{"id":1554275,"url":"https://alion.io/job/vaxcyte-scientist-ii-upstream-polysaccharide-process-development","title":"Scientist II, Upstream Polysaccharide Process Development","company":{"id":685268,"name":"Vaxcyte","domain":"vaxcyte.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/vaxcyte","size_band":"501-1000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Greenhouse","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":93,"open_postings":41,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.098,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":78,"computed_at":"2026-10-13T05:45:00Z"}},"role":"Science & Research","role_family":"Science & Research","seniority":"middle","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["San Carlos, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":146000,"max":171000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":171000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":10,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":true,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-30T17:25:29Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-30","last_verified_at":"2026-10-13T16:12:30Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":13,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":0,"flags":[],"days_open":12},"description":"Join our Mission to Protect Humankind!\nVaxcyte is a clinical-stage vaccine innovation company engineering high-fidelity vaccines to protect humankind from the consequences of bacterial diseases, which have serious and costly health consequences when left unchecked. Working to eradicate or treat bacterial infections such as invasive pneumococcal disease, Group A Strep, and Shigella is just the beginning. Our path to success is clear and well-defined, and Vaxcyte is set up to go the distance. \nWHAT we do is every bit as important as HOW we do it! Our work together is guided by four enduring core values:\n*RETHINK CONVENTION: We bring creative and intellectual diversity to every facet of the work we do in order to innovate and re-innovate the way vaccines are delivered.\n*AIM HIGH: We embody our collectively audacious goal to courageously make the most complex biologics ever attempted to protect humankind.\n*LEAD WITH HEART: Everyone leads at Vaxcyte with a kindness-first, inclusive approach to collaboration and vigorous debate that advances our business objectives.\n*MODEL EXCELLENCE: The magnitude of our challenge requires our shared commitment to demonstrating integrity, accountability, equality and clarity across communications and decision making.\nSummary:\nThe Development organization is comprised of four Process teams: Protein, Polysaccharide, Conjugate Drug Substance (Conjugation), and Drug Product. These Process Development teams are supported by Analytical Development and Formulation Development teams. Vaxcyte is looking for a Scientist II with experience in microbial fermentation and upstream process development to join the Upstream Polysaccharide Process Development team. The candidate will be responsible for designing, executing, analyzing, and documenting experiments to develop, optimize, and characterize upstream processes for polysaccharide manufacturing using microorganisms. The successful candidate will have practical laboratory experience in microbial fermentation processes and the ability to apply scientific and engineering principles to experimental design, data interpretation, process troubleshooting, and technical decision-making. The role will require significant hands-on laboratory work, and this individual will be expected to document experimental procedures, results, conclusions, and recommendations in written and presentation formats. The successful candidate will lead assigned project activities, provide technical guidance to junior team members, collaborate with cross-functional teams, author technical documents, and communicate scientific results to internal stakeholders.\nEssential Functions:\nDesign, execute, analyze, and document upstream polysaccharide fermentation studies to support process development, optimization, characterization, scale-up, and vaccine production processes.\nDevelop and troubleshoot fermentation processes and operating parameters to improve product yield, quality, consistency, and robustness using appropriate statistical tools (e.g., DoE).\nPerform microbiology, fermentation, and bioreactor operations, including equipment setup, operation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and automation script development for systems such as Ambr®250.\nCoordinate and perform analytical testing, interpret experimental results, identify technical risks and process trends, and develop scientifically sound conclusions and recommendations.\nInvestigate unexpected or anomalous results, including variability in growth, yield, or polysaccharide quality attributes, through structured root-cause experimentation.\nSupport integration and interpretation of data across upstream, downstream, and analytical functions, in collaboration with Senior Scientist or function leads, to connect fermentation conditions to downstream performance and final product quality.\nIdentify and propose new experimental approaches, at-line or online monitoring, and multivariate data-analysis tools that increase the resolution with which the team can observe and interpret the process, with implementation led by Senior Scientist or above.\nSupport process characterization, raw material evaluations, technology transfer, manufacturing support, and technical investigations.