Scientist I, Immunology

**Position Description**

**Job Title**: Scientist I, Immunology
**Location**: Antibody Translational Research Program (ATRP), Faridabad, India
**Reports to**: Country Director, India

**Position Summary**:
IAVI is seeking a motivated and experienced Scientist to lead and ensure scientifically robust execution of R&D projects in alignment with the scientific mandate of the ATRP and IAVI. The Scientist works on priority disease areas such as HIV-1, SARS-CoV-2 amongst others. The Scientist plans and leads the expansion of research in areas of B-cell immunology, preclinical and clinical assay development, and uses standard platforms for antibody discovery and repertoire analysis such as single B cell sorting and 10x genomics sequencing.

**Key Responsibilities**:

- Leads ATRP’s research projects’ implementation through development of scientific strategy, execution of experimental plans, data evaluation and interpretation, and results presentation.
- Ensures overall scientific excellence and quality of data outputs of the projects by troubleshooting of assays/protocols, optimization of standard operating procedures and processes as well as reviewing scientific data to meet global standards in coordination with ATRP leadership.
- Leads development, optimization, qualification, and validation of assays.
- Executes on multi-color flow cytometry and FACS with advanced proficiency.
- Mentors and trains junior research associates.
- Contributes to transfer of technical methodologies/assay to cross-functional internal or external groups as required.
- Contributes to the development of new research proposals in alignment with ATRP’s scientific mandate, and execution of the projects with internal / external teams or collaborators.
- Works in close partnership and coordination with translational research and product development teams at IAVI.

**Education and Work Experience**:

- PhD in Immunology or a related discipline is required.
- Minimum 3 years of work experience post PhD with focus on immunology, vaccine research for infectious diseases with high quality publications, is required.
- Experience in vaccine or, clinical research, or product development is highly desirable.

**Qualifications and Skills**:

- Proficiency in B-cell biology, including assay development and qualification is required.
- Experience with multi-color flow cytometry, encompassing panel design, cell sorting, and data analysis using software such as DIVA, FlowJo, and GraphPad.
- Experience critically assessing data and methods and lead troubleshooting investigations is required.
- Experience in independently handling funded grants/projects is required.
- A good-track of peer-reviewed, high-impact publications in the desired area is required.
- Ability to project manage effectively including maintenance of laboratory notebooks, computer file organization, data management is required.
- Self-driven, highly motivated and result oriented strategic thinker, with ability to meet deadlines in a fast-paced quickly changing environment is required.
- Interpersonal skills with proven ability to develop relationships and work collaboratively in teams with others from a range of disciplines and cultures is required.
- Excellent written and oral communication is required.
- Desirable skills include single
- cell RNA sequencing (ideally 10x Genomics), immunological assays, BSL-3 pathogen experience, cell culture expertise, and familiarity with bioinformatic platforms (R software, SPSS).

**Organizational Overview**:
**About ATRP**:
The Antibody Translational Research Program (ATRP) is a joint collaborative program between IAVI and Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), for developing antibodies and vaccines against HIV/AIDS, TB, emerging infectious diseases like COVID-19 and RSV, and other regional and global health threats. It is located at the NCR Biotech Science Cluster in Faridabad, India and closely linked with IAVI’s Neutralizing Antibody Center (NAC), USA and its global network of laboratories, including those in Africa. ATRP has also established partnerships with leading academic labs in India & globally, for conducting research & building capacities for facilitating indigenous scientific innovation in and between LMICs.

The program comprises of an interdisciplinary group of scientists from both IAVI and THSTI with unique capabilities and multifaceted experience, which enable it to drive the mandate of vaccine and antibody research. The science at ATRP is driven on understanding the HIV-1 virus through genetic and functional characterization to inform development of region-specific HIV prevention products; discovery and development of novel mAbs; evaluate of host-immune responses induced by natural infection and post vaccination; and characterization of B-cell repertoire using next-generation technologies to inform further development of novel vaccines and antibodies.

**IAVI CORE VALUES**:

- Dedication to the Miss