New · posted Nov 10
Merck · Pharmaceuticals
Senior Scientist, Study Manager - Atherosclerosis and Metabolism Clinical Operations
- Rahway, NJ
- On-site
- Full-time
- Senior & Principal
The role
This position leads the operational planning and execution of one or more clinical trials or significant aspects thereof. In this position, you will have the opportunity to demonstrate your leadership and technical skills as part of a global, cross-functional team. You will apply project management, communication, and collaboration skills in support of our clinical trials.
What you need
Two ways to qualify
Bachelor’s
+ 5+ years of experience
Bachelor's Degree and 5+ years of pharmaceutical, clinical drug development, project management, and/or medical field experience
- or
Master’s
+ 3+ years of experience
-OR- Master's Degree and 3+ years of pharmaceutical, clinical drug development, project management, and/or medical field experience
Education/Experience
- -OR- PhD/PharmD Degree
- Degree in life sciences, preferred
clinicaltrialjobs
Required Skills
Program Management
- Solid knowledge of clinical research regulatory requirements (e.g., Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and International Council for Harmonisation (ICH)).
- Ability to manage multiple competing priorities with good planning, time management and prioritization skills.
- Solid understanding of the principles of project planning & project management.
- Good analytical skills to drive operational milestones.
- Influence opinions and decisions of internal and external customers/vendors, across functional areas, and within the division.
- Interact with key stakeholders across department, division, and company. Role requires a proactive approach and leadership driving toward study goals.
- Applying leadership skills to processes, leading meetings, and influencing peers in a matrix environment.
- Problem solving, prioritization, conflict resolution, and critical thinking skills.
- Strong communication, writing, and presentation skills.
- Intermediate knowledge in Microsoft office or similar (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, etc.).
Travel Requirements
10%
What you'll do
- Responsible for the operational planning, feasibility, and execution of a clinical trial.
- May serve as the clinical trial team lead
- May lead team in key study planning, development, and execution elements (e.g., data management deliverables, trial level plans/timelines, country/site selection, site materials, system updates, investigator meeting planning, communication plans, preparation of status update reports, study close out activities).
- Leads team for timeline management, risk identification and mitigation, issue resolution.
- May facilitate and collaborate with key internal/external stakeholders (e.g., study team, country/site teams, vendors, committees) in support of clinical study objectives.
- Accountable for managing any study specific partners and/or vendors.
Pay and benefits
$117,000 – $184,000 a year
Employer providedAdditional location(s) Compensation Information
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
Medical, dental and vision insurance
401(k) retirement benefits
Paid holidays
Vacation
Sick days
Annual bonus and long-term incentive
Where you'll work
Rahway, NJOn-siteOpen in Maps (opens in a new tab)
More jobs in Rahway, NJWorking conditions
1st - Day
Hazardous Material(s)
N/A
Employee Status
Regular
Relocation
No relocation
VISA Sponsorship
No
Flexible Work Arrangements
Not Applicable
Job Posting End Date
11/14/2026
*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.
Equal opportunity, accessibility and legal noticesMerck's statements, word for word
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
The primary location for this posting is:
USA - New Jersey - Rahway
Where required by law, the compensation range for this role is provided below.
The salary range for the primary location of this role is:
$117,000.00 - $184,200.00
This range reflects the Company's reasonable expectation of the base salary applicable to this role at the time of 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.
Additional location(s): Please note the salary range above applies to the Primary Location of the position. Where a role has other listed locations, different compensation guidelines may apply. You may find the salary ranges for additional locations below. If the salary range is not listed for the location you are applying to, our Talent Acquisition team will provide further information to you relevant to your location.
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.
Job intelligence
The context around this role
Live data · November 10, 2026
Salary intelligence
How the pay compares
This role's midpoint is 11% above the US median for Clinical Operations roles at this level.
This roleEmployer provided
Senior & Principal roles in the US13 roles publishing pay
| Annual base pay | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| This role | $117,000 | — | $184,000 |
| All US (middle half) | $100,000 | $135,000 | $147,500 |
This role: Merck's own published range. Comparisons: the base pay employers published on open Clinical Operations roles at the same level on Regulatory Jobs, November 10, 2026. Nothing is estimated.
Career trajectory
Where this role sits in Clinical Operations
The general path across 102 open Clinical Operations roles on Regulatory Jobs, with the titles they carry most. Not Merck's own promotion track.
Skills DNA
What this role leans on
How many of the posting's 26 duty, requirement and summary lines touch each area. The posting's emphasis, not a proficiency score.
- Collaboration and leadership8
- Clinical trial conduct6
- Documentation and SOPs2
- Data and digital systems2
- GMP and compliance1
- Lab testing and methods1
- Investigations and CAPA1
Regulatory intelligence
The rules, regulations and standards behind this role
The regulations, guidance and standards that govern Clinical Operations work in pharmaceuticals, led by the one this posting names, each linked to the agency or standards body that publishes it.
- ICHICH E6(R3) good clinical practice(official source, opens in a new tab)The international standard for the design, conduct and reporting of clinical trialsNamed in the posting
- FDA21 CFR Part 312(official source, opens in a new tab)Investigational New Drug applications and sponsor duties in drug trials
- FDA21 CFR Part 50(official source, opens in a new tab)Protection of human subjects: informed consent in FDA-regulated trials
- FDA21 CFR Part 56(official source, opens in a new tab)Institutional review boards for FDA-regulated clinical investigations
- EUEU Clinical Trials Regulation 536/2014(official source, opens in a new tab)How clinical trials of medicines are authorized and run in the EU, through CTIS
- ICHICH E8(R1)(official source, opens in a new tab)General considerations for clinical studies and quality by design in trials
- HHS45 CFR Part 46 (Common Rule)(official source, opens in a new tab)The federal policy for the protection of human research subjects
- NIH42 CFR Part 11(official source, opens in a new tab)Clinical trial registration and results reporting on ClinicalTrials.gov
- FDAFDA Bioresearch Monitoring (BIMO)(official source, opens in a new tab)FDA inspections of clinical investigators, sponsors, IRBs and GLP labs
- FDA21 CFR Part 11(official source, opens in a new tab)FDA rules for electronic records and electronic signatures
- HHSHIPAA Privacy Rule(official source, opens in a new tab)Federal protections for individually identifiable health information
- EUGDPR (Regulation 2016/679)(official source, opens in a new tab)The EU General Data Protection Regulation for personal data, including health data
- ICHICH E9 and E9(R1)(official source, opens in a new tab)Statistical principles for clinical trials and estimands
- FDA21 CFR 314.80 and 600.80(official source, opens in a new tab)Postmarketing reporting of adverse drug and biologic experiences
- ICHICH E2A to E2F(official source, opens in a new tab)Clinical safety data management, expedited reporting and periodic safety reports
- ICHMedDRA(official source, opens in a new tab)The ICH medical terminology for coding adverse events and medical history
Company hiring pulse
Merck on Regulatory Jobs
- 39
- Open roles
- 39
- Distinct roles
- 8
- Locations
By discipline
- Clinical22 56%
- Quality10 26%
- Regulatory7 18%
By level
- Director27 69%
- Senior & Principal7 18%
- Associate & Specialist4 10%
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Senior Scientist, Study Manager - Atherosclerosis and Metabolism Clinical Operations at Merck
Applications close November 14. $117K–$184K a year, employer provided.