\nAuthor and review protocols, technical reports, SOPs, batch records, and development summaries; author regulatory-supporting documentation under the review and guidance of Senior Scientist.\nMaintain accurate experimental records in laboratory notebooks and electronic laboratory notebook systems.\nLead assigned project activities, provide technical guidance to junior team members, and ensure timely execution of project deliverables.\nPresent scientific findings and collaborate effectively with internal stakeholders, cross-functional teams, and external partners to achieve project objectives.\nRequirements: \nD in Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, Biotechnology, Microbiology, or a related discipline with 2-5 years of industry experience, or an MS with 7+ years, or a BS/BA with 10+ years of relevant pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry experience. Equivalent combinations of education and experience may be considered. Experience independently designing, executing, analyzing, and documenting microbial fermentation and upstream process development studies.\nExperience independently designing, executing, analyzing, and documenting microbial fermentation and upstream process development studies.\nStrong knowledge of microbial fermentation, process development, scale-up/scale-down, process optimization, and related analytical technologies.\nHands-on experience with fermenters, microbial media, and process analytical technologies.\nExperience with bioreactor operations, automation systems (e.g., Ambr®250), and data analysis tools such as JMP.\nExperience with process characterization, technology transfer, manufacturing support, or raw material qualification is preferred.\nWorking knowledge of statistical analysis and Design of Experiments (DoE).\nExperience with cell banking, colony selection, and microbial strain characterization is a plus.\nWorking knowledge of GMP requirements and regulatory-supporting documentation.\nDemonstrated ability to lead technical projects, troubleshoot process challenges, manage multiple priorities, and collaborate effectively in cross-functional teams.\nExperience working with BSL-2 organisms; experience with Streptococcus pneumoniae or Escherichia coli is a plus.\nStrong scientific writing, data presentation, and communication skills.\nAbility to work independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced environment.\nReports to: Senior Scientist, Upstream Polysaccharide Process Development \nLocation: San Carlos, CA\nWork Arrangement (may be adjusted based on business needs, job responsibilities, or changes to company policy): \nOnsite (minimum of 4 days per week onsite) \nCompensation:\nThe compensation package will be competitive and includes comprehensive benefits and an equity component.\nSalary Range: $146,000 - $171,000\nEqual Opportunity\nWe are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.\nRecruitment Fraud Notice\nPlease be aware of fraud or scams from individuals, organizations and/or internet sites claiming to represent Vaxcyte in recruitment activities. Vaxcyte has an established recruitment process for all positions prior to issuing an offer for employment and we will never extend unsolicited employment offers or ask candidates to provide financial or sensitive personal information as part of the application process. All legitimate communication from Vaxcyte will come from an official @vaxcyte.com email address. Qualified and interested candidates should apply to current openings at vaxcyte.com/careers.","description_format":"text","description_chars":7905,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":10,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":null,"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Equity"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Vaccines"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-01T01:24:53Z"}],"visa":[{"country":"US","licensed_sponsor":true,"evidence":"H-1B filings in 12 months: 9 · green card filings: 2","filings_12m":9,"filings_prev_12m":11,"green_card_filings_12m":2,"median_offered_wage_usd":172955,"route":null,"cap_exempt":false,"checked_at":"2026-10-03T21:08:04+00:00","sources":["US Department of Labor: LCA disclosure data (H-1B, H-1B1, E-3)","US Department of Labor: PERM disclosure data (green cards)"],"filings_for_role_12m":0}],"liveness":{"score":86,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.86,"p_room":1,"age_days":12,"expected_fill_days":78,"reasons":["conf:0","win:early"],"computed_at":"2026-10-13T05:45:00Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":171000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/vaxcyte-scientist-ii-upstream-polysaccharide-process-development","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/vaxcyte-scientist-ii-upstream-polysaccharide-process-development.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-13T18:07:49Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":27682,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-14T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":685268},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=685268"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fvaxcyte-scientist-ii-upstream-polysaccharide-process-development"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fvaxcyte-scientist-ii-upstream-polysaccharide-process-development"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fvaxcyte-scientist-ii-upstream-polysaccharide-process-development"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/vaxcyte-scientist-ii-upstream-polysaccharide-process-development\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fvaxcyte-scientist-ii-upstream-polysaccharide-process-development"}]}