Senior Postdoctoral Research Scientist in Outbreak Pathogens
Location: Department of Paediatrics, Oxford Vaccine Group, Churchill Hospital, Oxford
Hours: Full time
Contract Type: Fixed-term (3 years initially)
Salary: Grade 8, £ 45,585 - £ 54,395 per annum (with a discretionary range to £59,421 per annum)
About the role:
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. The successful candidate will be able to train junior team members including providing technical advice and intellectual support.
Your skills and attributes for success:
Essential
• Hold a PhD in vaccinology, or other closely related immunological subject with post-qualification research experience.
• Possess sufficient specialist knowledge to independently 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 deliver high-calibre analytical outputs as evidenced through a strong publication record in high-quality peer-reviewed journals and a high degree of ambition and self-motivation.
• Previous experience of contributing to publications/presentations.
• Possess sufficient specialist knowledge in infectious disease and vaccine development.
• 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, whilst also contributing towards grant research proposals.
• Ability to independently 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.
• Experience of providing technical advice and intellectual support to others including PhD Students, Research Assistants, Postdoctoral Scientists and Clinicians
• Ability to raise research funds through making grant applications.
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.
• Experience of submitting grant applications.
• Experience of supervising staff.
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.