Protein Engineering Postdoctoral Appointee

What Your Job Will Be Like

Are you looking to do creative and worthwhile research? Sandia/California’s Systems Biology Department is seeking a highly dedicated biochemist /molecular biologist/immunologist postdoctoral appointee to join a multidisciplinary team using immunotherapy, computational biology, high-throughput screening and gene editing to develop medical countermeasures for viral infectious disease. The selected applicant will help generate, screen, engineer, and optimize therapeutic antibodies and other protein constructs as well as in vivo delivery vehicles. You will also be engaged in building new capabilities to complement our research portfolio and expand it in exciting new directions.

On any given day, you may be called on to:

• Work to execute, track and refine project plans with an integrated multidisciplinary team that may include members from national labs, universities and industry.
• Design experiments and develop an independent research plan;
• Perform experiments to design, engineer, produce and characterize next-generation antibodies and other engineered protein constructs;
• Mentor technologists and interns;
• Develop and document practices to enable work to be carried out optimally and safely;
• Analyze, integrate and interpret research results;
• Publish scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals and present findings at seminars and conferences.

Qualifications We Require

• PhD in immunology, microbiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, biology, or a related field.
• Experience with molecular biology techniques and immunoassays
• Experience performing protein engineering, and developing production and purification protocols
• Proven record of high technical accomplishment and written communication (e.g. as evidenced by publication in high-impact scientific journals) and strong verbal communication and data presentation skills (e.g., as demonstrated through scientific conference presentations)

Qualifications We Desire

• Experience in design, production and testing of antibodies, especially nanobodies, bi-specific antibodies or antibodies with engineered effector functions. Experience with protein display, phage display or directed evolution methods.
• Experience in methods to characterize protein/ligand binding affinity and thermodynamic properties, especially label-free technologies for measuring biomolecular interactions (SPR or BLI). Experience in high-throughput assay development, or protein mass spectrometry
• Proven experience with PCR, primer design, molecular cloning, gene synthesis and use of tools such as Northern and Western blots and RNAseq.
• Bioinformatics or cheminformatics skills and facility with related software tools, and/or ability to perform in silico antibody-antigen modeling to design antibody variants with improved binding affinity .
• Familiarity with tasks common in a virology laboratory, including knowledge of techniques and basic safety procedures in BSL2 (or higher) environment and proper storage and handling of viruses.
• Experience in animal models of disease and basic animal handling, to include dose refinement, measurement of host response, protection against challenge.
• Experience with methods to measure tissue uptake, including pharmacokinetic techniques (intravenous administration and tissue sampling), brain perfusions, microdialysis, immunohistochemistry and imaging techniques (e.g., IVIS).
• Eligibility to obtain a US Department of Energy security clearance

Position Information

This postdoctoral position is a temporary position for up to one year, which may be renewed at Sandia's discretion up to five additional years. The PhD must have been conferred within five years prior to employment.

Individuals in postdoctoral positions may bid on regular Sandia positions as internal candidates, and in some cases may be converted to regular career positions during their term if warranted by ongoing operational needs, continuing availability of funds, and satisfactory job performance.

About Our Team

The Systems Biology Department, located in Livermore, California performs biological research with applications in national security, healthcare, and energy and the environment. We are a diverse research group with a focus on both basic and applied biological research. We seek to address problems with strong ties to national security, such as biodefense and health security, climate, and energy security, through new research approaches in virology, microbiology, immunology and bioinformatics, and incorporating advanced technology development including CRISPR/Cas technologies, advanced omics, synthetic biology, and advanced materials and nanotechnology. We also seek to develop the science-based required by industry to produce clean, efficient, and cost-effective biofuels and other. bioproducts on a commercial scale. Our department is integrated into the highly multidisciplinary Applied. Biosciences and Engineering Group, comprised of researchers with expertise in many disciplines of biology (molecular biology, microbiology, virology, immunology and biochemistry), chemistry (analytical, organic and physical), computational science (bioinformatics, machine learning, computational chemistry), and engineering(chemical, mechanical and biomedical).

About Sandia

Sandia National Laboratories is the nation’s premier science and engineering lab for national security and technology innovation, with teams of specialists focused on cutting-edge work in a broad array of areas. Some of the main reasons we love our jobs:
• Challenging work with amazing impact that contributes to security, peace, and freedom worldwide
• Extraordinary co-workers
• Some of the best tools, equipment, and research facilities in the world
• Career advancement and enrichment opportunities
• Flexible work arrangements for many positions include 9/80 (work 80 hours every two weeks, with every other Friday off) and 4/10 (work 4 ten-hour days each week) compressed workweeks, part-time work, and telecommuting (a mix of onsite work and working from home)
• Generous vacations, strong medical and other benefits, competitive 401k, learning opportunities, relocation assistance and amenities aimed at creating a solid work/life balance*

World-changing technologies. Life-changing careers. Learn more about Sandia at: http://www.sandia.gov
*These benefits vary by job classification.

Security Clearance

This position does not currently require a Department of Energy (DOE) security clearance.

Sandia will conduct a pre-employment drug test and background review that includes checks of personal references, credit, law enforcement records, and employment/education verifications. Furthermore, employees in New Mexico need to pass a U.S. Air Force background screen for access to Kirtland Air Force Base. Substance abuse or illegal drug use, falsification of information, criminal activity, serious misconduct or other indicators of untrustworthiness can cause access to be denied or terminated, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment.

If hired without a clearance and it subsequently becomes necessary to obtain and maintain one for the position, or you bid on positions that require a clearance, a pre-processing background review may be conducted prior to a required federal background investigation. Applicants for a DOE security clearance need to be U.S. citizens. If you hold more than one citizenship (i.e., of the U.S. and another country), your ability to obtain a security clearance may be impacted.

Members of the workforce (MOWs) hired at Sandia who require uncleared access for greater than 179 days during their employment, are required to go through the Uncleared Personal Identity Verification (UPIV) process. Access includes physical and/or cyber (logical) access, as well as remote access to any NNSA information technology (IT) systems. UPIV requirements are not applicable to individuals who require a DOE personnel security clearance for the performance of their SNL employment or to foreign nationals. The UPIV process will include the completion of a USAccess Enrollment, SF-85 (Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions) and OF-306 (Declaration of for Federal Employment). An unfavorable UPIV determination will result in immediate retrieval of the SNL issued badge, removal of cyber (logical) access and/or removal from SNL subcontract.  All MOWs may appeal the unfavorable UPIV determination to DOE/NNSA immediately. If the appeal is unsuccessful, the MOW may try to go through the UPIV process one year after the decision date.

EEO

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status and any other protected class under state or federal law.