Senior Scientist - Virology/Molecular Biology

Zoetis • Kalamazoo, MI

6d

About The Position

Zoetis, the world’s largest animal health company, is seeking a Scientist or Senior Scientist with expertise in molecular virology to join the Swine Biologics group. This role supports the discovery and development of innovative vaccines for the global swine industry, with a strong focus on applied virology, molecular biology, and vaccinology. Position Summary The successful candidate will contribute to both basic and applied research aimed at developing novel swine vaccines. This role combines hands-on laboratory work with scientific leadership, collaboration, and mentoring to advance viral biologic products.

Requirements

• Possess a relevant degree in science such as a Virology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, or related field
• BS candidates with a minimum of 15 years relevant experience
• MS candidates with a minimum of 10 years relevant experience
• PhD candidates with 0 - 2 years of relevant experience
• Strong hands-on experience in virology and molecular biology, including cell culture and genetic analysis
• Demonstrated experience with hypothesis-driven laboratory research
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Nice To Haves

• Experience with swine viral pathogens, viral vectors, and vaccine strain construction
• Molecular techniques such as PCR, cloning, DNA extraction, and sequence analysis
• Familiarity with bioinformatics tools (e.g., BLAST, DNASTAR/Lasergene)
• Experience in vaccine discovery or development
• Knowledge of viral phylodynamics epitope prediction, and genomic approaches to vaccine target identification (e.g., IPA, VFdb, IEDB, AlphaFold)

Responsibilities

• Design and execute hypothesis-driven research to support swine vaccine discovery and development.
• Apply expertise in virology, molecular biology, immunology, and vaccinology, including viral genetic manipulation and antigen identification.
• Conduct hands-on laboratory work including cell culture, virus propagation, genetic manipulation, and viral characterization.
• Perform in silico sequence analysis, including phylogenetics, viral evolution, and epitope identification.
• Collaborate across cross-functional teams and contribute to development strategies for live and non-replicating vaccines.
• Interpret scientific literature, maintain high standards of lab safety and documentation, and communicate results through presentations and reports.
• Mentor and support colleagues in laboratory techniques and scientific problem-solving (no direct reports).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees