Infectious Disease In Vivo Cancer Vaccine Scientist Full-time

Scientist, Virology And Vaccines Discovery

Here at AstraZeneca you'll have the opportunity to make a difference in people's lives every day. As one of the world's premier biotechnology companies, our mission is centered on delivering life-changing products that advance world health, and help fight and cure disease. As a Scientist in the Virology and Vaccines Discovery group in the early Infectious Disease therapeutic area based in Gaithersburg, MD, you'll play a pivotal role in channeling our scientific capabilities to make a positive impact on changing patients' lives.

The Virology and Vaccines Discovery group at AstraZeneca is discovering and developing biologics and vaccines targeting key viral pathogens, including respiratory and chronic viruses. We are consistently pushing the boundaries of science to deliver life-changing medicines to patients. Our deep expertise in vaccines and immunology enables our ability to advance novel therapeutic approaches and technologies to prevent and treat infectious disease. We have an industry-leading pipeline and offer a unique and strong collaborative network as part of the AstraZeneca family.

Currently, we are seeking a highly motivated and broadly skilled bench scientist with in vivo technical and immunology expertise and a track record of scientific achievement to join the Virology and Vaccine Discovery group at AstraZeneca in Gaithersburg, MD. The scientist will be a key member of a team focused on developing next-generation cancer vaccines through the drug discovery process. The position requires a strong interest in vivarium and laboratory bench work to drive projects forward.

AstraZeneca has a dynamic environment that fosters collaboration and innovation. We attract top minds, and we nurture and build top talent.

Major responsibilities:

• Design, manage, and conduct in vivo rodent studies to support the development of cancer vaccines targeting host tumor antigens and endogenous retroviruses
• Perform immunizations, tumor implantations, and necropsies, collect and process tissues and blood products for downstream immunological assays
• Conduct in vitro immunological assays to support the development of vaccines, including flow cytometry, ELISpot, and ELISA
• Design, execute and interpret results from animal studies to characterize biologic therapies directed against tumor antigens as part of vaccine antigen discovery efforts
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the organization (e.g. protein engineering, bioinformatics, pathology, and translational medicine) to drive projects towards successful completion

Requirements/Qualifications:

• B.S. in Virology, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Immunology, Cell Biology, or related scientific discipline with 2+ years of experience or
• M.S. in Virology, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Immunology, Cell Biology, or related scientific discipline

Specific skills:

Broad experience desired in oncology, immunology, and vaccinology

• Advanced knowledge of animal handling techniques, including intramuscular, intranasal, subcutaneous, and intravenous immunizations, and euthanasia
• Advanced knowledge of tumor harvesting and other tissue processing, i.e. lymph nodes and spleen
• Experience with mouse tumor model development is strongly desired
• Knowledge of flow cytometry sample acquisition and data analysis is strongly desired
• Experience with automation is desired
• Ability to multitask and prioritize among numerous projects
• 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
• Proven track record of success in your research and experience preparing written scientific reports (e.g. manuscripts) and oral presentations (e.g. slides, posters)
• Strong verbal and written communication skills

Job complexity: Must be able to understand, conduct and interpret results of technically challenging experiments with supervision.

Supervision: Ability to work independently as well as part of team is expected.