Postdoctoral Research Scientist in Outbreak Pathogens

Location: Department of Paediatrics, Oxford Vaccine Group, Churchill Hospital, Oxford

Salary: Grade 7, £36,024 - £ 44,263 per annum (with a discretionary range to £48,350 per annum)

Hours: Full Time

Contract Type: Fixed-term (3 years initially)

About the Role: 

This position is offered full-time on a fixed-term contract initially for three years with the possibility to extend provided further external funding is available.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and driven individual to join the team of Professor Teresa Lambe, the postholder will be responsible for designing and vaccines which can prevent outbreak pathogens. The postholder will also be part of the Oxford Vaccine Group which is a multi-disciplinary team working across all aspects of vaccine research – this group led the rapid clinical development of vaccines against COVID-19 in the pandemic. The successful candidate will be an experienced and driven scientist who will develop and test vaccines that confer protective efficacy against remerging pathogens including Ebolavirus, Marburg virus, Junín virus and other viral haemorrhagic fevers. The postholder should have a relevant PhD and post-qualification research experience as described - including preclinical assessment of vaccines and experience with immunological assays such as ELISAs, ELISpot, multiparameter flow cytometry and intracellular cytokine secretion (ICS). You must thrive on scientific challenges associated with generating and analysing complex immunological data sets, be keen to learn, test and develop new analytical tools and methods and happy to work in a multi-functional team. 

Your skills and attributes for success: 

Essential

• Hold, or be close to completion of, a relevant PhD/DPhil in vaccinology or related immunological subjects.

• Possess sufficient specialist knowledge to design, plan, execute, analyse and present data from wet laboratory immunology experiments assessing vaccine candidates. Examples of techniques where you will be proficient include animal handling, ELISA, ELISpot, multiparameter flow cytometry, ICS, AIM assays

• Ability to manage own academic research by delivering high calibre analytical outputs and high degree of ambition and motivation.

• Previous experience of contributing to publications/presentations.

• Ability to contribute ideas for new research projects and research income generation, including a research budget.

• A responsible nature with a methodical and careful approach with the potential to plan and manage a research project, including a research budget.

• Excellent interpersonal skills and capacity to work collaboratively, including the ability to communicate results clearly and effectively by oral and written means, and to discuss scientific ideas.

• Willingness to contribute towards grant research proposals.

Desirable

• Experience in generation and purification of protein antigens.

• Experience in the generation of monoclonal antibodies.

• Experience of working to GCP and Knowledge of Human Tissue Authority regulations.

This role meets the criteria for a UK Skilled Worker visa.

You will be required to upload a CV and Supporting Statement as part of your online application. The Supporting Statement should include a cover letter and should also clearly describe how you meet each of the selection criteria listed in the job description.