The company

Vaccitech plc is a fast-growing biotech company. At only five years old we already have a development portfolio of six products, a partnered product that is in commercial production which has already seen more than 3 billion doses administered worldwide and an IPO behind us. We are a publicly-listed clinical stage biopharmaceutical company that spun out of the University of Oxford’s Jenner Institute, one of the most prestigious vaccine research centres in the world. We discover and develop immunotherapeutic products and vaccines for the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases and cancer. Our achievements include co-inventing and jointly developing our COVID-19 vaccine candidate VTP-900, now Vaxzevria, which we assigned to Oxford University Innovation to facilitate the licensing of those rights to AstraZeneca. We have clinical studies to explore treatments for patients with HBV and HPV infections and are developing rapid and scalable manufacturing processes for our platforms.

In December 2021 Vaccitech acquired Avidea Technologies with exciting product candidates for oncology and autoimmunity based on the innovative SNAPvax platform, which has demonstrated unprecedented control over T cell induction. This gives us US operational presence in Maryland, complements Vaccitech’s established capabilities and reinforces our position as a fast-growing global leader in immunotherapies and vaccines. From March 2022 Vaccitech's UK headquarters will be moving to a state-of-the-art facility in the UK's leading science and innovation campus at Harwell. We conduct research globally and have ambitious plans in the UK and US, where we will continue to grow our teams over the coming months and years.

The role

As a member of the Vaccitech MSAT (Manufacturing Science and Technology) team, the Senior Scientist will be expected to invent, develop, optimize, and conduct bench/pilot scale processes for Vaccitech vector platforms.

Work closely with team members within Vaccitech, Contract Service Providers and Contract Manufacturing Organisations to assist with the development, validation, and technology transfer of manufacturing processes.

This will include:

• Expectation to be present 60 % in the laboratory completing experimental work, 40 % designing experiments, writing high quality protocol and reports and line managing an associate down-stream scientist
• Development, optimisation, and characterisation of down-stream processes for viral vector platform to support the manufacture of seed stocks, drug substance and drug product to support Vaccitech CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing and Control) activities
• Process development and characterisation of clarification using depth filtration filters, tangential flow filtration using hollow fibres, and chromatography for capture and polishing steps
• Ensure all process development work is sufficiently documented to support regulatory submissions or intellectual property requirements when appropriate and all data collection and review activities are conducted in accordance with the company’s quality system and policies
• Provide support to upstream process development activities
• Contribute to the routine running of the laboratory and maintenance of the equipment
• Write technical SOPs, protocols, reports, or batch documents as required
• Assist in the technical transfer of processes to relevant Contract Manufacturers and provide technical input to support manufacturing campaigns.
• Participate in team and other scientific meetings, presenting data and conclusions as required.
• Adhere to applicable policies and procedures relating to working in the laboratory

Experience and qualifications required

The successful candidate will be degree educated in a scientific discipline and have a minimum of five years practical laboratory experience, mostly gained within a biotechnology or pharmaceutical setting. You must possess in depth knowledge and understanding of the following (or alternative technologies if relevant) such as to be able to perform experiments independently: depth filtration, tangential flow filtration, chromatography. You will have the ability to write and record laboratory activities clearly and accurately, familiar with Excel. Experience in handling genetically modified organisms e.g. viral vectors e.g. Adenovirus, Modified Vaccinia Ankara and a knowledge and understanding of mammalian cell culture would be a distinct advantage. Understanding principles of Design of Experiment and relevant software and knowledge of cGMP and root cause analysis are also desirable.

What we can offer you

Vaccitech is a great place to work. We encourage an entirely flat structure with an open door policy to the senior leadership team. Our employees agree the culture and working environment is one of the best things about our business. This position would suit somebody who wishes to get wholly embedded with a single company and grow an internal medical writing function from the ground up. As part of a small high growth business you will get the opportunity to be involved in many different areas and our rapid growth trajectory means you will have the opportunity to grow with us. We offer flexible forms of hybrid working, stock options to all employees, 25 days annual holidays increasing with length of service, an AXA Healthcare plan, Life Insurance and up to 5% pension contributions matched by the company.

Notice to recruiters

Vaccitech’s internal Talent Acquisition leads recruitment and employment for Vaccitech. Unsolicited resumes sent to Vaccitech from recruiters do not constitute any type of relationship between the recruiter and Vaccitech and do not obligate Vaccitech to pay fees should we hire from those resumes. Vaccitech operate a preferred list of recruitment suppliers, any and all enquiries about joining us as a supplier should be directed to Vaccitech’s TA Team. We ask that external recruiters and/ or agencies not contact or present candidates directly to our hiring manager or employees