Research Associate / Research Scientist 100%

Advance Life-Saving Vaccine Development

Join a Swiss-based clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company, dedicated to halting the increasing threat of global infections due to emerging antimicrobial resistance and sexually transmitted diseases. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to the development of life-saving vaccines by applying state-of-the-art expertise in recombinant protein expression and protein purification.

Your Responsibilities

Strengthen the Research team by contributing to vaccine development through recombinant protein expression, protein purification, and molecular engineering. In this role, you will:

• Conduct, analyze, and plan experiments in accordance with established plans, timelines, and project priorities.
• Establish and perform testing and screening procedures to support robust expression of recombinant vaccine candidates.
• Purify vaccine candidates from heterologous expression systems and perform their characterization using immunological, biochemical, and analytical methods.
• Engineer E. coli expression strains using molecular cloning, genomic engineering, and other recombinant DNA technologies.
• Contribute to the development and optimization of protein expression, purification, and characterization workflows for vaccine research projects.
• Maintain laboratories and equipment in a clean, safe, and fully operational condition in accordance with applicable safety and operational standards.
• Identify and provide solutions to technical and scientific challenges arising during research activities.
• Collaborate effectively with colleagues within and outside the Research team to support project objectives and ensure efficient execution of research activities.

What We Are Looking For

We are seeking an efficient, proactive, and enthusiastic team player who enjoys hands-on laboratory work, takes ownership of activities, and is motivated to continuously learn and develop in a laboratory-focused technical role. You should combine a strong practical and theoretical background in recombinant protein expression, protein biochemistry, and protein analytics with a structured and solution-oriented approach to work. Ideally, you bring:

• An MSc degree in Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Molecular Microbiology, or an equivalent qualification from a recognized institution.
• Practical experience and solid knowledge of heterologous protein expression systems, related techniques, and analytical biochemistry.
• Proven hands-on experience and in-depth knowledge of protein purification using HPLC/FPLC-based chromatography systems (e.g. NGC, ÄKTA) and filtration technologies such as tangential flow filtration (TFF).
• A structured, reliable, and solution-oriented working style, with the ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a team.
• Good verbal and written communication skills in English.

The working place is in Schlieren near Zürich, easily accessible by public transportation. Join a friendly, highly motivated, and dynamic team to make a meaningful impact in global health.