Senior Specialist, Bioprocess Engineering

Merck•De Soto, KS

3d•$117,000 - $184,200•Hybrid

About The Position

Join Us in Shaping the Future of Animal Health Our Animal Health Division is investing $895 million in expanding our manufacturing and research & development facilities in De Soto, Kansas — the state’s largest economic development project to date. As a Senior Specialist, Bioprocess Engineer, you will be part of a world-class team at our Center of Excellence in the Animal Health Corridor, contributing directly to the production of veterinary products that improve animal health and welfare globally. The Senior Specialist in Bioprocess Engineering team will act as a key technical expert for vaccine manufacturing technology transfers within the region. This individual contributor will lead end-to-end tech transfer of vaccine processes, ensuring robust, compliant, and efficient implementation at receiving sites. The role is responsible for structured knowledge management, proactive technical risk assessment and mitigation ahead of transfers, and ongoing process robustness post-transfer. The Senior Specialist will lead cross-functional technical projects (without direct reports), train and mentor new hires, and provide expert support to manufacturing, quality, and other partners on complex technical topics.

Requirements

Minimum 5 years of experience in biopharmaceutical or vaccine manufacturing, process development, or technology transfer.
Proven track record in leading tech transfer or major technical projects as an individual contributor.
Strong understanding of upstream, downstream, fill-finish and/or lyophilization processes in vaccine or biopharma manufacturing.
Experience in vaccine/biopharma-regulated environments
Experience with process characterization, scale-up/scale-down, and process robustness.
Technical and problem-solving skills to motivate cross-functional team responsible for implementation.
Ability to train, coach, and influence others; strong problem-solving and decision-making.
High degree of ownership, scientific rigor, and continuous improvement mindset.
Proficiency in technical risk assessment and data analysis for process performance.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with USDA regulatory expectations.
Excellent technical writing and communication skills for diverse stakeholders.
Strong project leadership and cross-functional collaboration without formal line authority.

Responsibilities

Coordinate and own regional knowledge management implementation for assigned processes, ensuring consistent rollout and adoption across sites (e.g., transfer packages, playbooks, lessons learned, best practices) and effective knowledge sharing within the region.
Lead regional vaccine technology transfers end-to-end, ensuring technical readiness and successful implementation at receiving sites.
Identify and mitigate technical risks ahead of transfer execution through structured assessments and data-driven action plans.
Lead cross-functional technical projects/workstreams that enable transfer success and improve process performance.
Train and mentor new hires, strengthening team capability and consistent ways of working.
Ensure post-transfer process robustness through monitoring, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement in partnership with sites and Quality.
Deliver compliant technical documentation and clear stakeholder communication aligned with quality, regulatory and internal governance.