Senior Scientist II-HMAP

At ICON, it’s our people that set us apart. Our diverse teams enable us to become a better partner to our customers and help us to fulfil our mission to advance and improve patients’ lives.

Our ‘Own It’ culture is driven by four key values that bring us together as individuals and set us apart as an organisation: Accountability & Delivery, Collaboration, Partnership and Integrity. We want to be the Clinical Research Organisation that delivers excellence to our clients and to patients at every touch-point. In short, to be the partner of choice in drug development.

That’s our vision. We’re driven by it. And we need talented people who share it.
If you’re as driven as we are, join us. You’ll be working in a dynamic and supportive environment, with some of the brightest and the friendliest people in the sector, and you’ll be helping shape an industry.

The Role

We are seeking a Sr. Scientist II-HMAP to join a dynamic and growing team at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) Wound Infection Department (WID). WID is tasked with delivering specific, effective countermeasures for infection of combat wounds pre-injury, at the point-of-injury, and post-injury. The Human Monoclonal Antibody Platform (HMAP) group focuses on in vitro and in vivo research of virulence factors associated with ESKAPEE pathogens and developing monoclonal antibodies against them.

What you will be doing:

• Select and develop relevant antigens through cell cloning and bioassay techniques.
• Apply microbiology, molecular, and cell biology techniques to generate monoclonal antibodies.
• Lead the antibody discovery and optimization team to apply translational immunology and other preclinical assays to support pipeline program progression for microbial pathogens of military relevance, including ESKAPEE pathogens.
• Develop and conduct screening tests including ELISA, flow cytometry, and cell-based assays such as opsonophagocytosis and complement activation for antibody characterization.
• Perform screening and other immunological assays for the development of vaccines and the characterization of monoclonal antibodies for antibacterial therapies.
• Perform all aspects of antibody development including screening and characterization, assay design, and preclinical development using small animal models of infection.
• Independently design experiments, make detailed observations, analyze data, interpret results, and deliver timely results.
• Communicate research findings to stakeholders, enterprise clients, collaborators, the scientific community, and the general public as well as by drafting and coordinating patents, grants, manuscripts, periodic and special reports, and other relevant reports (e.g., MIC results) routinely.
• Prepare and manage research proposals to NIH and other relevant funding agencies.
• Mentor and supervise junior scientists within the team as needed.

Your Profile:

• Citizenship: Must be a US citizen.
• Clearance: Ability to obtain NACI.
• Education: Ph.D. in a relevant field such as Microbiology, Immunology, Physiology, Molecular Biology, or Biochemistry.
• Years’ Experience: 3-5 years of experience with antibody discovery, development, and characterization.
• Proven track record of publishing in peer-reviewed journals and securing competitive funding from grants/proposals written and submitted (at least 1). (Required)
• Strong computer skills and experience with relevant software including MS Office and GraphPad Prism. (Required)
• Experience with microbiology of Gram-negative species, antibacterial development, genetics and molecular cloning to determine and develop target antigens, eukaryotic cell culture, expression vector design, transient transfection, recombinant antibody testing and development, protein expression. (ESKAPEE Pathogenes)(Required)
• Ability to establish and validate new antibody-based functional assays and characterization processes for any given pathogen is desired. (Preferred)
• Must be a strong problem solver, decision maker, and communicator.
• Proven leadership experience, with ability to multitask and delegate when needed.

Additional Information:

Location: Onsite at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Silver Spring, MD

Benefits of Working in ICON:
Our success depends on the quality of our people. That’s why we’ve made it a priority to build a culture that rewards high performance and nurtures talent.

We offer very competitive salary packages. And to keep them competitive, we regularly benchmark them against our competitors. Our annual bonuses reflect delivery of performance goals – both ours and yours.
We also provide a range of health-related benefits to employees and their families and offer competitive retirement plans – and