TD Principal Scientist/Engineer I, AAV Platform (Baculovirus)

Adverum is looking for a highly motivated Principal Scientist/Engineer I to lead the AAV Platform development for the Candidate Process Development (CPD) team at our Redwood City, CA office. The successful candidate will play a critical part in the development of the next generation AAV production platform and its application to Adverum’s gene therapy pipeline of products. The incumbent will be responsible for evaluating novel cell lines and expression technologies for Sf9 Baculovirus based AAV production platform and implement the operational vision for CPD group. You will independently design and conduct experiments (DOE) to identify the optimal conditions and bioprocess parameters to develop next generation baculovirus based AAV production platform. This role reports into the Director, Head of Candidate Process Development and will be expected to work independently, manage projects, manage a small team of scientists and participate in cross-functional, multidisciplinary project teams.
 
This role requires the ability to juggle immediate needs with long term goals, and an ability to be highly productive in a fluid, fast-paced and teamwork-oriented environment. Direct prior experience with Sf9 Baculovirus is a must.  AAV experience is a plus.
What You'll Do

• Evaluate and develop novel cell lines, bioprocess and AAV technologies for the next generation production platform for pre-clinical and clinical manufacturing of adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors for Gene Therapy
• Independently design and execute experiments (DOE) to contribute to the development of in-house AAV production capabilities and to the supply of high quality AAV for pre-clinical pipeline development.
• Determine optimal parameters (DO, pH, temp, agitation etc.) criteria for scale-up of baculovirus and baculovirus infected insect cell in STR systems
• Collaborate with other departments such as Research, PD, Analytical development, and manufacturing sciences to understand the requirements and support them.
• Accurate documentation for experiments with regular updates to the internal & external teams
• Write and review high quality technical development and technology transfer reports
• Serve as a subject matter expert (SME) for AAV Baculovirus platform processes and techniques to internal and external partners.
• Participate in scientific conferences and make contributions to scientific publications and patents

About You

• PhD in Biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, virology or related biological sciences with 7+ years of relevant experience, Master’s/Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 12+ years of relevant industry experience.
• Knowledge and experience with the baculovirus vector system used as the expression system in cultured insect cells.
• Good knowledge of principles and techniques in AAV biology and production platforms.
• Strong design of experiments (DOE) and data analysis skills
• Knowledge and experience with AMBR scale bioreactors is a plus
• Hands-on experience with mammalian and insect cell culture and scale-up of baculovirus and baculovirus infected insect cell in STR systems
• Ability to interpret results analytically and troubleshoot technical problems
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Excellent organization and attention to detail; critical and creative thinker.
• Able to work in a collaborative / team-oriented environment and commit to internal documentation practices.

About Us
Adverum is a clinical-stage gene therapy company targeting unmet medical needs in ophthalmology and rare diseases. Adverum develops gene therapy product candidates designed to provide durable efficacy by inducing sustained expression of a therapeutic protein. Adverum’s core capabilities include clinical development, novel vector discovery and in-house manufacturing expertise, specifically in scalable process development, assay development, and current Good Manufacturing Practices quality control.

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