PopVax is an Indian biotechnology company based in Hyderabad. We are funded via research agreements with the Gates Foundation and Vitalik Buterin’s biosecurity company Balvi. For the past year, we have been building a novel second-generation mRNA platform for low-cost broadly-protective vaccines via computationally-driven antigen design, starting with an open-source booster vaccine candidate that is intended to protect against the human-infecting pathogens in the betacoronavirus genus, including current and future strains of SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19.

We have seen up close that there are incredible capabilities in vaccine design, testing, and optimization just waiting to be unlocked that will enable us to pursue and perhaps even succeed at realizing wildly ambitious agendas such as ending TB, preventing future pandemics via broadly-protective vaccines, tackling the deadly scourge of antimicrobial resistance, eliminating debilitating degenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis, and curing fiendishly tricky chronic conditions such as ME/CFS and Long COVID. We are initiating multiple new vaccine programs this year to go after a number of these opportunities.

We are seeking an Analytical Scientist - HPLC (ideally with LC-MS experience) to join our team in Hyderabad (note: in-person only, we do not offer remote work) to play a key role in helping develop, optimize, and document analytical protocols and assays for our mRNA-LNP vaccines and therapeutics.

Candidates must have:

• MS (or PhD) in Analytical Chemistry, Biochemistry, or a related field with a minimum of 5 (or 2 for PhD) years of experience in analytical method development, preferably related to biologics.

• Expertise in handling HPLCs, UHPLCs, and UPLCs with a variety of detectors, preferably including UV, PDA, ELSD, and CAD.

• Experience developing analytical methods for novel biomolecules.

• The ability and willingness to rapidly but rigorously adapt novel methods from academic and industry publications to our application domain.

• Experience in writing clear and precise analytical protocols for newly-developed methods, and keeping said protocols updated as methods are further developed.

• Excellent problem-solving, organizational, and communication skills.

• A demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively across departments and with external partners.

• A deep commitment to ethical principles, particularly in data collection and analysis.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Experience in the development and validation of analytical methods for nucleic acids — in particular mRNA & pDNA — or related cell & gene therapy (CGT) materials using techniques including but not limited to HPLC, capillary electrophoresis, and gel electrophoresis.

• Experience in the development and validation of analytical methods for lipids and lipid nanoparticles, in particular the use of HPLC-CAD.

• Experience in the use of LC-MS for the characterization of chemicals and biomolecules, preferably including some experience in the use of LC-MS/MS.

• Knowledge of GDP, GLP, and GMP practices.

• The ability to perform and document instrument validation.

• Experience in the preparation of cGMP-ready SOPs and STPs.

• Experience in the use of compendial methods for biopharmaceutical product testing in a cGMP environment.

• Experience in performing and documenting stability studies for biopharmaceutical products.

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 focused on solving the cutting-edge multidisciplinary challenges of our novel mRNA platform.