Sr. Associate Scientist, Upstream Development for Protein Development and Manufacturing

Vaxcyte

Vaxcyte

San Carlos, CA, USA
Posted on Friday, September 8, 2023
Company Profile:
Vaxcyte, Inc. (Nasdaq: PCVX) is a vaccine innovation company engineering high-fidelity vaccines to protect humankind from the consequences of bacterial diseases. The Company is developing broad-spectrum conjugate and novel protein vaccines to prevent or treat bacterial infectious diseases. Vaxcyte’s lead candidate, VAX-24, is a 24-valent, broad-spectrum, carrier-sparing pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) being developed for the prevention of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). The Company is re-engineering the way highly complex immunizations are made through modern synthetic techniques, including advanced chemistry and our exclusively licensed XpressCFTM cell-free protein synthesis platform. Unlike conventional cell-based approaches, the Company’s system for producing difficult-to-make proteins and antigens is intended to accelerate its ability to efficiently create and deliver high-fidelity vaccines with enhanced immunological benefits. Vaxcyte’s pipeline also includes VAX-31, a 31-valent PCV candidate; VAX-A1, a prophylactic vaccine candidate designed to prevent Group A Strep infections; VAX-PG, a therapeutic vaccine candidate designed to slow or stop the progression of periodontal disease; and VAX-GI, a vaccine program designed to prevent Shigella. The Company is driven to eradicate or treat invasive bacterial infections, which have serious and costly health consequences when left unchecked. For more information, visit www.vaxcyte.com.
Vaxcyte, headquartered in San Carlos, CA, went public in June 2020 and currently has a team of approximately 180 employees and anticipates continued, significant growth. Following equity offerings in October 2022 and April 2023, which generated over $1.1 billion in net proceeds, the Company’s balance sheet is further strengthened to advance its pipeline of novel vaccines, including VAX-24. These financings followed positive data readouts from Vaxcyte’s Phase 1/2 proof-of-concept study evaluating VAX-24 in adults aged 18-64 and Phase 2 study in adults 65 and older. The Company believes these results support a best-in-class potential for VAX-24, which was designed to replace the current standard-of-care in adults and children. VAX-24 is being investigated for the prevention of IPD, which can be most serious for infants, young children, older adults and those with immune deficiencies or certain chronic health conditions. Given the global impact of pneumococcal disease remains significant, the public health community continues to advocate for vaccines that can offer broader protection to prevent IPD. Vaxcyte’s PCV franchise, consisting of VAX-24 and VAX-31, is designed specifically to address this need and has the potential to deliver the broadest protection for this very serious disease. We believe that our PCVs could receive regulatory approval based on successful completion of clinical studies utilizing well-defined surrogate immune endpoints, consistent with how other PCVs have obtained regulatory approval in the past, rather than requiring clinical field efficacy studies.
Summary:
Vaxcyte is looking for a highly motivated and skilled individual to join Vaxcyte’s Vaccine Product Development organization as a Sr Associate Scientist in the Protein Development and Clinical Manufacturing group. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in designing, implementing, and optimizing automation solutions to establish high throughput fermentation process development workflows. The successful candidate will have the following skills and qualities:
· Proven experience in designing, programming, and implementing laboratory automation systems.
· A passionate researcher with a knack for technology innovation to improve performance and efficiency.
· An exceptional team player who works seamlessly with others, speaks up, and remains focused on achieving the best results to achieve company goals.
· Strong organizational and planning skills.

Essential Functions:

  • Be part of the Ambr operation team and execute high throughput upstream process development experiments.
  • Design and develop automation solutions for liquid handling, sample preparation and analysis workflows.
  • Collaborate with Vaxcyte Benchling to enable efficient data capture from automated processes.
  • Diagnose and troubleshoot technical issues related to automation hardware, software, and protocols.
  • Author SOPs (standard operating procedure) and train laboratory personnel on the proper operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of automation systems.

Requirements:

  • BS in Chemical Engineering or Chemistry/Biochemistry with 3+ years of relevant Pharma/Biotech industry experience, or MS in Chemical Engineering or Chemistry/ Biochemistry with 1+ years of relevant Pharma/Biotech industry experience
  • Strong understanding of laboratory workflows in biotech process development.
  • Familiarity with various automation platforms and technologies, such as liquid handling robots, robotic arms, and plate readers. Experience with Ambr 250HT system is a plus.
  • Knowledge of data analysis and visualization tools.
  • Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
  • Effective communication skills and the ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams.
  • All Vaxcyte employees require vaccination against COVID-19.
Reports to: Director, Upstream Development and Manufacturing
Location: San Carlos, CA
Compensation:
The compensation package will be competitive and includes comprehensive benefits and an equity component.
Salary Range: $110,000 - $121,000
Send resumes to:
Vaxcyte, Inc.
825 Industrial Road, Suite 300
San Carlos, CA 94070
We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.