Senior Scientist

Job Description

Job Description

Senior Scientist, Research & Development

Location: Lincoln, Nebraska (Onsite)
Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Flexible core hours)
Salary Range: $79,000 – $123,000 annually depending on directly relevant experience and skills
Reports To: Biological Development Manager

Position Overview

We are seeking a highly motivated Senior Scientist to join our Research & Development team in Lincoln, Nebraska. This is a hands-on, individual contributor role focused on the development, scale-up, and technical transfer of veterinary biologics for food-producing animals.

The ideal candidate will bring industry experience in animal health, biologics, vaccines, or related biotechnology fields and possess a strong understanding of biological systems, process development, and manufacturing scale-up. This position will play a key role in advancing bacterial and viral vaccine programs from early development through commercial manufacturing.

Approximately 50–60% of the role will be laboratory-based, with the remainder dedicated to project planning, technical documentation, data analysis, and cross-functional collaboration.

What You'll Do

• Lead and execute development activities for bacterial and viral biologics intended for poultry, swine, and cattle applications.
• Design, perform, and troubleshoot laboratory experiments supporting process development, optimization, and scale-up.
• Support technology transfer activities from R&D into manufacturing environments.
• Develop scalable upstream and downstream processes involving microorganisms, cells, and biological substrates.
• Collaborate closely with Production, Quality Assurance, Quality Control, Regulatory Affairs, and Manufacturing teams.
• Generate, analyze, and communicate experimental results to project teams and leadership.
• Author and maintain technical documentation, protocols, reports, batch records, and SOPs.
• Support regulatory submissions and compliance efforts involving FDA and USDA requirements for veterinary biologics.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives and scientific problem-solving across development programs.
• Participate in occasional weekend activities when project timelines or biological processes require support.

QualificationsRequired

• Bachelor's degree in Microbiology, Biology, Immunology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, or a related life sciences discipline.
• 5-10+ years of hands-on industry experience in biologics, vaccines, bioprocessing, fermentation, cell culture, or related biotechnology environments.
• Experience working with biological systems such as bacteria, viruses, mammalian cells, microbial cultures, parasites, or other biological substrates.
• Knowledge of process development principles, including scale-up and technology transfer.
• Strong laboratory troubleshooting, data interpretation, and technical writing skills.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across multidisciplinary teams.

Preferred

• Industry experience within the animal health, veterinary biologics, vaccine, or agricultural biotechnology industries is highly preferred.
• Familiarity with FDA and/or USDA regulatory requirements related to biologics or vaccine manufacturing.
• Experience with fermentation, bioreactors, upstream processing, downstream processing, and manufacturing scale-up.
• Experience supporting commercial manufacturing or process transfer activities.
• Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in a related scientific field.
• Experience working in highly regulated environments.

What We're Looking For

Beyond technical expertise, we're looking for someone who:

• Has a strong work ethic and ownership mentality.
• Communicates effectively and collaborates well with diverse teams.
• Thrives in a fast-paced development environment.
• Is open to giving and receiving constructive feedback.
• Demonstrates scientific curiosity and practical problem-solving skills.
• Brings a positive attitude and contributes to a strong team culture.

About the Team

You'll join a collaborative R&D organization with approximately 45–50 professionals across analytical, clinical, regulatory, and development functions. The Lincoln-based development team consists of five scientists focused on advancing innovative veterinary biologics that support animal health and food production worldwide.

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to make a direct impact on the development of next-generation veterinary vaccines and biologics while working alongside experienced scientists in a growing organization. You'll have visibility across the full product lifecycle—from development and scale-up through manufacturing and commercialization—and play a meaningful role in improving animal health globally.

As part of our promise to talent, Kelly supports those who work with us through a variety of benefits, perks, and work-related resources. Please note: The following benefits reflect Kelly's general offerings. Eligibility may vary by assignment, location, and job type. Kelly offers eligible employees voluntary benefit plans including medical, dental, vision, telemedicine, term life, whole life, accident insurance, critical illness, a legal plan, and short-term disability. As a Kelly employee, you will have access to a retirement savings plan, service bonus and holiday pay plans (earn up to eight paid holidays per benefit year), and a transit spending account. In addition, employees are entitled to earn paid sick leave under the applicable state or local plan. Click here for more information on benefits and perks that may be available to you as a member of the Kelly Talent Community.

Why Kelly® Science & Clinical?

Kelly Science & Clinical is your connection to premier scientific and clinical companies looking to hire industry experts just like you. Our team creates expert talent solutions to solve the world’s most critical challenges. Every day, we match science professionals with dream jobs that fit their skills, interests, and career goals-it’s the way we think job searching should be. Nearly 100 percent of our science recruiters have a professional background and education in science, so we know a thing or two about the science market and how to get your expertise noticed.

About Kelly

Work changes everything. And at Kelly, we’re obsessed with where it can take you. To us, it’s about more than simply accepting your next job opportunity. It’s the fuel that powers every next step of your life. It’s the ripple effect that changes and improves everything for your family, your community, and the world. Which is why, here at Kelly, we are dedicated to providing you with limitless opportunities to enrich your life-just ask the 300,000 people we employ each year.

Kelly is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants regardless of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and we take affirmative action to recruit, employ, and advance qualified individuals with disabilities and protected veterans in the workforce. Requests for accommodation related to our application process can be directed to the Kelly Human Resource Knowledge Center. Kelly complies with the requirements of California’s state and local Fair Chance laws. A conviction does not automatically bar individuals from employment. Kelly participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.

Kelly may use AI-powered tools during the recruitment and hiring process. For full details, including how Kelly uses AI, your rights, and how to request a reasonable accommodation, visit the Recruitment Artificial Intelligence Notice.