Senior Scientist Vaccine Research

Join AstraZeneca, a world-leading biotechnology company, and make a difference in people’s lives every day. As a Senior Scientist in the Virology and Vaccines Discovery group within the Early Vaccines and Immune Therapies Unit (Early V&I) in Gaithersburg, MD, you’ll play a pivotal role in channeling our scientific capabilities to make a positive impact on changing patients’ lives.

Accountabilities

As a Senior Scientist, you will perform a range of in vitro experiments to design, construct, produce, and evaluate existing and novel vaccine vectors towards the elicitation of protective immunity against clinically relevant pathogens. You will contribute to the development of novel ideas in the antigen design, vaccine vector, and vaccine technology spaces. You will work collaboratively with colleagues across the organization, make detailed observations, analyze data, and interpret results independently, prepare detailed technical summaries, protocols, quantitative analyses, and maintenance of appropriate documentation, and publish discoveries in high quality, peer-reviewed journals.

Essential Skills/Experience

• Ph.D. in Virology, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Immunology, Cell Biology, or related scientific field with 3+ years of experience, or M.S. with 8+ years of experience, or B.S. with 10+ years of experience.
• Extensive hands-on experience with the design, engineering, production, and characterization of novel vaccine vectors and/or vaccine antigens.
• Advanced knowledge of molecular biology techniques such as cloning, site-directed mutagenesis, DNA isolation and purification, RT-PCR, and qPCR.
• Experience working with RNA and/or DNA viruses and reverse genetics systems.
• Experience in recombinant virus generation and culture.
• Extensive cell biology background with experience in tissue culture techniques and culture of primary cells for ex vivo assays.
• Familiarity with flow cytometry, fluorescent imaging of cells, measurement of protein production, etc.
• Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills together with evidence of having used these to support problem solving and delivery in a team-oriented, collaborative environment.
• Ability to work in a collaborative, fast-paced environment while planning and meeting timelines.
• Consistent record of success in your research and experience preparing written scientific reports (e.g. manuscripts) and oral presentations (e.g. slides, posters).
• Ability to multitask and prioritize numerous different projects.
• Ability to understand, conduct, and interpret results of technically exciting experiments with minimal direction.

Desirable Skills/Experience

• Experience with basic automation is a plus.

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we spark ambitious thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That’s why we work, on average in research, all five days of the week from the office. But that doesn't mean we’re not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and ambitious world.

At AstraZeneca, we are change makers on the world stage at an exciting frontier of medicine. We are helping to transform healthcare and build pandemic preparedness to protect against future health crises and to bring lasting immunity to people around the globe. We are committed to our central role in addressing pandemic and endemic diseases and ensuring our products continue to reach and benefit millions of people around the world.

Join us and lead the future with an entrepreneurial spirit. With an agile approach and the strength of a global brand, we challenge and change how things are done. Here we combine skills with the power of technology to drive innovation, transform and optimize what we can do. We build on our achievements and think differently about scientific possibilities, developing long-lasting vaccines and highly targeted antibodies. We are always moving forward, challenging the status quo, spotting opportunities, and making thoughtful moves.

Ready to make a difference? Apply now!

Date Posted

12-Mar-2024

Closing Date

Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment. We want people to feel they belong at AstraZeneca and Alexion, starting with our recruitment process. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of characteristics. We offer reasonable adjustments/accommodations to help all candidates to perform at their best. If you have a need for any adjustments/accommodations, please complete the section in the application form.

AstraZeneca requires all US employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 but will consider requests for reasonable accommodations as required by applicable law.