Associate Director in Data Science, Digital Endpoints (all genders)

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Merck Group seeks an Associate Director in Data Science, Digital Endpoints to advance digital biomarkers for clinical trials. You will lead the design, validation, and ML-driven deployment of endpoints from wearables, sensors, and apps, partner with Integrated Health & Medicines, and drive regulatory-ready evidence generation while exploring AI advances including LLMs. Ideal candidate: PhD in a quantitative field, 7+ years in pharma or digital endpoints, time-series and multimodal data experience, psychometrics and regulatory know-how, stakeholder leadership, plus Python and cloud/HPC proficiency. To apply, tailor your CV to show end-to-end endpoints and regulatory impact, with measurable outcomes and links. Join a diverse, inclusive culture and apply now to spark discovery.

Work Your Magic with us!  

Ready to explore, break barriers, and discover more? We know you’ve got big plans – so do we! Our colleagues across the globe love innovating with science and technology to enrich people’s lives with our solutions in Healthcare, Life Science, and Electronics. Together, we dream big and are passionate about caring for our rich mix of people, customers, patients, and planet. That's why we are always looking for curious minds that see themselves imagining the unimaginable with us.  

United As One for Patients, our purpose in Healthcare is to help create, improve and prolong lives. We develop medicines, intelligent devices and innovative technologies in therapeutic areas such as Oncology, Neurology and Fertility. Our teams work together across 6 continents with passion and relentless curiosity in order to help patients at every stage of life. Joining our Healthcare team is becoming part of a diverse, inclusive and flexible working culture, presenting great opportunities for personal development and career advancement across the globe.

Your role:

In this pivotal role, you will build and establish scientific excellence in the development of digital biomarkers and endpoints within the Advanced Data Science team in the Data Sciences organization. You will lead the identification, development, and deployment of novel digital endpoints and outcome measures across clinical trials and life cycle management programs. Collaborating closely with the Integrated Health & Medicines organization, you will spearhead the design and validation of machine learning-driven algorithms and data processing pipelines that extract clinically relevant insights from high-volume digital health data sources, such as wearables, sensors and apps, mobile devices, and patient-facing applications.

You will develop and implement advanced machine learning and data science methods to process multimodal time-series data generated by digital devices, ensuring scientific rigor, clinical validity, and regulatory readiness. As a subject matter expert, you will embed digital health technologies within evidence generation strategies, driving their acceptance in clinical trials and practice.

You will also contribute to key regulatory filings and publications, advocating for the adoption of digital endpoints within the global R&D community. Staying at the forefront of emerging trends, you will explore and integrate  emerging AI paradigms, including large language models (LLMs) and agentic AI systems, to support data interpretation, workflow automation, and digital health analytics. Your leadership will champion transformation efforts that unlock the full potential of Digital Health Technologies.

Who you are:

• You hold a PhD in a quantitative discipline (e.g., data science, computer science, biomedical engineering, statistics, physics, or related field) with a focus on large-scale data analysis.
• You have a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in the pharmaceutical, digital endpoints, AI/ML or related industry.
• You possess a proven track record in designing and validating digital endpoints or biomarkers for clinical applications.
• You have hands-on experience processing and analyzing large-scale data streams from digital health technologies, including wearables, sensors, smartphones, or connected medical devices. You have experience in building machine learning pipelines for time-series and multimodal sensor data, including feature extraction, signal processing, and model development.
• You have strong expertise in digital biomarker/endpoint development, including psychometric and statistical validation and regulatory aspects.
• You have solid understanding of modern machine learning and AI methods (e.g., deep learning, representation learning, time-series modeling) as applied to digital health and behavioral data.
• You have experience with scalable data processing and ML frameworks (e.g., Python data ecosystem, distributed data processing, or cloud/HPC environments).
• You have familiarity with generative AI and large language models, and an interest in emerging paradigms such as agentic LLM systems or AI-assisted scientific workflows.
• You possess excellent stakeholder management skills and can navigate matrixed organizations effectively.
• You have strong communication and scientific writing skills, enabling you to translate complex technical content for diverse audiences.

What we offer: We are curious minds that come from a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences. We believe that this variety drives excellence and innovation, strengthening our ability to lead in science and technology. We are committed to creating access and opportunities for all to develop and grow at your own pace. Join us in building a culture of inclusion and belonging that impacts millions and empowers everyone to work their magic and champion human progress!

Apply now and become a part of a team that is dedicated to Sparking Discovery and Elevating Humanity!