Senior Director, Bacterial Vaccine Biochemistry
AstraZeneca

Job Info

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Senior Director of Bacterial Vaccine Biochemistry in Early Vaccines and Immune Therapies is leading efforts to develop and deliver robust methods to express and purify bacterial carbohydrates, carbohydrate bioconjugate vaccines and protein-based vaccine antigens.

This individual will lead a team of scientists developing methods to produce bacterial vaccines for early research and development programs. The team will employ specialized molecular biology methods to optimize expression of bacterial carbohydrates, proteins and bioconjugate vaccines in bacterial expression systems and develop robust, scalable purification methods to transfer for scale-up in Bioprocess Development. The role will be responsible for influencing senior internal partners in Research, Bioprocess Development and Regulatory Affairs and lead external academic collaborations and contract manufacturers to deliver novel vaccines.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop robust expression, purification, and formulation methods for a portfolio of bacterial vaccine projects from target discovery through clinical stage product development ensuring cross-functional alignment.
• Lead team to deliver methods for optimized expression / fermentation, purification and formulation of candidate vaccine antigens including bacterial carbohydrates, carbohydrate bioconjugate vaccines, protein subunit and novel antibacterial vaccine platforms
• Establish strategic partnership with Bioprocess Development to develop scalable, robust processes to ensure an effective transition from research to clinical development and commercialization.
• Oversight and accountability of partnerships with third parties, academic or contract manufacturers
• Develop internal and external partnerships to fully characterize purified vaccine antigens including carbohydrates, carbohydrate conjugates and proteins antigens
• Build and nurture effective relationships with senior and executive collaborators in Research, Bioprocess Development, Clinical and Translational Medicine and Global Project Teams to ensure alignment across functions
• Responsible for ensuring all projects within their area and their teams clearly and objectively communicate results, as well as their associated risks, uncertainties, and limitations
• Define the training standards for junior colleagues in line with established standards and principles

Essential Skills

• Bachelors or Master's Degree (and 5 or more years of experience) in microbiology, carbohydrate chemistry, protein biochemistry, molecular biology, biochemistry, or a related field
• Experience leading and mentoring junior colleagues
• Experience developing methods to purify bacterial vaccine antigens including carbohydrate conjugates, carbohydrate bioconjugate and/or protein subunit vaccine
• Experience with methods to characterize quality of bacterial vaccine antigen structure and function
• Experience working in a cross-functional team to optimize and transfer methods for scale-up of bacterial vaccine production
• Experience designing and implementing novel methods to support vaccine development
• Experience supporting or leading interdisciplinary vaccine discovery or development programs
• Experience developing and controlling budgets
• Excellent written and verbal communication, business analysis, and consultancy skills

Desired Skills

• PhD degree with experience in microbiology, carbohydrate chemistry, protein biochemistry, molecular biology, biochemistry, or a related subject area
• Experience working with and leading scientists across subject areas
• Familiarity with fermentation to optimize carbohydrate or recombinant protein expression
• Proven track record of publishing relevant results and tools in peer-reviewed journals, conferences, and other scientific proceedings.
• Experience in life sciences and healthcare
• Experience in novel methods development and application
• Experience in a sophisticated global organization

Why AstraZeneca?

At AstraZeneca when we see an opportunity for change, we seize it and make it happen, because any opportunity no matter how tiny, can be the start of something significant. Delivering life-changing medicines is about being entrepreneurial - finding those moments and recognizing their potential. Join us on our journey of building a new kind of organization to reset expectations of what a bio-pharmaceutical company can be. This means we're opening new ways to work, pioneering groundbreaking methods, and bringing unexpected teams together. Interested? Come and join our journey.

So, what's next?

Do you want to bring new insights and fresh thinking to the table? Brilliant! We have one seat available, and we hope it's yours.

Where can I find out more?

Check out our landing page for more information on our BPD group https://careers.astrazeneca.com/bpd

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AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics. We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.

AstraZeneca requires all US employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 but will consider requests for reasonable accommodations as required by applicable law.

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