Research Associate I

Position Description:

Title: Research Associate I Location: La Jolla, CA

Position Summary:

The candidate will participate in the execution and interpretation of experiments related to projects focused on the characterization of neutralizing antibodies and antibody responses to HIV-1 infection, mechanisms of neutralization and antibody-mediated protection.

Minimum qualifications include M.S. or B.S. degree in cell biology or related field. Any appropriate combination of education, certifications, and/or relevant work experience will be considered.

Key Responsibilities:

• Molecular biology

including, but not limited to:

o Design and maintenance of different vector constructs

o Performing 96 well RT-PCR and PCR reactions

o Perform site-directed mutagenesis

o Different cloning techniques (Gibson, gateway, etc)

o Giga/maxi/mini prep of bacterial cultures

• Protein production and purification

o Mammalian cell transfection and purification by FPLC

o Characterization of proteins for stability and antigenicity

• Flow cytometry

o Experience with an ARIA, Fusion, or LSR flow cytometers

o Working knowledge of fluorophores and compensation

• Cell cultures

o Processing, freezing, thawing cell cultures

o Separation of PBMCs by ficoll gradient

o Culturing of different mammalian cell lines

• Organize effectively and discuss data
• Ability to multitask different techniques in parallel

Education, Experience and Skills:

• Candidate must have a B.S. in Biological Sciences or related field and minimum 2 years experience in a research setting or a M.S. degree with minimum of 1 year experience in a research setting
• Experience in mammalian tissue culture, cell-based reporter assays, molecular techniques such as site-directed mutagenesis and cloning Planning and problem solving skills
• Strong analytical, writing and communication in English
• Team player with ability to work independently

Leadership

and Communication:

· Receptive to and takes positive action on feedback, recommendations and requests;

· Listens actively and communicates effectively with others;

· Clearly articulates viewpoints and respects others’ ideas;

· Takes proactive steps to collaborate with members from other teams/departments;

· Strives for excellence and seeks solutions to system/process failures;

· Fulfills commitments; and is accountable for outcomes.

· Mission oriented and self-motivated

IAVI

Core Values:

Dedication to the Mission: We are committed to the development of safe, effective, accessible, preventive HIV vaccines for use throughout the world to achieve a world without AIDS

Innovative Evolution: We are committed to solving complex problems in creative and innovative ways, learning from our mistakes and successes and never giving up

Integrity: We are committed to meeting the highest ethical and professional standards in everything we do and to taking responsibility for our actions to earn respect

Collaboration: We are committed to embracing diversity, the power of glocal teamwork and the belief that by working as one we can make a difference

The Organization:

The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) is a nonprofit scientific organization whose mission is to develop vaccines and other biomedical innovations that prevent HIV infection. Since its founding in 1996, IAVI has provided scientific, research and development, and policy leadership to address the needs of communities and key populations at risk for HIV infection around the world. IAVI works with more than 100 academic, industry, government, civil society, clinical, and community partners in more than 25 countries. IAVI is committed to supporting the broad field of HIV vaccine research and to fostering collaborations that accelerate the development and availability of new prevention tools. In pursuit of our goals, we work to catalyze and support novel partnership models that engage partners from both the public and private sectors across the product development continuum.

IAVI’s global reach, including its clinical research network in five countries in sub-Saharan Africa and in India, has allowed IAVI to make fundamental contributions to understanding of the epidemiology, transmission, natural history, virology, and immunology of HIV infection. This work played a key role in facilitating the structure-based design of promising HIV vaccine candidates as well as the discovery of “broadly neutralizing antibodies” that are now being advanced as promising approaches for HIV prevention. IAVI’s integrated capabilities in vaccine discovery, development, and clinical research take advantage of biopharmaceutical industry expertise to accelerate the development and testing of novel HIV vaccine candidates.

In addition to its core HIV vaccine effort, IAVI is working to amplify its global health impact by working with partners to address other urgent unmet public health needs – such as vaccines for other infectious diseases (e.g., Tuberculosis, other emerging infectious diseases, such as Lassa Fever Virus, etc.) or other global health challenges, where our existing technologies, assets, and experience can add unique value.