Senior Scientist

KellyOCG; Gaithersburg (MD); On-site; USD 69,000 - 99,000; Full time

Job summary

AstraZeneca in Gaithersburg, MD is seeking a Senior Scientist to lead in vivo CAR vector engineering for delivery platforms and T cell targeting. You will own experimental strategy, drive innovation, and work with cross-functional teams to meet therapeutic objectives.

PH/MS with biotech experience and strong expertise in CAR‑T development, lentiviral vectors, and flow cytometry are required. GMP‑like documentation and clear scientific communication are essential for success.

Qualifications

• PhD or MS with industry experience in Cell Therapy, Virology, Immunology, Bioengineering, or related discipline
• Extensive hands-on CAR‑T therapy development experience (ex vivo or in vivo)
• Multicolor flow cytometry experience
• Expertise in lentiviral vector engineering, production and QC
• Advanced knowledge of primary T cell biology and functional assays
• Hands-on mammalian cell culture, including cancer lines and primary T cells
• Advanced multicolor flow cytometry design, acquisition, analysis, interpretation
• Strong documentation and scientific communication skills

Responsibilities

• Generate and characterize stable producer cell lines, including clone screening, selection, and banking
• Design, prioritize, and execute complex vector engineering and validation strategies for in vivo CAR delivery
• Own functional assessment strategy for vector potency and transduction, selecting appropriate assays and defining success criteria
• Develop and execute flow cytometry–based assays to quantify transduction, target‑cell specificity, and CAR‑T phenotype and function
• Ensure GMP grade like documentation standards, data traceability, and readiness for internal review or audit
• Make independent technical decisions that impact project direction and experimental prioritization
• Identify knowledge gaps and proactively propose new approaches or technology improvements
• Communicate complex findings clearly and persuasively to cross‑functional stakeholders

Skills

CAR‑T technology

Flow cytometry

T cell biology

Vector engineering

In vivo delivery

Scientific independence

Data interpretation

Education

PhD or MS in Cell Therapy, Virology, Immunology, Bioengineering or related discipline

Tools

Lentiviral vector production

Flow cytometry instruments

Mammalian cell culture

Job description

Location: Gaithersburg, MD

Duration: Until end of March 2027

Start Date: December 7th or 14th

Pay: $61 per hour

This position at AstraZeneca will support in vivo CAR programs, in which the lentiviral vector is delivered directly to the patient rather than used to manufacture an ex vivo cell product. The scientific focus is on vector engineering, targeted delivery, and transduction of T cells in situ, where therapeutic goals, experimental design, and success criteria differ from conventional ex vivo CAR‑T development.

Key characteristics of this in vivo focus include:

• Emphasis on vector‑intrinsic properties — targeting specificity, transduction efficiency in resting T cells, and payload design — rather than cell‑product attributes.
• Engineering envelope/pseudotype and surface modifications to direct tropism to T cells and limit off‑target transduction
• Transduction of resting, unstimulated primary T cells, where permissiveness and activation state drive outcomes
• Vector potency, purity, and identity as the critical quality attributes, placing heavier weight on analytical and QC strategy
• Experience or background exclusively in ex vivo CAR‑T is welcomed, but candidates must demonstrate the ability to adapt vector and T cell engineering strategies to in vivo delivery constraints and therapeutic objectives.

The Senior Scientist operates with scientific independence, owning experimental strategy, driving innovation in vector engineering and in vivo delivery platforms, and making technical decisions with minimal oversight.

Required Qualifications:

• PhD or MS with industry experience in Cell Therapy, Virology, Immunology, Bioengineering, or related discipline
• Extensive hands‑on experience in CAR‑T cell therapy development, ex vivo or in vivo
• Multi panel flow cytometry
• Deep expertise in lentiviral vector engineering, production, and QC
• Advanced knowledge of primary T cell biology and functional assay development
• Hands‑on proficiency in mammalian cell culture, including cancer cell lines and primary T cells
• Advanced multicolor flow cytometry, including panel design, acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of transduction, phenotype, and function readouts
• Proven ability to maintain exceptional documentation standards and scientific communication

Key Responsibilities:

• Generate and characterize stable producer cell lines, including clone screening, selection, and banking
• Design, prioritize, and execute complex vector engineering and validation strategies for in vivo CAR delivery
• Own functional assessment strategy for vector potency and transduction, selecting appropriate assays and defining success criteria
• Develop and execute flow cytometry–based assays to quantify transduction, target‑cell specificity, and CAR‑T phenotype and function
• Ensure GMP grade like documentation standards, data traceability, and readiness for internal review or audit
• Make independent technical decisions that impact project direction and experimental prioritization
• Identify knowledge gaps and proactively propose new approaches or technology improvements
• Communicate complex findings clearly and persuasively to cross‑functional stakeholders