As an organization whose mission is to translate science into global public health impact, working on vaccines and therapeutics, IAVI has a vaccine policy which states that subject to applicable law, we require all U.S. and Puerto Rico based employees to be vaccinated for COVID-19, unless they have an approved medical or religious exemption or accommodation. We are committed to supporting our employees during this process as we work to ensure a safe and healthy work environment.

Position Description

Job Title: Research Associate I
Location: Neutralizing Antibody Center, San Diego, CA
Reports to: Principal Scientist, AMR Immunotherapeutics

Position Summary:

IAVI is seeking a Research Associate I who is passionate and eager to make an impact on global health!

The Research Associate I will support the senior research associates, postdoctoral associates, and scientists of the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) team, in an effort to develop effective immunotherapies for the purpose of combatting antimicrobial resistant infections in low- and middle- income countries. The Associate contributes to an ongoing collaborative effort to discover and engineer antibodies with bactericidal and/or neutralizing activity against enteric bacterial pathogens such as Shigella, to engineer potential protein therapeutics and inform vaccine design. The Associate will execute reagent production, high-throughput serum bactericidal assays, antibody isolation and characterization, routine cell-culture, and bacterial virulence assays.

Key Responsibilities:

• Perform routine bacterial, yeast, and mammalian cell culture with minimal supervision.
• Assist in production and isolation of reagents such as antibodies, lipopolysaccharide, and outer membrane vesicles from mammalian, yeast, and bacterial production systems.
• Assist in the biochemical characterization of antibodies and other proteins with the support from the team.
• Independently evaluate lead antibody candidates by conducting effector function assays and Shigella virulence assays.
• Assist with setup and operation of cell sorters for antigen-specific single cell sorting.
• Other duties and tasks as directed by the Principal Scientist.

Education and Work Experience:

• A Bachelor’s degree in the Biological Sciences or a related field is required.
• Minimum of 1 year of experience in laboratory work related to biochemistry, immunology, or microbiology (protein production, molecular cloning, ELISAs, bacterial transformation) is required.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Basic understanding of good standard laboratory safety practices is required.
• Experience working with BSL2 pathogens or other potentially infectious samples is required.
• Excellent communication skills, data presentation skills, and the ability to read, understand, and discuss relevant literature with co-workers.
• Excellent time management skills and task management skills.
• Ability to work both independently and as a team member.
• Excellent proficiency in MS Office suite.
• Prior experience with experimental design, data handling, and statistical analysis is a plus.
• Cultural sensitivity and respect for diverse colleagues.

Organizational Overview:

IAVI is a nonprofit scientific research organization dedicated to addressing urgent, unmet global health challenges including HIV and tuberculosis. Our mission is to translate scientific discoveries into affordable, globally accessible public health solutions. Through scientific and clinical research in Africa, India, Europe, and the U.S., IAVI is pioneering the development of biomedical innovations designed for broad global access. We develop vaccines and antibodies in and for the developing world and seek to accelerate their introduction in low-income countries. IAVI programs and partnerships are grounded in the regions of the world where the disease burden is the greatest, and our approach emphasizes sustainability. Our network of clinical research center partners in Africa and India helps strengthen in-country research capacity and supports the training and education of the next generation of scientists. The global impact of our science includes fundamental contributions to understanding the biology of HIV infection, which IAVI and others are applying toward advancing vaccine science and immunology. IAVI accelerates scientific discovery and development by fostering unique collaborations among academia, industry, local communities, governments, and funders to explore new and better ways to address public health threats that disproportionately affect people living in poverty. Our global reach, including a clinical research network in five countries in sub-Saharan Africa and in India, has allowed us to make fundamental contributions to understanding the epidemiology, transmission, virology, and immunology of HIV. This work played a key role in facilitating the design of promising HIV vaccine candidates, as well as the discovery of broadly neutralizing antibodies that are now being advanced as promising approaches for HIV prevention. Our integrated capabilities in vaccine and antibody discovery, development, and clinical research take advantage of bio-pharmaceutical industry expertise to accelerate the development and testing of prevention methods for HIV and other diseases. Through the Product Development Center, we support external researchers with technical and scientific expertise to accelerate the development of their own products.

About the NAC:

IAVI’s Neutralizing Antibody Center (NAC) was established in 2002 at Scripps Research in La Jolla, CA, and today, is a leading source of innovation in the study of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) and the design of immunogens to elicit these antibodies through vaccination. The NAC brings together leading investigators — including structural and computational biologists, immunologists, protein chemists, and glycobiologists — from institutions worldwide.

IAVI CORE VALUES:

• Dedication to the Mission: We are committed to the translation of scientific discoveries into affordable, globally accessible public health solutions. 
• Innovative Evolution: We are committed to solving complex problems in creative and innovative ways, learning from our mistakes and successes and never giving up 
• Integrity: We are committed to meeting the highest ethical and professional standards in everything we do and to taking responsibility for our actions to earn respect 
• Collaboration: We are committed to embracing diversity, the power of global teamwork and the belief that by working as one we can make a difference

Disclaimer: Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and skills required of personnel so classified. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at-will” relationship. IAVI is an equal opportunity employer and applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status. 

IAVI IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER actively committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive global organization. IAVI believes that diversity and inclusion among our teammates is critical, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a representative candidate pool. At IAVI, we celebrate the spectrum of colleagues’ experiences and believe that dedication to our mission above all is essential to our success as a scientific global non-profit. IAVI upholds these principles through IAVI’s Global Diversity and Inclusion Committee. 

IAVI has zero tolerance for discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, caste, national origin, home language, ancestry, religion, marital or civil partnership status, age, physical or mental disability, HIV status and any other medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and veteran status, in addition to any other status protected under the law in any of our locations worldwide.

Compensation and Benefits Information for US-Based Candidates: 

Annual base salary for this position is: $60,000.00 - 68,000.00

Please note, there may be some variation based on experience level. In addition, this position offers competitive benefits such as annual bonus, generous retirement savings plan, three health insurance plans to choose from, and other benefits.