Jobs in Structural Biology and Related Fields


Senior Scientist- Protein Engineering and Production


Basel, Switzerland
Application deadline: 20 Dec 2022


Senior Scientist, Protein Engineering and Production, 100%

Basel, Basel City | Full Time

 

Vector BioPharma AG, a new Basel-based biotech start-up, is recruiting a large team to support the development of gene therapy vectors for a range of applications in pharmaceuticals. They are a technology-driven start-up company providing precision gene delivery solutions that reinvent the way we treat patients. They deploy cutting-edge platform technologies founded in world-class academic research in protein engineering to solve the drug “delivery problem” in a revolutionary way. They use engineered viral vectors to achieve cell and tissue specific expression of genes and regulators at unprecedented efficacy and safety. We are an international team of scientists, engineers and pharmaceutical professionals committed to excellence in science. They value diversity and inclusion and support our people in their personal and career development. Basel, Switzerland is at the intersection of the Swiss, French, and German borders. The city is well-known for its art, culture, and science, and is regarded as a global hub for the pharmaceutical industry. Their labs are located at Basel’s Technology Park, an established incubator with a proven track record in developing successful biotech start-ups.

 

In order to support and build up our protein engineering and production team, Vector BioPharma are looking for a Senior Scientist (100%) experienced in protein engineering, expression, purification and characterization. In this role, she / he will be responsible for the generation of binding protein moieties by protein engineering and selection from libraries. The underlying libraries will be designed, set up and maintained by the successful candidate either in-house or in collaboration with external service providers and she / he will be responsible for validation of the corresponding hits. Moreover, the offered position involves the expression of protein constructs in mammalian and bacterial cells and the purification of these proteins using state- of-the-art chromatographic techniques. The Senior Scientist will closely collaborate with Vector BioPharma’s application teams to provide optimal protein reagents for research and preclinical purposes. For this challenging position, we are looking for a highly motivated and experienced Senior Scientist with a proven track record in antibody engineering, expression, purification, and characterization.

 

RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Design and engineer protein constructs and perform all stages of cloning, recombinant protein expression (in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells), purification and analytical characterization.
  • Design, setup and maintain libraries for the selection of antibody fragments and further binding moieties.
  • Screen, express, purify and characterize selected binding proteins.
  • Evaluate, select, and manage external service providers.
  • Participate in multiple simultaneous cross-functional projects.
  • Present scientific data internally to team members, e.g., at project team meetings, and
  • to upper management.
  • Lead the establishment of SOPs for use of specialized equipment, such as
  • chromatography systems, centrifuges, and analytical systems as required.
  • Participate in day-to-day laboratory management and organization activities.
  • Support a culture of scientific excellence, continuous learning and increasing the
  • team's ability to engineer proteins.

 

QUALIFICATIONS

  • PhD in biochemistry, biotechnology or related field with 3+ years’ experience in antibody or antibody fragment engineering, expression, purification and characterization. MSc with 6+ years’ industrial experience are as well welcome to apply.
  • Extensive knowledge and experience in antibody formatting and engineering.
  • Design, setup and regular use of protein libraries ideally for selection of antibodies or
  • antibody fragments.
  • Demonstrated experience with protein expression in mammalian and bacterial host
  • cell systems.
  • Hands-on experience with protein purification and associated techniques such as
  •        chromatography, filtration and centrifugation.
  • Strong understanding of analytical techniques and experience in protein / antibody
  • characterization methods such as SDS-PAGE, HPLC, ELISA, SPR, BLI and DLS.
  • Proven track record in project management and delivery.
  • Proficiency (e.g. C1 level) in both, written and spoken English.
  • Must be highly independent, able to work in a fast-growing and highly diverse
  • international team and thrive in a “start-up” environment.
  • Good computer skills required (MS Office, Apple hardware). Experience with
  • electronic lab notebook (ELN), protein modelling, molecular biology and data analysis software, or other laboratory software(s) is a plus.

WHAT WE CURRENTLY OFFER

  • Offices: Our well-equipped laboratories and offices are located at the Tech Park, a premier address for early-stage start-ups in Basel.
  • Commuter Benefits: We support our employees tailored to their personal needs in commuting to work and offer parking facilities or a commuter contribution.
  • Flexible Working: We support flexible working as appropriate.
  • Christmas Closure: In addition to the 24 holidays per year, our offices/labs are closed
  • between Christmas and New Year.
  • Birthday Retreat: On top of that, your birthday is your personal holiday - our
  • employees enjoy their birthday with a day off.
  • Food: We like get-togethers during lunch time. Enjoy tasty, subsidised meals from our
  • FELFEL food fridge.
  • Coffee: Meet up with your colleagues and grab free coffee.
  • Development: We support the individual development of our employees.
  • German Lessons: For our international employees we support German lessons to
  • speed up integration.
  • Creativity: We offer an innovative and creative environment.
  • People: We are an international and diverse team with talented and passionate
  • people.
  • Fun: From time-to-time we organise cool off-site summer and winter team events.
  • To apply, please send us the application form together with your CV, Cover Letter and 2-3 professional references.

Basel, Switzerland