PopVax is an Indian full-stack biotech building first-in-class and best-in-class vaccines and cancer immunotherapies using machine learning-driven design and relentless empiricism. We design, develop, and manufacture our own RNA medicines end-to-end because we believe great pharmaceutical science can only flourish in tight feedback loops that iterate rapidly. PopVax’s experimental work and clinical dose production is based at the RNA Foundry, our integrated R&D and GMP-capable clinical dose production facility in Hyderabad.
PopVax's north star is our goal of developing novel vaccines and therapeutics over the next decade with the cumulative ability to save 1 million lives each year – the Million Lives Mission. To that end, we are developing first-in-class vaccines against Hepatitis C Virus, Strep A, and adult pulmonary TB, broadly-protective best-in-class vaccines against COVID-19, influenza, and HPV, and precision immunotherapies against hard-to-treat solid tumours such as liver cancer and pancreatic cancer.
Our work is funded by Vitalik Buterin’s Balvi Fund, the Gates Foundation, the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), and Renaissance Philanthropy. Our first vaccine program will begin a Phase I clinical trial in the US in mid-2026 conducted & sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). We intend to put 6 novel vaccines and immunotherapies into Phase I clinical trials over the next 3 years.
No matter the job title, each person’s role at PopVax is ultimately focused on helping take safe & effective new medicines that represent a step-change improvement on the current standard-of-care to the people who need them as fast as possible. If you want to work where the ambition is high, the learning curve is steep, and the work matters to billions, you’ll feel at home here.
If you’re excited by the idea of advancing scientific, clinical, and regulatory frontiers of vaccines and immunotherapies, spending each day developing medicines with the potential to save millions of lives, and building a generational global pharmaceutical company in India along the way – join us!
Do you love writing? Are you happy to confidently churn out thousands of words in a single day, but just as willing to spend hours going back and forth on phrasing of a crucial few sentences? Are you comfortable working with scientists to wade through the murky waters of deep technical subject matter that you’re unfamiliar with to fish out the feisty salmon of meaning that swim below, then deftly transmute them into crisp, clear prose before they slip out of your hands? Did you follow that whole extended metaphor and perhaps think it was a bit unnecessary? If so, we might have just the job for you.
We’re looking for a creative professional to serve as an associate on our communications staff, reporting to our Head of Communications and working closely with our Managing Director. Responsibilities will include writing, editing, proofreading, and distributing communications including:
Internal memos, guides, progress reports, and other intra-company communications
Regular reports and discussions with our funders, investors, suppliers, clients, and subcontractors
Scientific writing explaining our work to the general public
Grant and contract applications to private, governmental, and international institutions across the world
Any viable candidate candidate must have:
Complete command of the English language, both written and spoken.
The willingness and ability to quickly acquire a working familiarity with scientific subjects, including the core intuitions behind specific research work and the relevant technical terminology.
The ability to quickly acquire familiarity with scientific subjects.
The willingness to read and summarise academic papers in new, potentially unfamiliar fields, and an ability to independently seek clarification from subject matter experts within and outside the company when necessary.
The ability to work collaboratively with scientists help them communicate their insights in a manner appropriate for the particular purpose and forum being targeted, while patiently bridging any communication gaps that may occur (and they will — frequently!).
A track record of clear, concise, and polished published writing across different formats, preferably with some experience with scientific writing or writing about scientific subjects.
The ability to write and edit independently without constant supervision under sometimes-tight deadlines, as well as to incorporate feedback quickly and effectively.
A desire to master varied forms of writing and communications, as well as shoulder new responsibilities as necessary.
The ideal candidate candidate will also have:
Some knowledge of global public health, and familiarity with datasets such as the Global Burden of Disease survey.
Experience making small, spreadsheet-based models to make projections based on a set of assumptions, for example market size projections or estimations of the cost-effectiveness of a healthcare intervention based on measures such as aggregate disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) gained.
The ability to write, shoot, and edit short videos about PopVax’s work independently.
Experience with basic statistical methods and related programming languages (Python/R/Julia).
Experience in web design (HTML, CSS, and JS) and the use of Git as a version control system.
We offer very competitive compensation, comprehensive health insurance with the option to cover immediate family (including pre-existing conditions), and, most importantly, a collaborative work environment in a fast-growing startup with the opportunity to grow alongside us while mastering a fascinating set of communications tasks all aimed at saving millions of lives from disease.