Job Description

Sr. Director Clinicogenomics Machine Learning

 

The Precision Genetics group within the Data, AI and Genome Sciences (DAGS)

Department is recruiting a Sr. Director of Clinicogenomics Machine Learning.  We are seeking an experienced machine learning scientist to lead our Data Science and Engineering efforts, specifically focused on leveraging patient data to fuel our discovery efforts. In this role, you will bridge the gap between clinical data and the earliest stages of discovery, shaping how data is acquired, integrated, and leveraged to accelerate decision-making and hypothesis-building.

 

As a visionary leader, you will partner with executive leadership, subject matter experts in medicine and biology, and IT to scale advanced analytics, develop the use of AI, deliver solutions.  While the team will initially be lean, we maintain a high bar for technical excellence. You will be responsible for ensuring that every model, pipeline, and analysis represents the cutting edge of Data Science and AI.

 

You will serve as a strategic partner to our discovery colleagues across therapeutic area.  You will also assume a hands-on leadership role, implementing rigorous data analysis practices, aligning resources based on scientific priorities, and mentoring and developing team members. You will operate in a highly collaborative environment, partnering with peers across multiple locations and in the broader scientific community.

 

In this exciting role, you will:

• Set the Standard: Establish and maintain rigorous standards for code quality, model validation, and engineering best practices within the team

• Cutting-Edge AI: Implement state-of-the-art machine learning architectures to extract signals from complex multi-modal patient data (e.g., omics, longitudinal claims data,etc).

• Bespoke Modeling: Personally oversee and contribute to high-impact, custom modeling work for priority discovery programs.

• Data Product Architecture: Design and deliver scalable data products that automate the flow from raw clinical data to discovery insights.

Strategic Leadership

• Build the Core: Recruit and mentor a lean, high-performing team of "full-stack" data scientists and engineers who can punch above their weight class.

• Hands-on Visionary: Balance long-term strategic planning with the immediate need to be "hands-on" in the data and architecture during the initial growth phase.

• Interoperability: Ensure all technical solutions are designed for seamless integration with IT partners and discovery-embedded data science teams.

Execution & Automation

• Streamline Discovery: Partner with IT to automate data workflows, reducing the "time to insight" for discovery scientists.

• Data Acquisition: Lead the strategy for identifying, evaluating, and acquiring high-value external patient datasets.

Required Experience and Skills:

• Ph.D. plus a minimum of 10 years of combined research experience in academia/pharma

• A solid track record of 8+ years leading high-performance computational teams and developing top data science talent

• Hands-on experience in interrogating patient clinical data to automate phenotyping

• Ability to code in R/Python and establish best practices for reproducible data analyses

• Strong ability to work and influence in complex matrixed organizations

• Excellent oral and written communication skills

• Ability to establish and maintain productive cross-site and high caliber external collaborations

 

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Experience is establishing academic and consortia partnerships

• Familiarity with defining treatment response for immunology, cardiometabolic and neuroscience indications from patient data

• Ability to establish and maintain productive cross-site and high caliber external collaborations

Required Skills:

Artificial Intelligence (AI), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Clinical Immunology, Computer Science, Data Analysis, Database Design, Data Engineering, Data Infrastructure, Data Modeling, Data Science, Data Visualization, Executive Leadership, Immunogenicity Assays, IT Analytics, Large Language Model (LLM) Fine-Tuning, Large Language Models (LLMs), Machine Learning (ML), Omics, Omics Technologies, Pathophysiology, Physiology, Pipeline Management, Python (Programming Language), R Programming, Software Development {+ 3 more}

Preferred Skills:

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”.

The salary range for this role is

$214,100.00 - $337,000.00

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs.

The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits.  Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.

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:

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

02/13/2026

*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.