2027 Future Talent Program – Global Clinical Supply - Co-op

Job Description

The Future Talent Program features Cooperative (Co-op) education that lasts up to 6 months and will include one or more projects. These opportunities in our Research Labs Division can provide you with great development and a chance to see if we are the right company for your long-term goals

The Global Clinical Supply Co-Op will support strategic and operational initiatives within GCS while gaining deeper, hands-on exposure to the end-to-end clinical supply chain. Co-Ops will own meaningful workstreams that contribute to business objectives, operational excellence, digital transformation, data-driven decision making, and continuous improvement across a global organization.

This role is designed for students seeking an extended applied learning experience. Compared with a summer internship, the co-op assignment provides additional time to understand business context, build stakeholder relationships, execute against project milestones, refine deliverables, and support implementation or handoff of solutions that create lasting value for GCS.

This co-op position is scheduled to begin in Summer 2027.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lead one or more sustained project workstreams supporting Global Clinical Supply priorities.
• Analyze business processes, operational data, and supply chain information to identify improvement opportunities and practical recommendations.
• Support development of dashboards, reports, process maps, training materials, playbooks, governance tools, and business insights.
• Apply digital, data, automation, or AI-enabled approaches to improve visibility, decision making, operational efficiency, or knowledge management.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including Planning, Quality, Logistics, Packaging, Digital, Clinical Operations, External Partners, and other enabling functions.
• Participate in operational excellence, process standardization, knowledge management, business continuity, governance, and digital transformation initiatives.
• Develop recommendations supported by data and communicate findings, tradeoffs, risks, and next steps to functional stakeholders and leadership teams.
• Support project management activities including scope definition, milestone planning, risk identification, stakeholder engagement, meeting facilitation, and progress tracking.
• Contribute to implementation readiness by documenting processes, creating reusable assets, supporting change management, and preparing clear handoff materials.

Learning Opportunities

Co-Ops will gain exposure to:

• Clinical trial supply chain management
• Supply planning, forecasting, and inventory considerations
• Logistics, distribution, trade, and regional operations
• Clinical labeling and packaging operations
• External partnerships, sourcing, supplier governance, and operational expense management
• Digital and AI-enabled business transformation
• Data analysis, dashboards, reporting, and business performance visibility
• Operational excellence and continuous improvement methodologies
• Project, portfolio, and change management
• Pharmaceutical industry regulations, compliance expectations, and inspection readiness
• Cross-functional collaboration in a global matrixed organization

By the end of the co-op assignment, successful candidates will:

• Deliver measurable project outcomes that create value for GCS.
• Build reusable tools, documentation, insights, or process assets that can continue beyond the assignment.
• Demonstrate the ability to work effectively across functions and organizational boundaries.
• Communicate recommendations, risks, decisions, and implementation needs to stakeholder and leadership audiences.
• Apply data-driven decision making to solve real business challenges.
• Contribute to digital, data, automation, AI, or process improvement opportunities where relevant.
• Develop a strong understanding of the clinical supply value chain and how GCS supports clinical trial execution.
• Provide a clear handoff plan that enables continuity after the co-op assignment ends.

Required Education and Skills:

• Currently pursuing a Bachelor's, Master's, PharmD, PhD, or other relevant degree program.
• Ability to commit to an extended co-op assignment aligned to business and academic program requirements.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Foundational digital and data literacy, including comfort working with data sets, business systems, and technology-enabled ways of working.
• Interest in applying analytics, automation, or AI-enabled tools to improve business processes, insights, and decision making.
• Demonstrated ownership, accountability, and ability to manage work across multiple milestones.
• Ability to collaborate across functions, ask thoughtful questions, and incorporate feedback.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools, including Excel and PowerPoint.

Preferred Skills:

• Interest in supply chain, operations, engineering, business, data analytics, information systems, life sciences, pharmacy, public health, or related disciplines.
• Experience with data analysis, data visualization, business analytics, process improvement, automation, project management, or change management.
• Familiarity with Power BI, Power Apps, SharePoint, SAP,  machine learning concepts, generative AI, Copilot, or other AI-enabled tools.
• Experience translating ambiguous business problems into structured project plans, analyses, or recommendations.
• Prior internship, co-op, research, academic project, or work experience in pharmaceuticals, healthcare, supply chain, operations, quality, manufacturing, technology, or consulting.

Please note that this position may be closed before the posted end date or may remain open longer, at the discretion of the company.

Salary range:
The salary range for this role is $39,908 - $111,111 ​USD

FTP2027

RL2027

Required Skills:

Preferred Skills:

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Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

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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.

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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:

Intern/Co-op (Fixed Term)

Relocation:

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

No Travel Required

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

11/27/2026

*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.