Junior scientist – Mass Spectrometry | Bacterial Vaccines| Zuid-Holland

Location: Netherlands

SIRE® is the market leader in Life Sciences recruitment. We believe the recruitment market needs to gear up in technology and continuous innovation. We like technology, in a Life Sciences market driven on science, we couldn’t stay behind; we drive Recruitment Science. Investing a majority of our turnover in technology enables us to use unique Resource Technologies. By using highly advanced algorithms, we enable our team of Resource & Data Strategists© to maintain the most advanced, detailed and complete Life Sciences network in Europe. This big data enables us to work Reverse Recruitment©: we first analyze the market in-depth before we go out to the market. Because we analyze the whole market, we can compare facts and data. This enables us to do Facts & Big Data Recruitment©, making sure we, or better yet, you find the right career!Our client is a professional Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology organisation, based in Zuid-Holland Netherlands.

The Company

They develop vaccines that are the first or best in their class and protect against some of the world's most life-threatening infectious diseases. The pathogens against which vaccines are developed include Ebola, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Extra-intestinal Pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC), Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), polio and influenza.

Role Description

The Bacterial Vaccines (BacVac) department is working on the discovery and early development of novel vaccines for bacterial infectious diseases. It strives to address unmet medical needs, such as bacteremia (sepsis), meningitis, and respiratory tract and nosocomial infections. Projects at the Bacterial Vaccines department are primarily structured on scientific and technical collaboration with external biotechnology partners (governmental and industrial) that are innovative leaders in their field. This working process includes ‘state of the art’ vaccine discovery, with subsequent in vivo evaluation of these vaccine candidates in animal models for immunogenicity and/or efficacy. In addition, manufacturing processes are optimized and established, and the resulting clinical trial material is evaluated in human clinical studies.

Responsibilities

In the course of two years you will participate in three major vaccine projects. In the course of your work, you will interact with various Bacterial Vaccines teams, and with Janssen vaccine support departments. You will be expected to perform laboratory work in person and help contract research organizations plan and execute their assignments. Your main responsibilities will be:
• Analyze carbohydrate-, protein-, or glycoconjugate-based antigens.
• Know, implement and improve established tests for carbohydrates, proteins, glycoconjugates, and particle-based vaccines.
• Support equipment selection, purchase and maintenance for the Mass spectrometry facility.
• Design, lead and perform mass spectrometry-based experiments and analyses related to structure elucidation of large molecules, and more specifically proteins, glycoproteins and/or peptides.
• Execute high-resolution MS experiments and perform basic maintenance and troubleshooting of the instruments.
• Apply state-of–the art analytical chemistry to ensure a targeted approach to problem solving and delivering relevant results. Work in a multidisciplinary team of researchers and show willingness to learn/explore new techniques
• Act quickly, lead and provide expertise and solutions for advanced characterization of pharmaceutical products and support investigations. Develop test procedures and write scientific and investigations reports
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, GMP and safety.
• Stay up to date with the scientific literature.
• Initiate and follow up collaboration with external partners and universities.
• Support CROs to plan, execute, document, and review their work.

Requirements

• PhD or M.Sc. with equivalent experience
• Mass spectrometry specialist.
• Minimal 2-5 years of professional experience (experience at an industry setting is preferred).
• Experience with mass spectrometry of carbohydrates (glycans, glycopeptides, polysaccharides), proteins and glycoconjugates.
• Knowledge of analytical literature, with emphasis on carbohydrates and glycopeptides.
• Very good knowledge on bacterial polysaccharides
• Hands on expertise on structural elucidation of bacterial polysaccharides
• Experience and knowledge on chemical transformation of bacterial oligosaccharides
• An expert on mass spectrometry of protein and glycans
• An expert on maintaining and setting up experiments on mass spectrometers
• A through knowledge on mass spectrometric application of small molecules is desirable
• Knowledge of assay qualification and validation (ICH guidelines).
• Must have: HPLC (SEC, RP, NP, etc.), mass spectrometry
• Must to have: carbohydrate analysis classical methods (hydrolysis, hydrazinolysis, methylation, etc.),

Are you interested and do want to apply for this role, please fill out your application via the apply button below and contact Cees Roffelsen.