Scientist, Clinical Virology

AstraZeneca • Gaithersburg, MD

93d • $90,960 - $136,441

About The Position

AstraZeneca is seeking a motivated scientist with a background in virology, vaccinology, or molecular biology to join the Microbial Sciences/Early Infectious Diseases team at AstraZeneca. The candidate will operate independently and in collaboration with others in the clinical virology team to support novel vaccine and antibodies in clinical development for the prevention and/or treatment of viral infections. As part of the Translational Medicine group, you will integrate expertise/findings from discovery research, nonclinical and clinical groups to impact therapeutic programs from inception through to life cycle management for marketed drugs. The selected individual will be well-organized and a productive scientist who can learn new procedures, design and execute experiments efficiently, as well as analyze, and interpret data. Strong team-based communication and presentation skills will be required.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in virology, molecular biology, immunology, or another related field with 2+ years of relevant industrial (preferred) or academic experience or a Master's Degree with some relevant experience.
• Background in molecular biology techniques such as cloning, site-directed mutagenesis, DNA and RNA isolation and purification, sequencing, RT-PCR, and qPCR.
• Experience in cell culture, viral propagation, and viral titration.
• Ability to evaluate data quality, troubleshoot, and interpret experimental results.
• Meticulous tracking and documenting of results in laboratory notebooks, databases, and scientific reports.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

Nice To Haves

• Hands-on experience with paramyxoviruses.
• Understanding of molecular cloning techniques and vector engineering.
• Understanding of DNA sequencing techniques (NGS and Sanger) and sequence analysis.

Responsibilities

• This job is a lab-based research role.
• The work will be focused heavily upon molecular viral surveillance and resistance monitoring for the AZ infection franchise.
• A background in molecular/clinical virology and/or vaccinology is required.
• Rescue and characterize pseudoviruses and/or RNA viruses.
• Apply molecular biology skills to generate recombinant proteins and viruses.
• Execute biochemical and cell-based assays to characterize candidate or authorized vaccines and mAbs for viral pathogens.
• Assist in the preparation and review of bioanalytical data and reports suitable for regulatory submission.
• Communicate across the matrixed team environment.

Benefits

• 401(k) plan
• Paid vacation and holidays
• Paid leaves
• Health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Industry: Chemical Manufacturing
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree