Job Description

Our Elkton facility in Virginia is seeking a highly motivated Technical Operations Senior Process Engineer to join the Vaccine Manufacturing Support Technical Operations team. Located in the scenic Shenandoah Valley, near the University of Virginia and James Madison University, our facility is dedicated to excellence in manufacturing.

The successful candidate will apply their technical skills within a multidisciplinary team to support and enhance our operations. This role requires effective management of multiple projects, strong communication, technical writing, and collaboration skills, as well as robust problem-solving capabilities and a hands-on approach to troubleshooting.

The candidate will provide essential support and direction while demonstrating leadership and teamwork. This role also offers the opportunity to manage a sub-group within the Technical Operations team.

Join us and make a meaningful impact in our operations!

Responsibilities may include:

• Achieving safety, quality, and environmental compliance excellence in all assignments

• Rigorous adherence to tier and IPT standard work

• Providing technical leadership and support, including data analysis, troubleshooting, problem solving, coaching/teaching, and report writing

• Collaborating with cross-functional teams across levels, including leading teams or groups

• Initiating, supporting, or leading change control implementation

• Learning new processes and procedures

• Leading and conducting technical investigations and analyses to determine the root cause of problems

• Recommending and implementing corrective and preventative actions

• Executing continuous improvement projects

• Recommending, creating, writing, reviewing, and approving procedures, instructions, protocols, and other GMP documentation

• Coaching and teaching others

• Contributing to or leading safety reviews and improvements

• Required to be available for off-hours / extended hours work to include (but not limited to) execution of specific activities (batch troubleshooting, validation, process simulation, project execution), escalation and decision making of critical topics (safety, environment, asset, batch quality), regulatory inspections, and event level circumstances,

• Provide support, including leadership support, during inspections

Minimum Education Requirement and Experience:

• Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in chemical engineering, biochemical engineering, biological systems engineering, biology, biochemistry, chemistry or related life science or engineering discipline and a minimum of five (5) years of relevant industrial experience OR

• Master of Science (M.S.) degree in chemical engineering, biochemical engineering, biological systems engineering, biology, biochemistry, chemistry or related life science or engineering discipline and a minimum of three (3) years of relevant industrial experience OR

• PhD in chemical engineering, biochemical engineering, biological systems engineering, biology, biochemistry, chemistry or related life science or engineering discipline with no experience required.

Required Experience and Skills:

• Experience working in a pharmaceutical or cGMP environment

• Technical writing and presentation experience

• Strong leadership skills

• Strong personal character, ethics, and integrity

• Strong verbal and written communication skills; interpersonal and team skills; and collaborative skills

• Excellent organizational skills

• Robust problem-solving skills and a hands-on approach to troubleshooting and investigation, with a bias towards going to see problems for oneself in the field.

• Strong desire to succeed and to help others to do the same.

• The ability to examine an issue from diverse perspectives (e.g. safety, compliance, maintenance, automation, equipment, process, and people) in order to best understand and resolve it.

• Enthusiasm, confidence, and initiative-taking ability needed for continuous learning and application of knowledge.

• Ability to manage projects and assignments, working towards deadlines within a schedule.

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Experience managing, coaching, and developing others

• Experience with SAP and DeltaV

• Technical writing experience

• Project management

• In depth technical troubleshooting

• Participation in regulatory agency inspections

• Biologics or vaccine processing experience

• Sterile processing experience

As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

EEOC Know Your Rights

EEOC GINA Supplement

We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.

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.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

EEOC Know Your Rights

EEOC GINA Supplement

We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills 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, Monday - 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”.

San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance

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:

Domestic

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

1st - Day

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

04/18/2025

*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.