurt area, Germany.

In this role, you will contribute to drug discovery approaches from hit finding to candidate delivery in oncology & immunology research programs. You will lead cross-functional and international project teams by using state-of-the-art methodologies of drug discovery. You will either lead an internal medicinal chemistry laboratory with 2-3 direct reports or steer chemistry work at CRO partner labs and be responsible for designing molecules and evaluating their activity and properties. 

In this role you may also have responsibility to secure the synthesis of small molecule clinical candidates on a multi-gram to kilogram scale, comprising small molecule modulators, targeted protein degraders, and drug linker payloads for antibody-drug conjugates.

Your tasks will include enhancing our external visibility and scientific excellence through publishing, collaborating with the scientific community, and participating in industry-academia consortia. You will be mentored by experienced drug discovery scientists and your personal development will be supported by training adapted to your professional interests and needs.

A mix of on-site and remote working will be possible in alignment with the role responsibilities.

Who you are:

• PhD degree in chemistry, and 5+ years relevant industrial experience.
• Solid understanding and practical experience of synthetic organic chemistry, passionate about the use of synthetic chemistry to address key questions in drug discovery. Broad medicinal chemistry know-how, and experience in molecular design preferably across various small molecule modalities
• Demonstrated high level of creativity and independence in solving complex scientific problems, aspiring to work in a dynamic environment within multidisciplinary & international teams.
• You are a great team player with excellent communication skills, fluent in English (written and spoken); You have experience in leading teams and enjoying sharing skills and knowledge.

What we offer: We are curious minds that come from a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences. We celebrate all dimensions of diversity and believe that it drives excellence and innovation, strengthening our ability to lead in science and technology. We are committed to creating access and opportunities for all to develop and grow at your own pace. Join us in building a culture of inclusion and belonging that impacts millions and empowers everyone to work their magic and champion human progress!

Apply now and become a part of our diverse team!