Principal Scientist - Polio Vaccines - £56,353 p.a. + benefits

We are currently looking for a Principal Scientist to join our Polio Vaccines Team within the Science, Research & Innovation group.

This is a full-time opportunity, on a permanent contract. The role will be lab based in South Mimms, Hertfordshire. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas.  

Who are we? 

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency enhance and improve the health of millions of people every day through the effective regulation of medicines and medical devices, underpinned by science and research.  

The Science, Research and Innovation Group consists of 6 sub-Groups, Innovation Accelerator, Clinical Investigations and Trials, Research and Development, Standards Lifecycle, Control Testing/Quality Assurance and Health & Safety. The Vaccines Division is the largest within R&D consisting of around 70 scientists across 8 Research groups.

Within the Vaccines Division, The MHRA Polio group is a world leading laboratory with both World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Poliomyelitis and WHO Global Specialised Polio Laboratory Network status. 

 What’s the role?

This is a unique and exciting opportunity to play a vital role in the Polio Vaccines Team based at the MHRA Science Campus leading high profile research projects that have direct global public health impact with key contributions to the WHO Global Polio Eradication Initiative and playing a key role in interactions with national and international stakeholders such the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the WHO, academic institutions and research funding bodies such as the Bill and Melinda Getas Foundation to establish scientific collaborations and help delivering our functions.

The role will underpin polio vaccine research, providing senior level expertise. This will include scientific direction, specialist knowledge and product management to a team of scientists. This team manage and direct prioritised R&D projects relating to polio- and other enterovirus- vaccines, including evaluation of vaccines material to better understand the impact through clinical use. A key requirement of the role is to accept increasing responsibility for the direction of the scientific research of the group.

The role will initiate new research whilst maintaining the current broad range of innovative research centred on the global polio eradication campaign, driving international research into the development of new, genetically stable oral polio vaccine (nOPV) strains and new approaches using hyper-attenuated strains and virus-free vaccines. It will lead evaluation of the genetic stability of polio vaccines during pre-clinical research, clinical trials and post-trial.

Key responsibilities: 

·       Develop an independent research programme in polio vaccine research in line with overall strategy of the MHRA WHO Polio laboratory, assisting the laboratory head with management and direction of the scientific research.

·       As an expert scientific lead, manage international collaborative research in key scientific projects such as the development of new, thermostable virus like particle (VLP) vaccines and hyper-attenuated S19-Inactivatedincluding management of in vivo preclinical evaluation and collaborations with industrial partners.

·       Management of resources, laboratory facilities and leading a team a team working with a continual improvement ethos. These include responsibility for bio-containment Level 2 and 3 laboratories, ensuring staff work safely with pathogens in compliance with Agency health and safety policies and legislation.

·       Engage with national and international external stakeholders, including WHO, regulatory laboratories, academic collaborators, as required to deliver expert services, training and/or scientific or technical advice. Communication with the scientific community and public health bodies, leading submission of publications in peer reviewed journals and presenting scientific data at national and international meetings.

Who are we looking for? 

Our successful candidate will have the following: 

·       A PhD or equivalent (e.g. MSc and relevant experience) and significant experience in leading relevant virus research.

·       Experience of working with viruses of high public health consequence and vaccines for outbreak/pandemic control such as poliovirus (preferable) and/or other RNA viruses including high level research and national and international collaborations; experience of managing complex projects and excellent communication skills for the effective collaborative activities.

·       Demonstrable aptitude for innovation in scientific research; in scope, direction and technical approaches. Independence of thought together with rigorous analytic skills when new projects and changes of course are required.

·       Experience in working with in vivo research models, including compliance with policies and legislation regulating such research.

·       Experience of working with viruses at high biocontainment and expert knowledge of the health & safety policies & governance underpinning the safe working in such circumstances.

If you would like to find out more about this fantastic opportunity, please read our Job Description and Person Specification! 

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