Senior Scientist (Vaccine Design & Development)

Kelly Government Solutions is a strategic supplier and business partner to the federal government and its key suppliers. We have multiple openings for Senior Scientists (Vaccine Design & Development) to work on-site at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. This is a long-term contract position which offers: Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefit package Optional health, vision, and dental plans Paid leave as well as 11 paid federal holidays and 401K plan. Access to NIH’s unparalleled resources and niche scientific initiatives Key Tasks Contribute to the development and optimization of lipid nanoparticle formulations and mRNA constructs Support structure-based vaccine design, including nanoparticle and VLP immunogens Provide scientific and technical support for structural virology research focused on viral proteins Design stabilized viral antigens and epitope-focused immunogens Develop self-assembling protein nanoparticles and virus-like particles (VLPs) Perform structure-guided mutagenesis and antigen optimization. Develop and optimize expression systems (mammalian, insect, or stable cell lines) Produce high-quality samples suitable for structural and functional studies. Perform binding and antigenicity assays (e.g., ELISA, BLI, SPR) Conduct biochemical and biophysical characterization (e.g., SEC-MALS, DLS) Support in vitro evaluation of vaccine candidates Design and execute in vitro and in vivo studies to evaluate biodegradability, biodistribution, safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy. Develop and optimize multi-step protein purification protocols to improve yield, purity, and stability using diverse purification and chromatography techniques Perform image processing, particle picking, classification, and 3D reconstruction Evaluate and help implement enabling technologies that improve vaccine potency, safety, stability, and manufacturability Requirements Ph.D. in Immunology, Structural Biology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Bioengineering, or a related field Minimum of 4 years of postdoctoral research or industry experience in vaccine or biologics development. Demonstrated expertise in mRNA and/or lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technologies, vaccine platforms, or nucleic acid delivery systems including protein production, protein purification, and kinetic analysis (BLI OR SPR) Hands on experience with in vivo animal models relevant to vaccines, immunology, or infectious diseases. Experience with cryo-electron microscopy studies of viral proteins and vaccine development preferred Experience utilizing at least one molecular visualization tool (PyMOL, ChimerX, or AlphaFold) preferred #J-18808-Ljbffr Kelly