About PopVax

PopVax is a clinical-stage, Indian full-stack biotech using generative AI to build first-in-class and best-in-class vaccines for infectious diseases, targeted cancer therapeutics, and personalized autoimmune therapies. 

Our mission is funded by Vitalik Buterin’s Balvi Fund, the Gates Foundation, the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Renaissance Philanthropy, and Good Ventures, with individual investments from Enveda founder Viswa Colluru and Tesla self-driving AI pioneer Dhaval Shroff.

We conduct our R&D work and GMP manufacturing at our integrated RNA Foundry in Hyderabad, India, in support of our Million Lives Mission to develop vaccines and therapeutics over the next decade with the potential to cumulatively save 1 million lives each year.

Our pipeline includes a broadly-protective COVID-19 vaccine, currently in a Phase I trial in Australia, first-in-class vaccines against Hepatitis C, Strep A and adult TB, as well as precision cancer therapies against pancreatic and liver cancer. We intend to take at least 5 novel vaccine and therapeutic candidates into clinical trials over the next two years.

About the Role

We’re looking for a Senior scientist to develop and refine HPLC methods for our de novo designed proteins and mRNA–LNP products. We design protein constructs and ionizable lipids in-house and evaluate different LNP formulations across programs, so developing and iterating methods for new materials is a core part of the role.

This role closes the loop between what we design and what we make: you’ll develop and refine HPLC methods across our evolving biologics pipeline spanning de novo designed proteins and mRNA–LNP products.

Responsibilities

You’ll design experiments, optimize sample preparation and chromatographic conditions, interpret results, and document methods so others can reproduce them. You’ll establish that methods are fit for their intended use and support qualification, validation, or QC transfer as appropriate to the program’s stage.

• Define the analytical question for each protein construct or mRNA–LNP formulation: what needs to be measured, in which sample, and to support which development decision.

• Develop and optimize HPLC/UHPLC methods for relevant protein, nucleic-acid, and lipid analytes, selecting the chromatographic mode, detection approach and appropriate controls to suit the measurement.

• Purify protein constructs and characterize purity, recovery, aggregation, and oligomeric state, distinguishing monomers, defined dimers or trimers, and higher-order species where the methods allow.

• Assess method performance against criteria appropriate to its intended use, such as specificity, precision, accuracy or recovery, range, and robustness.

• Use and outline complementary analytical approaches when HPLC alone cannot answer the question.

• Keep experimental records, protocols, and analysis reproducible; use Python or R for additional data analysis and work with the computational team on shared tools to streamline workflows.

• Support method qualification, validation, or transfer when appropriate for the product’s development stage and intended use.

Minimum Qualifications

• A master’s degree or PhD in analytical chemistry, chemistry, biochemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, or a related field.

• At least two years of hands-on analytical method-development experience. Relevant doctoral research can count; industry experience is not required.

• Demonstrated experience developing or adapting HPLC or UHPLC methods for proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, or other complex biomolecules. Strong experience in one area is sufficient; prior expertise in every modality is not expected.

• Working knowledge of chromatographic separation and the ability to design experiments to investigate method performance and unexpected results.

• Clear scientific writing and careful data practices.

• Comfort using Python or R for data exploration or repetitive analysis, and willingness to review and test code drafted with an LLM coding assistant.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience adapting methods across different protein constructs or product variants.

• Experience with protein purification and methods for assessing purity, aggregation, or oligomeric state, such as size-exclusion chromatography.

• Experience with mRNA, plasmid DNA, lipid, or lipid nanoparticle analytical methods.

• Experience with UV/PDA and one or more of CAD, ELSD, or LC-MS.

• Experience taking analytical methods into controlled or GMP use, including appropriate method documentation, qualification, validation, or transfer.

• Experience creating reproducible Python or R analyses, using version control, or working with shared assay databases.

Pay and Benefits

We pay in the top 1% for comparable roles in India, and your exact salary will depend on your skills, experience and qualifications. You'll also receive stock options, and we'll help you relocate to Hyderabad. Our comprehensive health insurance covers you, your spouse and your children, including pre-existing conditions, and you can add your parents. You'll also get accidental and term insurance, and free access to doctors 24x7.