Senior Scientist, Research Science Full-time NEW

Senior Scientist

Join the Elkhorn, Nebraska Animal Health Team Our Company's Global Animal Health Research & Development (R&D) division is a pioneer in the discovery, development and registration of vaccines and therapeutics for animals. To strengthen our team responsible for poultry vaccine projects, we are looking for a highly skilled and motivated Senior Scientist to join our R&D team.

Purpose of the role Reporting to the Director Biology-Discovery, this role will drive and provide scientific leadership for multifaceted animal vaccine development projects — partnering with Project Management and senior leadership to guide programs from discovery through late-stage development and licensure. This position combines hands-on scientific expertise with strategic project leadership, requiring both deep technical knowledge and the ability to influence cross-functional teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the scientific strategy for animal vaccine development projects, from candidate selection through licensure-enabling studies.
• Design, execute, and analyze experiments related to vaccine candidate characterization, immunogenicity assessment, and assay development and validation.
• Apply deep technical expertise to independently troubleshoot complex scientific problems and make data-driven decisions that advance project goals.

• Serve as the scientific lead on cross-functional vaccine development project teams, partnering with the Project Manager on timeline management, milestone tracking, and resource coordination.
• Define and drive project strategy, ensuring scientific rigor and alignment across functional teams (e.g., Discovery, Process Development, Analytical, Regulatory Affairs, Manufacturing).
• Identify and escalate project risks, proposing mitigation strategies to maintain progress toward development milestones.

• Author and review technical documents, including development reports, validation protocols, SOPs, and sections of regulatory submissions (e.g., USDA/CVB filings).
• Ensure all development activities comply with relevant regulatory requirements and are aligned with the path to product licensure.
• Serve as a scientific point of contact during regulatory interactions related to assigned projects.

• Work closely with colleagues in Process Development, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, and Manufacturing to ensure seamless project progression from research through commercialization.
• Represent the scientific function in governance meetings, providing clear technical assessments and recommendations to senior leadership.

• Stay current with scientific literature, emerging technologies, and industry trends relevant to animal vaccine development.
• Propose and evaluate innovative approaches to improve vaccine design, assay performance, and development efficiency.
• Publish findings in peer-reviewed journals and present at external scientific conferences, contributing to the organization's scientific reputation.

Qualifications

Education & Experience:

• PhD or DVM with research specialties in Immunology, Virology, Bacteriology Microbiology, Vaccinology, or related biological science with 2+ years of relevant industry experience.
• OR a Master's degree in a related field with 5+ years of relevant industry experience.
• OR Bachelor's degree in a related field with 8+ years of directly relevant industry experience demonstrating progressive scientific and leadership responsibility.
• Hands on clinical experiences on Poultry diseases will be a plus

Technical Knowledge:

• Strong understanding of vaccine development principles, including antigen design, adjuvant selection, immunogenicity evaluation, and/or formulation development.
• Solid knowledge of assay development, qualification, and validation principles within a regulated environment.
• Working knowledge of regulatory requirements for animal health biologics (USDA/CVB), including the product licensure pathway.

Leadership & Communication:

• Demonstrated ability to lead or significantly influence cross-functional project teams.
• Proven ability to communicate complex scientific concepts clearly to diverse audiences, including senior leadership, regulatory bodies, and external partners.

Preferred

• Direct experience in the development and licensure of animal vaccines (a plus with poultry species).
• Experience leading cross-functional vaccine development project teams from discovery through late-stage development.
• Track record of scientific contributions, including publications in peer-reviewed journals and/or presentations at scientific conferences.
• Experience authoring technical reports and regulatory filing documents for USDA/CVB or equivalent regulatory agencies.
• Familiarity with specific pathogen families or animal species relevant to the team's portfolio [viral vaccines and bacterial vaccines].