Sr. Spclst , OT Research Infrastructure

Job Description

RaDS IT Research Infrastructure Product Line (RIPL) engineering team is seeking a Senior Specialist - Research Automation OT Infrastructure. This position will be a member of the Pilot Plant Automation Operations product within RIPL.  As Sr. OT Infrastructure Specialist, you will lead the definition and implementation of high-level requirements, principles and models that guide solution decisions and provide the OT infrastructure “blueprint” for engineering / project teams to implement these solutions.  You will focus on analyzing, designing, and developing solutions and implementation plans based on a current versus future state solution and reference architectures that aligns to business needs in the OT Pilot Plant space.  Your infrastructure experience in screening plant automation and system integration will contribute to building new platforms, enhancing existing ones for expansion, efficiency and productivity across drug discovery modalities and clinical phases. You will collaborate with multidisciplinary organizations in our Research & Development division and IT, including scientists, engineers, IT architects, infrastructure, quality, vendors in building, optimizing, and troubleshooting the OT automation systems.

The primary location is Rahway, NJ or West Point, PA and will provide support services to other sites.

Job Description          

• Commit to IT infrastructure optimization, prioritizes, and proposes opportunities for continuous improvement by identifying gaps, common trends and inefficiencies and help establish services where none exists.  Recommend obsolescence programs for the technology and infrastructure wherever possible.

• Technical experience in building and maintaining OT infrastructure for GMP manufacturing processes, secure networks compliant with ISA/IEC 62443 standards.

• Lead/assist project scopes, define IT and infrastructure deliverables, timelines and estimates for a wide array of technologies and deliver value-added IT services and infrastructure solutions while ensuring strategies to adapt to technological advancements.

• Collaborate closely with stakeholders and translate business needs into actionable requirements while acting as a conduit to development and infrastructure engineers.

• Contributes to the development of solution architectures in specific business, infrastructure, or functional areas. Identifies and evaluates alternative architectures and the trade-offs in cost, performance and scalability. Determines and documents architecturally significant decisions. Produces specifications of cloud-based or on-premises components, tiers and interfaces, for translation into detailed designs using selected services and products. Supports projects or change initiatives through the preparation of technical plans and application of design principles. Aligns solutions with enterprise and solution architecture standards (including security).

• Possess strong background in both technical and functional support. Can learn new concepts quickly and work independently with minimal oversight and collaborate with large groups while supporting applications and systems as well as analyzing and solving incidents, problems, identifying root causes and performing crisis management roles.

• Lead efforts to map and design operational service architecture maps for projects or change initiatives when designing IT/OT landscape

• Collaborate with our Research & Development Division scientists and engineers to identify research automation needs and define project requirements. 

• Collaborate with instrument vendors and suppliers to evaluate and implement new plant automation and manufacturing technologies.

• Ensure timely IT support in the joint investigation, diagnostics, and resolutions with our Research & Development Division scientists and engineers and interface with site and global functions such as infrastructure, engineering, system security, risk management, etc.

 

Education Requirement: 

• Bachelor’s degree in automation, engineering, computer science, or computer engineering related degree.

• A Master’s degree is preferred.

Required Experience and Skills: 

• 5 years' Experience on upstream manufacturing systems (DeltaV, Eppendorfs, AMBR’s) including troubleshooting, code improvements, integration of instruments, upgrades, networking, management of the virtualization system and servers, capital project representation, and increasing systems that send data to an enterprise system (PI).

• 4 year’s hands-on experience in one or more of the following areas: Rockwell PLC’s and HMI’s, OT cybersecurity, OT data architecture, MES.

• 4 years in-depth knowledge of VMware workstation, Delta-V, Pi, Pi Historian, MES, SCADA computer system backup and archival, data retention

• 4 years’ experience with networking, switches, vlans, subnets, firewalls, Windows active directory in virtual and physical environments.·     

• Experience dealing with manufacturing software/hardware (Ignition, MES, SAP, HMIs, PLCs and various network equipment).    

• Experienced problem solver/troubleshooter, skilled in root cause analysis.·     

• Multi-tasker with ability to lead multiple IT and automation projects.·     

• Able to work independently and as part of a cross-functional team.·     

• Excellent collaboration and communication skills.·     

• Good understanding of all phases of SDLC (to enable rapid adoption of company SDLC processes).

Required Skills:

Automation Engineering, Capital Projects, Crisis Management, Data Engineering, Data Visualization, Delivering Value, Design Applications, Enterprise Systems, GMP Compliance, IEC 62304, Information Technology (IT) Infrastructure, Learning New Concepts, Multidisciplinary Collaboration, Software Configurations, Software Development, Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), Solution Architecture, System Designs, System Integration, Technology Adaptation, Testing, VMware Workstation

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:

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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.

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The salary range for this role is

$117,000.00 - $184,200.00

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. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (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

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:

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

07/31/2026

*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.