Associate Scientist II, Conjugation Development

Vaxcyte•San Carlos, CA

16h•$105,000 - $122,000•Onsite

About The Position

Vaxcyte is looking for an energetic and talented Associate Scientist II, Conjugation Development who will contribute to the development of a robust process for generating Vaxcyte’s proprietary pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. The successful candidate will be proficient in basic laboratory techniques and be responsible for the support of the scientists in the execution of large and complex experimentation. Specifically, this will include synthesis, purification, and analytical characterization of polysaccharide-protein conjugates. With the training provided, the successful candidate will be expected to optimize and troubleshoot the synthesis and purification procedures independently with minimal guidance. The candidate will work in a fast-paced environment, must be a collaborative team player, has a strong desire to learn new techniques and concepts, and be committed to Vaxcyte mission.

Requirements

BS degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, or related field with minimum 2 years of industry experience, or MS degree with minimum 1 years of industry experience.
Experience in setting up and carrying out chemical reactions.
Experience with laboratory-scale protein purification methods such as dialysis, diafiltration, size-exclusion chromatography, and tangential flow filtration (TFF).
Hands on experience with analytical methods including reversed-phase HPLC, colorimetric assays, size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), and SDS-PAGE for characterization of reaction products.
Highly organized, strong attention to details and excellent record keeping/documentation abilities.
Critical thinking and ability to analyze data.
Eager and able to learn and understand new concepts.
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate effectively with team members.
Ability to work under supervision and collaborate effectively with team members.
Committed to upholding high standards of integrity, professionalism, and safety in all aspects of work.

Nice To Haves

Experience in protein conjugation reactions is a major plus.
Direct experience operating Agilent HPLC using OpenLab/ Chemstation software and/ or Waters UPLC and Empower software for data acquisition and analysis is a plus.

Responsibilities

Make buffers and other process solutions to support the Conjugation team during Process Characterization
Analyze conjugates with several methods including colorimetric assays and multiple HPLC assays.
Purify conjugates using a variety of methods including size-exclusion chromatography and tangential flow filtration (TFF).
Contribute to the development and execution of Design of Experiment (DoE) models for process development.
Support the development work toward a process characterization of conjugate vaccine.
Design and execute basic process development experiments with minimal guidance
Complete any assigned tasks in high quality and in a timely manner.
Maintain good documentation practices for recording experimental plans and results in electronic lab notebook and associated reports.
Assist in troubleshooting of instrumentation and test methods, including the ordering of supplies and maintenance of equipment.
Participate in group meetings, present results of work, interpret data, and report results in an accurate manner.
Work within a team environment and provide support to further team objectives.