Senior Specialist, Scientific Nomenclature & Reference Data Product
Rahway, NJ - USA
Job Summary
Job Description
The Senior Specialist Scientific Nomenclature & Reference Data is an individual contributor who supports the stewardship curation and integration of chemical biologic and vaccine product reference data across the drug development lifecycle. This role blends deep chemistry domain expertise hands-on nomenclature skills and practical master data capabilities to deliver accurate traceable and usable reference data for scientific regulatory and other business stakeholders. The Senior Specialist will continuously improve data quality governance and automation approaches so the capability remains adaptable as technologies and ways of working evolve.
Primary activities include but are not limited to:
Derive and assign correct nomenclature (IUPAC and CAS style as appropriate) for small molecules biologics and related entities; research and validate existing names for accuracy
Create maintain and curate company reference/master data for substances and products and associated descriptive metadata across the lifecycle
Enter and routinely update nomenclature and reference data into centralized systems; perform detailed proofreading validation and data integrity review activities
Define and apply structure standardization and substance representation practices (SMILES InChI Mol files); support structure normalization
Understand and apply data quality rules
Participate in system maintenance SDLC activities and end-user acceptance testing for reference data systems
Understand canonical data models and metadata definitions
Document changes & decision rationale for data contracts and SOPs for master/reference data
Evaluate ML/AI or NLP approaches to assist curation (e.g. entity resolution name generation property prediction)
Support or lead projects and pilots to improve efficiency data quality and usability; identify and implement process improvements
Serve as subject matter expert and point of contact for chemical nomenclature and reference data issues; build and maintain strong relationships with end users and stakeholders across functions
Participate in governance forums; help establish stewardship models KPIs (completeness accuracy timeliness) escalation paths and training for data producers/consumers
Ensure practices reflect relevant regulatory and industry standards (GxP 21 CFR part 11 ICH IDMP WHO Drug Dictionary) and maintain up-to-date knowledge of nomenclature and data standards
Preserve confidentiality and adhere to company policies governing information disclosure
Qualifications:
Education and Experience:
Degree in chemistry chemical engineering or related scientific discipline plus pharmaceutical industry regulated industry or Information Science experience - Bachelors and 5 years Masters/PhD and 3 years
Required:
Completed at least one year of organic chemistry
Experience or familiarity with deriving chemical nomenclature (IUPAC or CAS style)
Experience with structure drawing software (ChemDraw ACD Accerlys etc.)
Domain expertise: Strong knowledge of chemical structures stereochemistry physicochemical properties biological sequence representations and concepts and the drug development process
Familiarity with chemical identifiers and formats (SMILES InChI CAS MOL/SDF) spectral data concepts chemical ontologies/taxonomies and common cheminformatics tools or libraries
Experience establishing stewardship frameworks SOPs ownership models and KPIs to maintain high quality traceable and compliant data
Demonstrated history of adopting new technologies (AI ML-assisted curation knowledge graphs) and willingness to learn & prototype new approaches
Very organized and able to work with high attention to detail
Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to convey technical and business information
Ability to present in a group environment
Strong time management and project management skills
Ability to balance and prioritize multiple tasks
Ability to work under pressure in a changing environment with flexibility
Ability to work independently to drive tasks to completion and to act with appropriate accountability
Ability to establish and maintain good working relationships with the different functional areas and work cross functionally as part of a team
Preferred qualifications:
Experience with chemical searching resources (SciFinder STN) and familiarity with structure searching.
Data modeling & metadata: Ability to understand canonical data models for products substances and related metadata with understanding of identifiers keys versioning and provenance.
Familiarity with data standards and ontologies used in the biomedical/pharma domain (WHO Drug MedDRA CDISC MESH UMLS).
Experience with database querying (SQL) and data visualization tools
Proficiency with programming languages such as python or R
Skilled at defining validation rules implementing automated checks resolving duplicates/merges and maintaining robust audit trails.
Knowledge of how GxP GLP 21 CFR part 11 REACH and IDMP standards influence data management practices
#eligibleforERP
BARDS2020
Required Skills:
Adaptability Adaptability Biopharmaceutical Industry Biopharmaceuticals Biopharmaceutics Change Management ChemDraw Chemical Biology Cheminformatics Cross-Functional Team Leadership Data Analysis Data Integrity Data Management Data Modeling Data Quality Data Standards Data Systems Drug Development Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Interpersonal Relationships Key Performance Indicators (KPI) Knowledge Graph Metadata Ontology Pharmaceutical Biology 10 morePreferred Skills:
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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 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
$117000.00 - $184200.00This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employees 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 can apply for this role through (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
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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:
RegularRelocation:
No relocationVISA Sponsorship:
NoTravel Requirements:
10%Flexible Work Arrangements:
HybridShift:
Not IndicatedValid Driving License:
NoHazardous Material(s):
n/aJob Posting End Date:
04/27/2026*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFOREthe listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.
Required Experience:
Senior IC
About Company
Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, USA is known as “Merck” in the United States, Canada & Puerto Rico. We are known as “MSD” in Europe, Middle East, Africa, Latin America & Asia Pacific. We are a global biopharmaceutical leader with a diverse portfolio of prescription medicine ... View more