Location: Rockville, MD USA  

Senior Scientist – Virology/Immunology/Molecular Biology

Job Code: 2020 – RD001

Job Description

Immunomic Therapeutics is seeking a talented, experienced and motivated Senior Scientist with significant virology experience. The successful candidate will join a team of immunologists, and vaccine researchers that drive and deliver the preclinical in vitro and in vivo development of vaccines and antibodies based on the UNITE platform. The candidate will work on viral vaccines, antibodies and novel approaches to target viral pathogens using the UNITE platform. Deep knowledge and understanding of virology and how it can be applied to select and validate novel vaccine and antibody targets are needed. Experience in taking vaccines from concept to clinical candidate is required. The ability to effectively communicate across internal multi-disciplinary teams and with external partners is required.  A strong fluency in Korean is required.

Essential Functions

• Develop new ideas how to either design novel or to improve on existing vaccine candidates and/or platforms.
• Hands-on experience with molecular biology and virology techniques is required: recombinant DNA techniques, RNA isolation, RT-PCR, sequence analysis etc.
• Hands-on experience in cell culture and virology techniques such as primary cell isolation and culture, antiviral assays, immune cell functional assays, multi-color flow, and ELISA/Luminex.
• Perform standard cell culture and use transfection protocols to generate viral vectors and vaccine candidates.
• Routinely track and document results in laboratory notebooks and databases.
• Assist and support junior team members to accomplish project goals and milestones.

• Familiarity with diverse software packages for cloning, primer design, as well as sequence alignment and blasting.

·        Demonstrated ability to work effectively and productively in a team-oriented environment.

Competencies & Skills

• Customer Focus
• Communication/Presentation Skills (spoken, written)
• Integrity/Ethics
• Initiative
• Sense of Urgency
• Teamwork
• Collaboration Skills
• Innovation

Physical Demands

• Requires both office and laboratory work
• Able to lift a minimum of 20 lbs.
• Exposure to chemicals used in a laboratory environment with proper Personal Protective Equipment
• Some domestic and international travels to collaborators and scientific conferences

Work Environment

• This position operates in a professional laboratory and office work environment
• This role requires hands-on laboratory work employing aseptic technique, standard molecular and microbial process with limited exposure to inorganic and organic compounds
• This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work

• This is a full-time position. Days and hours of work are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.  

Required Education and Experience

• A Ph.D. degree in virology, immunology, molecular biology and other related disciplines with >7 years drug discovery experience at pharmaceutical, biotech or academia
• The candidate is expected to have a strong background in molecular virology and vaccines
  and in conducting research using the latest technologies and advances in science
• Fluent in Korean
• Excellent communication skills are required as the candidate will participate in oral presentations and the preparation of written technical reports.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Please visit our careers site at http://www.immunomix.com/careers/.  Send your cover letter and credentials as described on the Careers page along with the Job Code: 2020 RD001 in the subject line.

Equal Opportunity Employer