Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Vaccine Preclinical Development - Experimental MedicineResearch EnvironmentThe fellow will join a collaborative and interdisciplinary environment with access to established experimental and computational capabilities needed to support the project.
Position OverviewWe are seeking a highly motivated and innovative candidate with expertise in virology, immunology, computational biology, or a related field to join the Vaccine Preclinical Development group at our West Point, PA site. As a postdoctoral fellow, you will work within a highly collaborative research environment to investigate the biology of latent herpesvirus reservoirs in the context of immune dysregulation and disease-associated phenotypes.
The successful candidate will lead independent and collaborative research focused on the molecular characterization and computational analysis of various primary samples/tissues using high-dimensional single-cell and systems immunology approaches.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:- Develop and implement experimental strategies to enrich and/or characterize immune cells from peripheral blood
- Perform and optimize single-cell and high-dimensional immunology assays
- Contribute to the development of computational frameworks leading to biomarker discovery
- Present findings at internal and external scientific meetings and contribute to manuscript preparation and publication
- Collaborate effectively across multidisciplinary teams spanning immunology, virology, and translational research
Education Minimum Requirement:- Must currently hold a PhD OR
- Receive a Ph.D. no later than spring 2027
- Ph.D. in Immunology, Virology, Systems Biology, Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Molecular Biology, or a related field
Required Experience and Skills:- No more than 3 previous years of postdoctoral experience
- Expertise in immunology, virology, host-pathogen biology, or related fields
- Expertise in single cell transcriptomics (Flex Apex, CITE-seq, Spatial Transcriptomics, etc.)
- Proficient in end-to-end computational analysis of complex biological datasets, with exposure to single-cell transcriptomic or other omics data
- Experience with flow cytometry
- Strong background in experimental design, data interpretation, and troubleshooting.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently while contributing effectively in a collaborative team environment
- Strong scientific writing, presentation, and communication skills
- Strong publication record or evidence of productive research accomplishments
Preferred Experience and Skills:- Expertise in herpesvirus biology
- Expertise in lymphocyte responses to vaccination or infection
- Familiarity or experience with TCR/BCR repertoire sequencing and analysis
- Familiarity or experience with novel vaccine adjuvants and/or vaccine platforms
- Familiarity with BSL2 level viral pathogens
- Familiarity with biomarker development and/or translational analysis of clinical cohort datasets
Why Join Us:Our employees are the key to our company's success. We demonstrate our commitment to employees by offering a competitive and valuable rewards program designed to support a wide range of goals, needs, and lifestyles.
The salary range for this role is:
$82,000- $92,000
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.
Required Skills:Biomarker Discovery, Cellular Immunology, Computational Biology, Functional Genomics, Immunology, Machine Learning, Molecular Biology, Single Cell Analysis, Transcriptomics, Virology
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.
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:Yes
Travel Requirements:10%
Flexible Work Arrangements:Not Applicable
Shift:Not Indicated
Valid Driving License:No
Hazardous Material(s):N/A
Job Posting End Date:10/12/2026
*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. 
