Postdoctoral fellow - Deep-Learning in early drug discovery (all genders) (full-time / part-time)

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:

Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Fellow to join our team. You will focus on predictive and generative design methodologies in early drug discovery at our state-of-the-art research facility in Darmstadt, located in the vibrant Frankfurt area.

The successful candidate will apply and further develop AIDDISONTM, our AI-powered drug discovery platform. You will collaborate closely with the development team at EMD Biotech LLC and with the Merck Healthcare discovery project teams. The role will focus on applying predictive modelling alongside ligand- and structure-based design in ongoing drug discovery initiatives. Additionally, you will explore chemical space and implement human-in-the-loop generative design approaches.

You will work closely with internal experts in medicinal chemistry, drug design, software development, and DMPK, as well as with academic partners in deep learning. Your involvement will directly contribute to ongoing drug discovery projects aimed at identifying and optimizing innovative drugs in oncology and immunology to transform patients' lives.

The key responsibilities include conducting pioneering research in generative design to identify and optimize drug candidates, while integrating the findings back into AIDDISONTM. The role involves utilizing AIDDISONTM to explore chemical space and predict molecular properties. Collaboration with multidisciplinary discovery project teams, including medicinal chemists and data scientists, is essential to advance our projects. Additionally, the position requires designing and implementing innovative deep learning methods for drug discovery applications. Finally, it is important to publish and present research findings in high-impact scientific journals.

The position is limited to two years.

Who you are:

• Ph.D. in chemistry, computer science, cheminformatics, or a related field.
• Strong background in machine learning, especially in generative models.
• Programming skills, preferably in Python.
• Familiarity with medicinal chemistry concepts and drug design principles.
• Excellent communication skills and a collaborative mindset in a matrix environment.

What we offer: We are curious minds that come from a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences. We celebrate all dimensions of diversity and believe that it 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 our diverse team!