2027 Future Talent Program - Elkton Manufacturing Co-op
Merck
- Location
- Elkton, Virginia, United States of America
- Employment
- Internship
- Work model
- On-Site
- Level
- Intern
- Salary
- $39.9k – $111.1k/yr
- Posted
- Sep 8, 2026
Skills
About this role
Job Description
The Future Talent Program features Co-Ops that last about 6 months and will include one or more projects. These opportunities in our Manufacturing Division can provide you with great development and a chance to see if we are the right company for your long-term goals. At our Company's campus in Elkton, Virginia, our Engineers have opportunities across many diverse areas including Biological, Automation, Maintenance, Safety, Process Engineering, Process Development, Technical Services, Utilities and Validation. The manufacturing facility is located in the Shenandoah Valley along the Shenandoah River and the Blue Ridge Mountains a short distance from the University of Virginia and James Madison University. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to apply their enthusiasm and technical skills as a member of a multidisciplinary team supporting the operation of biopharmaceutical and vaccine product manufacturing facilities. Project responsibilities can include: Providing on-the-floor support of operational and technical issues; collaborating with the shop floor on a variety of different projects and activities that are critical to ongoing manufacturing of vaccines at the Elkton, VA site Working as part of a cross-functional team to support vaccine, biologic, and sterile manufacturing processes Conducting technical/operational investigations and analyses and recommending corrective and preventative actions Writing, reviewing, and improving procedures for operation of equipment and processes Maintain manufacturing processes and products at a high level of performance and regulatory compliance Completing projects to improve the performance of our processes and manufacturing performance, including projects aimed at improving Right-First-Time performance or preventing/reducing deviations, and continuous improvement projects that seek to improve manufacturing efficiencies (yield, cost, cycle times) Perform data analysis, problem solving and/or troubleshooting for daily operations and projects Collaboration with multi-functional, multi-disciplinary teams Embracing and establishing an empowered, diverse, and inclusive team culture If you are the kind of individual who thrives on challenge and possess the technical, leadership and business skills that are of value to our business, we invite you to apply. Required Education and Experience: Candidates must be currently enrolled in a sophomore or junior level curriculum working toward a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, Biological Systems Engineering, Biomedical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering, Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, or Biotechnology Candidates must be available for a minimum of a 6-month Co-Op beginning in May 2027 or June 2027 Candidates are expected to work onsite Candidates must have superior technical competency as demonstrated by excellent academic record and work achievements Candidates must have strong communication skills, personal character, and ethics. Candidates must have leadership accomplishments achieved through direct leadership roles or leading by influence Candidates must have robust problem-solving skills and a proactive approach to problem-solving, with a bias towards going to see problems for oneself in the field. Candidates must have ability to examine an issue from diverse perspectives (safety, compliance, maintenance, automation, equipment, process, and people) in order to best understand and resolve it. Candidates must have strong communication skills, written and verbal. Preferred Experience and Skills: Candidates should have work experience in a laboratory, manufacturing or industrial setting. Candidates should have familiarity with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) and its application Candidates should have delivery results in a multi-functional, multi-disciplinary environment Candidates should have experience using Lean/Six Sigma tools Candidates should have capabilities