Upstream Process Scientist

Title: Scientist Bioscience

Duration: Until the end of the year
Location: Gaithersburg, MD 20878 (onsite)

Interview: 1-30 minute teams interview

Pay rate - $45 to $50/Hr. on W2.

INTAKE CALL NOTES:

• Bioscience-focused role, with preference for candidates who have bacterial fermentation.
• Open to candidates with backgrounds in:
• Biotechnology
• Microbiology
• Biochemistry
• Chemistry combined with biology experience
• The role is primarily wet-lab based and works closely with the manager and the broader project team.
• The position involves executing experiments using a fully automated, customized AZ system for library screening.
• Prior automation or robotics experience is helpful but not required; the team will provide training.
• The candidate will receive hands-on training with an advanced automated platform that can complete processes in days that might otherwise take months.
• The team is open to candidates with zero years of experience, provided they demonstrate strong learning ability, organization, and initiative.
• A master’s degree or PhD is preferred, but a strong undergraduate candidate may also be considered.
• Standard hours are approximately 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., with flexibility preferred for candidates who can start around 7:00 a.m. and leave earlier.

Position Summary

The Bacterial Vaccines Biochemistry Team is seeking a motivated Upstream Process Development Contractor to support the optimization of microbial glycoprotein production. The successful candidate will contribute to a high-throughput screening programmed designed to identify microbial colonies with enhanced glycoprotein expression from a library of mutants.

The role will involve the use of automated liquid-handling platforms to support experimental workflows, including colony screening, sample preparation, assay set-up, and data generation. The contractor will work closely with scientists across upstream process development, molecular biology, analytical biochemistry, and automation.

This is a four-month opportunity suited to a candidate with practical experience in molecular biology techniques and immunoassays, together with an interest in developing expertise in laboratory automation, whole-genome sequencing, enzymatic glycosylation, library optimization, and high-throughput bioprocessing.

Candidate Profile

• The ideal candidate will have a Master’s degree or PhD in molecular biology, biochemistry, microbiology, biotechnology, bioengineering, or a related scientific discipline. Candidates with a Bachelor’s degree and relevant laboratory experience may also be considered, depending on their practical expertise.
• The candidate should have hands-on knowledge of molecular biology techniques, microbial culture, and immunoassay methods, preferably including ELISA. Experience with bacterial expression systems, protein or glycoprotein production, colony screening, library screening, or assay development would be advantageous.
• The role requires a careful and methodical approach to laboratory work, with the ability to follow protocols consistently while also contributing ideas to improve experimental workflows. The successful candidate should be comfortable working with repetitive, high-throughput experiments, analyzing quantitative data, and maintaining accurate records.

Day-to-day responsibilities

• Spend most of the day supporting experiments in the lab.
• Set up and operate automated workflows and laboratory equipment.
• Plan experiments and determine the required reagents and materials.
• Prepare plates and other materials for robotic processing.
• Support high-throughput culture workflows.
• Manage or monitor automated colony-picking and sample-processing steps.
• Allow the automated system to grow samples, collect aliquots, and transfer them into assays.
• Run high-throughput assays, including ELISA/immunoassays.
• Monitor individual workflow steps and understand the importance and criticality of each operation.
• Analyze and evaluate the data generated by the automated assays.
• Follow established methods and protocols accurately.
• Work closely with the manager and project team to understand both the biology and chemistry behind the workflow.
• Maintain a strong sense of responsibility, organization, and ownership over the experiments.
• Work primarily onsite in the lab, while spending time at a desk for data analysis and experiment planning.

Key Responsibilities

• The contractor will support the design, execution, and analysis of experiments to identify high-producing microbial colonies and optimize glycoprotein production conditions. Responsibilities will include:
• Supporting the development and execution of high-throughput microbial colony screening workflows using automated liquid-handling systems.
• Preparing microbial cultures, samples, reagents, and assay plates in accordance with approved experimental protocols.
• Operating and learning to program automated laboratory equipment for liquid transfer, dilution, plate preparation, and sample processing.
• Screening mutant libraries and assessing glycoprotein production using appropriate analytical methods, including immunoassays such as ELISA.
• Performing routine molecular biology techniques, which may include DNA extraction, PCR, plasmid preparation, transformation, and agarose gel electrophoresis.
• Supporting the evaluation and optimization of microbial libraries to identify improved glycoprotein-producing candidates.
• Contributing to sample preparation and data generation for whole-genome sequencing and related genomic analysis activities.
• Supporting experiments involving enzymatic glycosylation and the characterization of glycoprotein production.
• Recording experimental procedures, observations, and results accurately in electronic laboratory systems and approved documentation.
• Analysing experimental data, identifying trends, and communicating findings to project team members.
• Following all relevant laboratory, biosafety, quality, data integrity, and company procedures.

Desirable Experience

• Experience in one or more of the following areas would be beneficial:
• High-throughput screening or automated liquid-handling platforms.
• Bacterial strain engineering, transformation, or mutant library generation.
• Recombinant protein or glycoprotein expression and characterization.
• ELISA development, optimization, or other plate-based immunoassays.
• Whole-genome sequencing sample preparation or interpretation of sequencing results.
• Enzymatic glycosylation or glycoengineering.
• Laboratory automation, liquid-handler programming, or integration of automated workflows.
• Data analysis using tools such as Excel, GraphPad Prism, or equivalent software.
• Work in an industrial, regulated, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or vaccine-development environment.

Key Behaviors and Competencies

The successful candidate will demonstrate strong attention to detail, effective organization, and the ability to manage multiple experiments within agreed timelines. They should be able to work independently on defined tasks while collaborating effectively with scientists and technical colleagues.

Clear communication, reliable documentation, sound experimental judgement, and a commitment to laboratory safety and data integrity are essential. The candidate should also show enthusiasm for learning new technologies, particularly laboratory automation, genomics, glycoprotein production, and high-throughput process development.