Principal Scientist, MMOA Microbiologist

GSK • Upper Providence Township, PA

2d

About The Position

At GSK, we are focused on developing breakthrough vaccines and medicines for infectious disease. The Vaccines and Infectious Disease Research Unit is leading the way by pioneering a portfolio of novel modalities to tackle the urgent global threat posed by antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This position offers an excellent opportunity to join our dedicated team, who have end‑to‑end expertise from early discovery through to commercial launch and to drive discovery and mechanism‑of‑action studies for viral, bacterial and fungal therapeutics.
Find out more:
Our approach to R&D
The Principal Scientist will design and execute cutting-edge microbiological research to define mechanisms of action, collaborate with cross‑functional partners (biology, chemistry, pharmacology, clinical, regulatory, IP), and advance projects from early discovery through preclinical development into filing and launch. The role requires keeping pace with scientific advances and integrating new methods to accelerate discovery and support GSK’s mission of improving global health through the development of transformative medicines.

Requirements

• BS with 8 or more years of relevant experience, MS with 6 or more years of relevant experience, or a PhD with 3 or more years of relevant experience with the degree in Molecular Biology or another relevant major.
• Three or more years of experience performing a range of microbiological techniques, gene expression analysis, mutagenesis, cellular imaging, qPCR, ELISA, and RNA/ DNA transfection.
• Three or more years of experience in handling infectious bacterial samples and primary human cell samples in compliance with safety and HBSM standards.
• Three or more years of experience in data analysis and interpretation, utilizing statistical methods and scientific software (e.g., GraphPad Prism, Excel).

Nice To Haves

• Ability to demonstrate high attention to detail and ensure accuracy of scientific results and documentation in compliance with GSK data integrity standards.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Self-motivated and able to resolve technical challenges and deliver consistent results efficiently in a timely manner.

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic design and execution of microbiological experiments, demonstrating thought leadership to define the mechanism of action and microbiological inhibitory spectrum of novel therapeutic agents.
• Execute experimental plans by performing internal experiments and/or managing research studies with external partners to drive scientific progress.
• Establish and optimize bacterial assays including MIC, MBC, time-kill, resistance studies, and inhibitor characterization.
• Design and generate data packages in collaboration with cross-functional teams to enable project decisions.
• Lead communication of scientific findings through written reports, presentations, and publications.
• Author Regulatory Study Reports and manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals; contribute to IP patent filing and regulatory documents preparation.
• Maintain expert level knowledge of the latest scientific literature and methodologies, contributing to continual innovation and improvement in research practices.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, ethical guidelines, and GSK standards for data integrity, safety, and quality.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree