Research Associate I

 Position Description:
  

Title: Research Associate I
Location: La Jolla, CA  

Position Summary:   

The
candidate will participate in the execution and interpretation of experiments related to projects focused on the characterization of neutralizing antibodies
and antibody responses to HIV-1 infection, mechanisms of neutralization and antibody-mediated protection.  

Minimum
qualifications include M.S. or B.S. degree in cell biology or related field. Any appropriate combination of education, certifications, and/or relevant work
experience will be considered.  

Key Responsibilities:   

• Molecular biology
  including, but not limited to:   

o Design and maintenance of different vector constructs  

o Performing 96 well RT-PCR and PCR reactions  

o Perform site-directed mutagenesis  

o Different cloning techniques (Gibson, gateway, etc)  

o Giga/maxi/mini prep of bacterial cultures   

• Protein production
  and purification   

o Mammalian cell transfection and purification by FPLC  

o Characterization of proteins for stability and antigenicity    

• Flow cytometry   

o Experience with an ARIA, Fusion, or LSR flow cytometers  

o Working knowledge of fluorophores and compensation   

• Cell cultures   

o Processing, freezing, thawing cell cultures  

o Separation of PBMCs by ficoll gradient   

o Culturing of different mammalian cell lines   

• Organize
  effectively and discuss data  
• Ability to
  multitask different techniques in parallel   

Education, Experience and Skills:    

• Candidate must have a B.S. in Biological Sciences or related field and minimum 2 years experience in a research setting or a M.S. degree with minimum of 1 year experience in a research setting 
• Experience in mammalian tissue culture, cell-based reporter assays, molecular techniques
  such as site-directed mutagenesis and cloning Planning and problem solving skills  
• Strong analytical, writing and communication in English  
• Team player with ability to work independently   

Leadership
and Communication:  

· Receptive
to and takes positive action on feedback, recommendations and requests;  

· Listens
actively and communicates effectively with others;  

· Clearly articulates viewpoints and respects
others’ ideas;  

· Takes
proactive steps to collaborate with members from other teams/departments;  

· Strives for
excellence and seeks solutions to system/process failures;  

· Fulfills
commitments; and is accountable for outcomes.  

· Mission
oriented and self-motivated  

IAVI
Core Values:  

Dedication
to the Mission: We are
committed to the development of safe, effective, accessible, preventive HIV
vaccines for use throughout the world to achieve a world without AIDS  

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 glocal teamwork and the
belief that by working as one we can make a difference  

The Organization:  

The
International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) is a nonprofit scientific
organization whose mission is to develop vaccines and other biomedical
innovations that prevent HIV infection. Since its founding in 1996, IAVI has
provided scientific, research and development, and policy leadership to address
the needs of communities and key populations at risk for HIV infection around
the world. IAVI works with more than 100 academic, industry, government, civil
society, clinical, and community partners in more than 25 countries. IAVI is
committed to supporting the broad field of HIV vaccine research and to
fostering collaborations that accelerate the development and availability of
new prevention tools. In pursuit of our goals, we work to catalyze and support
novel partnership models that engage partners from both the public and private
sectors across the product development continuum.   

IAVI’s
global reach, including its clinical research network in five countries in
sub-Saharan Africa and in India, has allowed IAVI to make fundamental
contributions to understanding of the epidemiology, transmission, natural
history, virology, and immunology of HIV infection. This work played a key role
in facilitating the structure-based 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. IAVI’s integrated
capabilities in vaccine discovery, development, and clinical research take
advantage of biopharmaceutical industry expertise to accelerate the development
and testing of novel HIV vaccine candidates.   

In addition to its core HIV vaccine effort,
IAVI is working to amplify its global health impact by working with partners to
address other urgent unmet public health needs – such as vaccines for other
infectious diseases (e.g., Tuberculosis, other emerging infectious diseases,
such as Lassa Fever Virus, etc.) or other global health challenges, where our
existing technologies, assets, and experience can add unique value.