Job Description

The Position

We are seeking a Product Management Senior Specialist with deep expertise in the drug discovery and preclinical research process to help build and enhance data products. The ideal candidate will have a strong scientific background with hands-on understanding of the drug design process, will understand the needs of stakeholders and users, particularly Medicinal Chemists and Computational Chemists, and will bridge the gap between scientific requirements and data-driven product development.

What will you do?

Collaborate closely with Product, Data Science, and Engineering teams to define and develop data products tailored for drug discovery and preclinical research.Gather, manage, and prioritize product requirements by engaging with scientific stakeholders to understand user problems, technical constraints, and strategic objectives.Define and refine the product backlog; create actionable user stories that reflect the unique workflows and challenges of preclinical drug discovery.Act as a user expert, deeply understanding the motivations, pain points, and goals of scientific users.Justify and prioritize improvements to existing products, focusing on delivering measurable value to scientific research and operations.Develop and maintain technical knowledge and domain expertise in drug discovery, cheminformatics, and data-driven research processes.Write clear problem statements and requirements; facilitate solution design with engineering teams.Serve as Product Owner on Agile teams or work closely with one to ensure scientific and data needs are met.Plan, design, and conduct testing activities; compile critical training and communication content for scientific end-users.Analyze data, observations, and research to generate insights that inform product strategy and decision-making.Support the Product Manager in defining and executing strategy in collaboration with engineering teams for one or more data products.Accept completed user stories, ensuring deliverables meet acceptance criteria and scientific requirements.Act as a customer champion, articulating and advocating for the needs of scientific stakeholders.

Qualifications, Skills & Experience Required

MSc required; PhD preferred in Chemistry, Cheminformatics, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Computational Chemistry, Computer Science or related field with a focus on drug discovery2+ years building tools or data assets supporting scientific or data analytics workflows3-5 years working with scientific users (e.g., chemists) to define requirements for data productsExperience with data analytics or data science capabilities, especially in a scientific contextExperience building ERDs, logical data models, and source-target mappings for scientific dataHands-on experience or working knowledge with data management services (AWS Athena, Glue, S3, Redshift, or similar)Proficiency in SQL and scientific data managementAbility to translate scientific/business problems into actionable requirements and tasksStrong analytical problem-solving skillsExcellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage both technical and scientific stakeholdersAbility to work independently and manage multiple complex projects simultaneously

Nice to have

Direct experience in pharmaceutical drug discovery and preclinical developmentDomain knowledge or familiarity with cheminformatics, laboratory data, and scientific workflowsKnowledge of cheminformatics platforms (e.g., Pipeline Pilot, RDKit, OpenEye) and integration with data science toolsFamiliarity with the drug discovery processes, including key endpoints such as potency, selectivity, ADMET properties, and lead optimization strategiesFamiliarity with cheminformatics tools and concepts such as molecular descriptors, fingerprints, QSAR modeling, and chemical database managementExperience with Machine Learning Platforms (e.g., Sagemaker, DataBricks) in a scientific settingExperience working in Agile software developmentFamiliarity with cloud-based software and scientific data platforms

What we offer

Exciting work in a great team, global projects, international environment Opportunity to learn and grow professionally within the company globally Hybrid working model, flexible role pattern (e.g., even 80% full-time is possible in justified cases) Pension and health insurance contributions Internal reward system plus referral programme 5 weeks annual leave, 5 sick days, 15 days of certified sick leave paid above statutory requirements annually, 40 paid hours annually for volunteering activities, 12 weeks of parental contribution Cafeteria for tax free benefits according to your choice (meal vouchers, Lítačka, sport, culture, health, travel, etc.), Multisport Card Vodafone, Raiffeisen Bank, Foodora, and Mall.cz discount programmes Up-to-date laptop and iPhone Parking in the garage, showers, refreshments, massage chairs, library, music corner Competitive salary, incentive pay, and many more 

Ready to take up the challenge? Apply now! 
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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:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Required Skills:

Applied Engineering, Asset Management, Benefits Management, Chemical Biology, Computational Chemistry, Data Science, Drug Discovery Process, Logical Data Modeling, Logic Modeling, Management Process, Management System Development, Multi-Management, Physicochemistry, Product Backlog Management, Product Management, Product Strategies, Requirements Management, Software Product Management, Stakeholder Relationship Management, Strategic Planning, System Designs, Systems Software

Preferred Skills:

Job Posting End Date:

08/18/2025

*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.

Requisition ID:R359060