Merck KGaA
Principal Scientist (all genders) Structural Biology
Darmstadt, Hessen, Germany
Get past the screening software and onto a recruiter's desk
hirly rewrites your resume for this job — matching the keywords and skills in the posting, moving your most relevant experience to the top, and writing a cover letter to fit. About 30 seconds.
- Keywords matched to this posting
- Fit score before you apply
- Cover letter included
Apply from your AI assistant
Connect hirly to Claude and ask it to apply to this job. hirly tailors your resume, fills the employer’s form and asks before sending. ChatGPT: manual setup today.
Some employer sites stop an application at a CAPTCHA or sign-in and hand it back with a link. Applying needs a paid plan. Works with any assistant that supports MCP.
hirly's read of this role
- Role family
- Engineering
- Seniority
- Lead / management
- Country
- DE
- Work mode
- On-site / unstated
- First seen by hirly
- 26 Sept 2026
Derived automatically from the posting. Upload your resume above to see how the role scores against it.
the posting
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.
Your Role
As a Principal Scientist in the Structural Biology and Biophysics team, R&D Discovery, you will provide scientific leadership in interdisciplinary projects to elucidate structural mode of action and enable structure-based design with a focus on macromolecular complexes of antibodies, multispecifics and molecular degraders. You will strengthen our X-ray crystallography capabilities and, where possible complement our cryo-EM workflows to establish integrated, end-to-end experimental strategies for structural enablement — spanning protein and sample generation, data acquisition, and structural model building. You coordinate CRO/collaboration partner activities for reagents and data generation and drive innovations in structural biology. You clearly explain and communicate scientific findings and proposals to cross-functional teams and stakeholders to support informed and fast decision-making. You will mentor and develop junior scientists in structure biology and drug discovery contributing to a high-performing, collaborative culture.
Who You Are
- PhD in Structural Biology or a related field with 10+ years of relevant experience (including biopharma, biotech) and strong track record to design, execute and drive complex structural biology projects.
- Deep expertise in high-resolution structure determination of proteins and protein complexes by Xray crystallography (sample generation, data collection & processing, structure refinement with industry-standard software).
- Experience working with antigen–antibody and protein degrader complexes, with a deep understanding of structure–function relationships.
- Ideally hands-on with single-particle cryo-EM and biophysical (e.g. HDX-MS, SAXS; Refeyn, FIDA, DSF)
- Experience with cloud-based/HPC data management and processing; LINUX scripting; AI/ML-based prediction of biomolecular structures.
- Effective collaborator and leader in multidisciplinary settings with excellent English communication; skilled in guiding/mentoring scientists, coordinating multi-site work, and managing CROs to balance project demands.
- Proven ability to convey complex data clearly to drive decisions; strong publication history or impactful drug discovery contributions (oncology/immunology/neuroscience favored); excellent problem-solving abilities and experience introducing relevant new technologies.
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!
Listed on hirly, a job board. hirly is not the employer: Merck KGaA is hiring for this role.
Similar jobs
- Principal Scientist (w/m/d) - In Silico Research & ModelingCoriolis Pharma Research GmbH · Planegg, Bayern, GermanyFirst seen yesterday
- Senior Principal Scientist (all genders) - Quantum Mechanics and ModelingBayer AG Pharmaceuticals · Wuppertal, Nordrhein-Westfalen, GermanyFirst seen 21d ago
- Senior Principal Scientist (all genders) - External API Development for New Chemical EntitiesBayer AG Pharmaceuticals · Berlin, GermanyFirst seen 21d ago
- Senior Scientist (f/m/d) - Capillary ElectrophoresisCoriolis Pharma Research GmbH · Planegg, Bayern, GermanyFirst seen yesterday
- Scientist for the Helmholtz International Beamline for Extreme FieldsDt Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY Personalabteilung · Hamburg, GermanyFirst seen 5d ago
Want this one?
Upload your resume and hirly rewrites it for this job and writes the cover letter — in about thirty seconds, before you sign up.
Tailor my resume for this job