Scientist – Bacterial Vaccine Discovery

Location: Gaithersburg, MD

Hybrid model (3-4 day in laboratory, 1-2 remote)

We are seeking a highly motivated Scientist with a background in microbiology, immunology or a related field to join our dynamic Bacterial Vaccine Discovery group in early Infectious Disease. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to our mission of preventing serious bacterial infections. AstraZeneca is developing new and innovative vaccines against bacterial pathogens, while using various, novel platforms. As a Scientist, you will be a key player in supporting the target discovery, in vitro and in vivo testing of our vaccine candidates, while using your expertise in microbiology or immunology to establish and support assay systems and deliver datasets that will have direct impact on pipeline programs

We offer a unique and strong collaborative network as part of the AstraZeneca family, and leverage the broad array of technologies available in our organization. 

Major duties and responsibilities: In this laboratory-based position, you will develop, conduct and analyze in vitro and in vivo experiments to assess the functional immune response to novel bacterial vaccine candidates. You will support the evaluation of different mechanisms of action and assess their contribution to in vivo protection. You will work collaboratively with colleagues within the group and across the Bacterial Vaccine department to ensure the timely generation and dissemination of critical program data. Additionally, you will review emerging literature and internal data to help in identifying novel assays and models to assess vaccine efficacy and target validation. The ideal candidate is expected to work with minimum to medium supervision, demonstrate strong organization, and excellent communication skills.

Required Skills:

Minimum of 2 years of experience in:

• Experience with culturing and working with bacteria and/or human cell lines.
• Experience with relevant immunological techniques to characterize the humoral immune response against infections or vaccines (western blot, ELISA, bacteria cell-based ELISA, Flow/surface staining)
• Experience with developing and executing assays to assess antibody function (opsonophagocytic killing assay, serum bactericidal assay, adhesion/invasion assay, toxin neutralization assay)
• Able to design and execute research plans, and to review, analyze, and interpret experimental results.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to work with high regard to quality and safety.
• Able to draft, execute and record protocols and experiments in a timely manner and maintain an excellent laboratory notebook.
• Strong interpersonal, influencing, and collaboration skills.
• Experience in preparing written scientific reports and oral presentations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with and willingness to perform mouse models (intraperitoneal, intranasal, intravenous injections, organ load studies) is a plus
• Bacterial manipulation experience (knock out, gain of function experiments, bacterial target purification) would be a plus

Educational Requirements

Education: B.S in a relevant research area with >2 years research experience in immunology, microbiology or other related scientific discipline.

Date Posted

28-may-2026

Closing Date

25-jun-2026

Our mission is to build an inclusive environment where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees. In furtherance of that mission, we welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their protected characteristics. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please complete the corresponding section in the application form.

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics. We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorisation and employment eligibility verification requirements.