Senior Associate Scientist (Contract), Formulation Development

Summary:

Vaxcyte has an exciting opportunity for a highly-motivated and talented individual to join our Formulation Development team. The Senior Research Associate Scientist will play a critical role in the development of innovative protein–polysaccharide conjugate vaccines.
The successful candidate will independently design, execute, and support formulation development activities to advance Vaxcyte’s drug product pipeline from early-stage development through clinical studies and commercialization. In this role, the candidate will lead complex experimental studies, including the design of formulation screening strategies, analytical testing, and physicochemical characterization of drug products; support investigations; and contribute to process optimization and technical problem-solving.

Essential Functions:

• Support and execute the manufacture of complex drug products to support formulation development, analytical development, animal immunogenicity studies, and process development.
• With guidance, design, plan, and independently perform complex experiments, including troubleshooting and optimization of formulation processes.
• Analyze and interpret experimental data; clearly communicate findings through presentations in working group meetings and contributions to technical reports and presentations.
• Analyze samples with biochemical, biophysical and particle characterization techniques, interpret results, and communicate conclusions to the broader team.
• Prepare buffers, solutions, and reagents to support formulation and analytical activities, ensuring accuracy and consistency.
• Maintain scientific rigor and ensure detailed, accurate documentation of all experiments conducted.
• Support and enhance laboratory organization, including bench management, inventory control, and compliance with safety and regulatory standards.
• Ensure accurate, thorough, and timely documentation of all experimental work in electronic lab notebooks.
• This position reports into the Formulation Development function and is part of the broader Process Development and Manufacturing group.
• This position will collaborate with cross-functional groups and the ability to work effectively in a collaborative environment is essential.
• Demonstrate agility in both scientific thinking and practical execution; a proactive, solution-oriented mindset is strongly encouraged.
• This is a lab-based position and requires the ability to stand or sit for extended periods as well as work in biosafety cabinets.

Requirements: 

• BS degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, or related field with minimum 5 years of relevant industry experience, or MS degree with minimum 3 years of relevant industry experience. Experience in vaccine formulation development is a plus.
• Strong hands-on experience in buffer preparation, formulation development, and laboratory techniques.
• Demonstrated ability to independently design and execute experiments and troubleshoot technical challenges.
• Proficiency in maintaining detailed and accurate records; experience with electronic lab notebooks (ELN) is required.
• Experience interpreting complex data sets with data analysis tools (e.g., GraphPad Prism, JMP) and a solid understanding of statistical analysis is preferred.
• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail in pipetting, sample preparation, and data recording.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Proven ability to work effectively in a cross-functional, collaborative environment across multiple projects.
• Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated initiative, scientific curiosity, and the ability to contribute strategically within a fast-paced team.