Merck→
2026 Future Talent Program – Discovery… at Merck · Cambridge
Skills
Job Description
Job Description
The Future Talent Program features Cooperative (Co-op) education that lasts up to 6 months and will include one or more projects. These opportunities in our Research and Development Division can provide you with great development and a chance to see if we are the right company for your long-term goals.
Our Company is a global health care leader with a diversified portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines and animal health products. The difference between potential and achievement lies in the spark that fuels innovation and inventiveness; this is the space where our Company has codified its legacy for over a century. Our Company's success is backed by ethical integrity, forward momentum, and an inspiring mission to achieve new milestones in global healthcare.
Our Company’s Discovery Immunology group in Cambridge provides a unique experience to contribute to our Company’s drug discovery efforts at early stages of the process. To this end, we strive to create a fast-paced, nimble and flexible environment of mutual respect, creativity, invention, and teamwork.
Co-op students will be part of a highly collaborative and innovative scientific culture with the ultimate goal of learning new biology and chemistry and establishing new technologies that drive therapeutic development. Students will be exposed to immunology both within the Cambridge site and other company sites across the country. With access to our Company’s proven global research and development organization, you’ll have the opportunity to collaborate with talented and dedicated colleagues while developing and expanding your career.
Co-op students will work within a diverse group studying the role of novel targets in the context of inflammatory and autoimmune indications. This is an exciting opportunity for BS, MS, and PhD level individuals with immunology, cell biology, and/or molecular biology experience to learn and execute key techniques including culturing primary human cells and cell lines, CRISPR editing, biochemical assay development, ELISA and other cytokine-based assays, RNA isolation and quantitative PCR, and flow cytometry/FACS and microscopy. Additionally, successful candidates will have invaluable opportunities to develop and expand their professional networks.
We are seeking co-op candidates with strong academic performance, communication and teamwork skills, and the ability to work in a multi-functional environment.
Locations: Cambridge, MA
Co-op position commitment: 4-6 months full-time – July through December, 2026
Required Qualifications
Must be currently enrolled in school (through the co-op term) as an undergraduate or graduate student majoring in biological sciences or a related field
Must be available for a 4–6-month period starting mid-2026
Must have availability to work full-time on site in Cambridge, MA
Preferred Qualifications
Basic knowledge of cell biology, immunology, molecular biology, and/or related wet lab techniques
Prior experience with mammalian cell culture, flow cytometry and/or immunoassays
Highly motivated and driven and willing to take initiative to learn new science
Strong team player
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Comfortable using a PC computer and proficient in Windows-based operating systems and basic applications, such as spreadsheets and databases
3.2 GPA or higher
Please note that this position may be closed before the posted end date or may remain open longer, at the discretion of the company.
Salary range:
The salary range for this role is $39,600.00-$105,500.00 USD.
FTP2026
RL2026
Required Skills:
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:
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:
Intern/Co-op (Fixed Term)Relocation:
No relocationVISA Sponsorship:
NoTravel Requirements:
No Travel RequiredFlexible Work Arrangements:
Not ApplicableShift:
Not IndicatedValid Driving License:
NoHazardous Material(s):
n/aJob Posting End Date:
03/12/2026*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.