Hiring company: Merck
Job Description
Subject to applicable law, all prospective hires will be required to demonstrate that they have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or intend to be vaccinated for COVID-19 by November 1, 2021 or qualify for a medical or religious accommodation to this vaccination requirement. Hired candidates who are not vaccinated by November 1, 2021, and who have not been approved for a legally required medical or religious accommodation will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment, in accordance with applicable law.
The Future Talent Program features internships/co-ops that last up to 6-months and will include one or more projects. These opportunities in our Research Division can provide you with great development and a chance to see if we are the right company for your long-term goals.
Our Research & Development Division’s Pharmaceutical Sciences organization is responsible for translating a therapeutic agent into a functional drug product optimized for patients. The Device Development department in Rahway, NJ is seeking summer interns/co-ops who will work collaboratively in a team environment to help solve key challenges in development and manufacturing of oral, sterile, and specialty (inhaled, implantable) pharmaceutical products. The Device Development Department’s mission is to discover, develop, and commercialize superior DPI, MDI, Nasal and Parenteral medical delivery devices supporting biologics and small molecules requiring challenging and unique delivery routes. The Device Development team is seeking a driven Human Factors intern/co-op who is passionate about applying human factors and user-centered design principles to the research and development of innovative solutions in the medical devices and combination products space.
We are seeking co-op candidates at all levels with strong academic performance, communication skills, teamwork, and the ability to work in a multi- functional environment. The co-op will participate in departmental and project team meetings to provide a broad perspective on the drug development process in the pharmaceutical industry. In addition, the intern/co-op will have an opportunity to present their research results in both oral and written formats. During your internship/co-op appointment you will work closely with an experienced pharmaceutical industry scientist on research project(s) with key tasks that include, but not limited to, the following:
Leverage human factors/ergonomics principles, knowledge of human performance (perceptual, cognitive, motor skills), and best practices to identify user needs, user attitudes/behaviors, and use scenarios, to inform design/research activities across the product lifecycle
Support the planning, conducting, and reporting of various forms of human factors activities including but not limited to user needs identification, user journey/profiles mapping, usability study planning/execution, instructions for use/user training development, task and use error analysis, risk assessment/management, and post-launch outcomes analysis
Perform scientific literature reviews and database research on various topics independently and synthesize relevant information in support of team's human factors research
Conduct primary user research, discovering behaviors and motivations through methods such as surveys, interviews, usability testing and more that could lead to the exploration of new research directions and methodologies
Perform quantitative and qualitative data analysis and distill the research insights into impactful, actionable, and compelling deliverables
Perform other job-related duties or special projects as appropriate
Location: Rahway, NJ
This is a full-time internship/co-op position. Housing subsidy is not available as part of this program and must be funded 100% by the student.
Learning outcomes:
The successful candidate will have the opportunity to:
Learn how inputs from multiple stakeholders impact product design and development
Stay current with industry relevant human factors best practices and research
Identify new opportunities in human factors and drug delivery devices research
Collaborate, network, as well as present on research to with cross-functional colleagues (engineering, marketing, clinical, regulatory, manufacturing, quality, labeling, and more)
Understand the regulatory imperatives for human factors, including relevant standards and guidance's, to ensure compliance with the US and local regulatory policies for medical devices and combination products
Required Education and Experience:
Candidates must be a currently enrolled undergraduate sophomore, junior, or senior student pursuing a Bachelors degree OR a currently enrolled graduate student pursuing a Masters or PhD in Human Factors, Biomedical Engineering, Psychology, Industrial Engineering, Usability Engineering, Biomechanics, Cognitive Science, or equivalent
Candidates must be available to work full-time for up to (6) months in 2022.
Candidates must have completed at least (2) years of studies toward bachelor’s degree by June 2022.
Candidates must have ability to apply user-centered design, human factors, and risk management principles to product research, development, and design
Candidates must have proven experience in conducting literature reviews as well as experience in selecting and implementing appropriate human factors/user experience research methodologies (e.g., user interviews, survey design, research study design)
Candidates must have ability to analyze and synthesize large quantities of information into usable communications, literature reviews and/or presentations
Candidates must have demonstrated analytical skills and aptitude for quickly picking up advanced domain knowledge
Candidates must have excellent communication skills (verbal, written, formal presentation) and proven ability to collaborate with and across various multidisciplinary teams within the organization
Preferred Experience and Skills:
Candidates should have knowledge of medical devices, pharmaceutical, healthcare, or similar regulated industry, is a significant plus
Candidates should have M.S. and Ph.D. candidates are strongly preferred
Candidates should have a GPA of 3.0 or higher
We are a research-driven biopharmaceutical company. Our mission is built on the simple premise that if we “follow the science” that great medicines can make a significant impact to our world. We believe that a research-driven enterprise dedicated to world-class science can succeed by inventing medicine and vaccine innovations that make a difference for patients across the globe.
Who we are …
We are known as Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, USA in the United States and Canada and MSD everywhere else. For more than a century, we have been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world's most challenging diseases. Today, our company continues to be at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions and advance the prevention and treatment of diseases that threaten people and animals around the world.
What we look for …
Imagine getting up in the morning for a job as important as helping to save and improve lives around the world. Here, you have that opportunity. You can put your empathy, creativity, digital mastery, or scientific genius to work in collaboration with a diverse group of colleagues who pursue and bring hope to countless people who are battling some of the most challenging diseases of our time. Our team is constantly evolving, so if you are among the intellectually curious, join us—and start making your impact today.
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Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., Kenilworth, 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:
Intern/Co-op (Fixed Term)Relocation:
No relocationVISA Sponsorship:
NoTravel Requirements:
No Travel RequiredFlexible Work Arrangements:
Not SpecifiedShift:
Valid Driving License:
Hazardous Material(s):
Number of Openings:
1