MS

Senior Scientist Statistical Programming, Late-Stage (Hybrid)

MSD Research and Science Full-timeUnited States $117,000.00 - $184,200.00
Posted Oct 10, 2026 · Expires Oct 31, 2026

Quick facts

Pay
$117,000.00 - $184,200.00
Type
Full-time
Location
United States
Background
Master's degree
Skills
Python
Industry
Research and Science — 75 open jobs
Apply
Free to apply — never pay anyone for a job offer or visa sponsorship

Job description

Job Description

In BARDS (Biostatistics and Research Decision Sciences), a distinguished department within our Company's renowned Research and Development division, quantitative scientists, in partnership with other subject matter experts, apply state-of-the-art scientific methodologies and tools to enable the discovery, development, regulatory approval, manufacturing, and marketing of medical drugs and vaccines for the benefit of patients and global human health.

This position supports statistical programming activities for late stage drug/vaccine clinical development projects. This may include leadership of one or more projects. Accountability predominantly includes the development and execution of statistical analysis and reporting deliverables (e.g. safety and efficacy analysis datasets, tables, listings, figures), the span of which range from individual clinical trials to world-wide regulatory application submissions and post marketing support.

The incumbent is responsible for the design and maintenance of statistical datasets that support multiple stakeholder groups which include clinical development, outcomes research and safety evaluation.

The position is a key collaborator with statistics and other project stakeholders in ensuring that project plans are executed efficiently with timely and high quality deliverables.

For assigned projects the position serves as the statistical programming point of contact and knowledge holder through the entire product lifecycle.

Primary Activities:

  • Effective analysis and report programming development and validation utilizing global and TA standards and following departmental SOPs and good programming practices.
  • Maintain and manage a project plan including resource forecasting.
  • Coordinate the activities of a global programming team that includes outsource provider staff.
  • Membership on departmental strategic initiative teams.

Skills:

Education and Minimum Requirement:

  • BA/BS in Computer Science, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Life Sciences, Engineering or related field plus a minimum of 5 years SAS programming experience in a clinical trial environment.
  • MS in Computer Science, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Life Sciences, Engineering or related field plus a minimum of 3 years SAS programming experience in a clinical trial environment.

Department Required Skills and Experience:

  • Effective interpersonal skills and ability to negotiate and collaborate effectively.
  • Effective written, oral, and presentation skills.
  • Effective knowledge and experience in developing analysis and reporting deliverables for R&D projects (data, analyses, tables, graphics, listings).
  • A project leader; completes tasks independently at a project level; ability to collaborate with key stakeholders.

Position Specific Required Skills and Experience:

  • Significant expertise in SAS and clinical trial programming including data steps, procedures, SAS/MACRO, SAS/GRAPH; systems and database expertise.
  • Designs and develops complex programming algorithms.
  • Ability to comprehend analysis plans which may describe methodology to be programmed; an understanding of statistical terminology and concepts.
  • Familiarity with clinical data management concepts.
  • Experience in CDISC and ADaM standards.
  • Experience ensuring process compliance and deliverable quality.
  • Strategic thinking - ability to turn strategy into tactical activities; design of statistical databases with the end in mind that optimize analysis and reporting and leverage departmental standards and industry best-practices.
  • Ability to anticipate stakeholder requirements.

Preferred Skills and Experience:

  • Experience with GenAI tools (e.g R, R Shiny, R Force, Python Claude etc) is highly preferred.
  • Demonstrated success in the assurance of deliverable quality and process compliance. Strong working knowledge of reporting processes (SOPs) and software development life-cycle (SDLC).
  • US and/or worldwide drug or vaccine regulatory application submission experience including the development of electronic submission deliverables.
  • Experience assuring programming consistency across protocols and projects, directing the program development effort of other programmers; experience as a programming mentor.
  • Ability and interest to work across cultures and geographies.
  • Ability to complete statistical programming deliverables through the use of global outsource partner programming staff.
  • Experience developing and managing a project plan using Microsoft Project or similar package.
  • Active in professional societies.
  • Experience in process improvement.

BARDS2020

eligibleforERP

SPjobs

VETJOBS

EBRG

Required Skills: CDISC ADaM, Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium (CDISC) Standards, Clinical SAS Programming, Clinical Trials, Data Management, Data Modeling, Macro Programming, Numerical Analysis, Stakeholder Relationship Management, Waterfall Model

Preferred Skills: Python (Programming Language), Regulatory Submissions, R Programming

Current Employees apply

Current Contingent Workers apply

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 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:

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.

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 .

You can apply for this role through (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: Domestic

VISA Sponsorship: Yes

Travel Requirements: 10%

Flexible Work Arrangements: Hybrid

Shift: Not Indicated

Valid Driving License: No

Hazardous Material(s): n/a

Job Posting End Date: 10/23/2026

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.

Visa sponsorship record

No public sponsorship records found

We didn't find H-1B, H-1B1, E-3 or green card (PERM) filings under the name MSD in the Department of Labor and USCIS data. That doesn't mean the job can't be sponsored — the company may file under a different legal name, be new to sponsorship, or sponsor a visa that isn't in these datasets (for example H-2B or J-1).

Tip: ask the recruiter early, in writing, which visa they sponsor and whether they cover the legal and filing fees.

Which visas can work for this job

Occupation: Statisticians (SOC 15-2041).

  • H-1B cap-exempt employer

    Regular cap-subject employer — a new H-1B needs to win the lottery in March (unless you already hold cap-counted H-1B status).

  • TN (citizens of Canada and Mexico)

    This kind of role may fit the USMCA profession “Mathematician / Statistician” — it depends on the actual duties. No lottery, no cap; you need the matching degree or license.

  • E-3 (Australia) and H-1B1 (Chile, Singapore)

    Same degree requirement as H-1B, but no lottery and a separate quota that is rarely filled.

  • O-1 (extraordinary ability)

    For candidates with awards, publications, press, a high salary or critical roles at distinguished organizations. No cap, no lottery; the employer files a petition.

  • STEM OPT extension (F-1 students)

    Requires an E-Verify employer. We didn't find this company in the E-Verify list — ask HR.

Salary vs prevailing wage

Level III (experienced)

Statisticians · United States (national median of areas). Annual prevailing wages set by the Department of Labor (OFLC).

L1L2L3L4
LevelPrevailing wageH-1B lottery odds*
Level I$68,412~15%
Level II$87,194~31%
Level III$107,182~46%
Level IV$125,236~61%

This job pays $117,000 a year — that's Level III (experienced). In the wage-weighted H-1B lottery a Level III registration gets 3 entries; estimated selection chance about 46% — better than average.

* Odds are DHS projections for the FY2027 wage-weighted lottery (actual results vary by year and employer). Since the FY2027 cap season the H-1B lottery is weighted by wage level: Level I = 1 entry, II = 2, III = 3, IV = 4. The level is set by the offered wage against the prevailing wage for the occupation and worksite. Separately, a $100,000 fee for new H-1B petitions for workers outside the US was announced in 2025; as of September 2026 a federal court ruling keeps it unenforceable while appeals continue — check the current status.

Sources: U.S. Department of Labor OFLC disclosure data (H-1B/H-1B1/E-3 LCA, PERM), OFLC prevailing wage data, USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub, E-Verify participating employers. Data loaded: LCA FY2024–FY2026, PERM, USCIS Data Hub, OFLC wages; updated 2026-10-03. Employers are matched by name, so records of companies with similar names can occasionally be mixed up. This is general information, not legal advice — talk to an immigration attorney about your case.