Engineer II, Conjugation Development and Manufacturing

Join our Mission to Protect Humankind!

Vaxcyte 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.

WHAT we do is every bit as important as HOW we do it! Our work together is guided by four enduring core values:

• 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.
• AIM HIGH: We embody our collectively audacious goal to courageously make the most complex biologics ever attempted to protect humankind.
• LEAD WITH HEART: Everyone leads at Vaxcyte with a kindness-first, inclusive approach to collaboration and vigorous debate that advances our business objectives.
• MODEL EXCELLENCE: The magnitude of our challenge requires our shared commitment to demonstrating integrity, accountability, equality and clarity across communications and decision making.

Summary:

Vaxcyte is seeking a highly motivated and technically proficient Engineer II to join the Conjugation Process Development and Manufacturing group within the CMC organization. This individual will contribute to the development, scale up, and manufacturing of Vaxcyte’s multi valent polysaccharide based conjugate vaccines, which leverage a novel carrier protein produced through cell free synthesis. Conjugation—the covalent linkage of polysaccharide antigens to carrier proteins—is a critical component of Vaxcyte’s vaccine platform, and this role will support both laboratory development and cGMP manufacturing activities.

The successful candidate will bring hands on laboratory experience, a solid understanding of bioprocess operations, and practical exposure to cGMP environments, ideally within late-stage development. This position requires close collaboration with cross functional CMC teams, active participation in production campaigns, and the ability to independently execute development experiments and document technical findings. The role offers a unique opportunity to contribute directly to the advancement of Vaxcyte’s vaccine programs while developing deep expertise in conjugation process development and manufacturing.

Essential Functions:

• Operation and maintenance of laboratory equipment, including chemical reactors, TFF systems, HPLCs, and plate readers.
• Support the design and execution of development studies to optimize and characterize conjugation processes.
• Provide technical oversight during cGMP production campaigns, including preparation, on floor support, troubleshooting, deviation assessment, and change control execution.
• Review executed protocols and batch records for accuracy, completeness, and compliance.
• Serve as a subject matter expert for conjugation related activities on project teams.
• Contribute to facility and equipment design considerations to support process scale up and manufacturing readiness.
• Participate in the development of conjugation processes for pipeline programs.
• Maintain accurate and complete documentation in laboratory notebooks or electronic systems.
• Engage in technical discussions and contribute to data interpretation and decision making.
• Collaborate effectively within a team environment to support departmental and program objectives.

Requirements:

• PhD with 2-5, MS with minimum of 7, BS/BA with minimum of 10 years of experience in Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, Chemistry, Biology, or a related discipline
• Practical experience with bioprocess operations at bench, pilot, or manufacturing scale.
• Strong working knowledge of cGMP principles and their application in bioprocess environments.
• Foundational understanding of engineering principles relevant to bioprocess development and scale up.
• Proficiency with standard software tools, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio, and JMP.
• Demonstrated ability to work in cross functional teams and manage multiple concurrent activities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.