MRNA Immuno-Oncology Scientist

Principal Scientist

Our client, a leading organization in the biotechnology and vaccine development industry, is seeking a Principal Scientist to join their team. As a Principal Scientist, you will be part of the Vaccine Research and Development department supporting innovative projects in cellular assay development.

What's the Job?

• Lead development of scalable, cell-based assay platforms for evaluating multi-epitope mRNA construct designs in a high-throughput environment.
• Provide technical leadership in flow cytometry and microscopy-based cellular readouts to optimize vaccine constructs.
• Collaborate with molecular biology and RNA teams to design experiments and interpret assay data for clear design recommendations.
• Establish and maintain robust workflows using cell lines ensuring assay reproducibility and operational compliance.
• Enable throughput-ready execution (96/384-well formats; standardized controls and analysis templates)
• Stay current with scientific advancements in RNA vaccines and contribute to internal reports and scientific publications.

What's Needed?

• PhD in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Immunology, or related field with 3+ years of postdoctoral or industry experience, or MS with 8+ years of experience.
• Strong knowledge of molecular biology techniques, RNA biology, and vaccine principles.
• Hands-on expertise in flow cytometry, including panel design, data analysis, and troubleshooting.
• Experience working with immune or engineered cell lines and microscopy-based cellular assays.
• Ability to develop high-throughput screening assays and operate liquid-handling automation platforms is preferred.
• Experience with high-throughput screening of cellular assays (96/384-well), including assay miniaturization, robustness metrics, and automation-aware design.
• Hands-on experience operating liquid-handling platforms (e.g., Tecan, Hamilton) and/or partnering effectively with automation engineers.
• Familiarity with multiplex protein assays (e.g., bead-based cytokine panels).
• Expertise developing and running T cell functional assays and translating results into actionable construct design decisions.
• Expertise in antigen processing and presentation pathways.
• Familiarity with immunopeptidomics.
• Working knowledge of data workflows for high-throughput biology (LIMS integration, assay metadata standards, reproducible analysis pipelines).

What's in it for me?

• Opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge vaccine research and development.
• Collaborative and innovative work environment.
• Access to advanced laboratory technologies and resources.
• Professional growth and development opportunities.
• Be part of a mission-driven organization dedicated to improving global health.

Upon completion of waiting period consultants are eligible for:

• Medical and Prescription Drug Plans
• Dental Plan
• Vision Plan
• Health Savings Account
• Health Flexible Spending Account
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
• Supplemental Life Insurance
• Short Term and Long Term Disability Insurance
• Business Travel Insurance
• 401(k), Plus Match
• Weekly Pay