Senior Associate Scientist

Position Overview

Zoetis Veterinary Medicine Research and Development in Kalamazoo, MI, is seeking a talented and motivated biologist to join our team as a Senior Associate Scientist. In this role, you will provide analytical support for vaccine development, contributing to the advancement of innovative veterinary medicines.

Job Description

This role is primarily laboratory-focused, working within a bacteriology and immunology lab environment. The main duties involve supporting ongoing research projects through hands-on laboratory work and data handling. Key tasks include preparing chemical solutions/microbiological media, organizing and processing clinical samples, performing immunological tests, clinical/diagnostic microbiology, and cultivating bacterial strains for RNA/DNA or protein isolation. Additional responsibilities include maintaining accurate data records, adhering to Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) standards, and verifying electronic data entries.

Candidates should exhibit strong laboratory safety practices, proficiency in sterile techniques, and meticulous record-keeping in lab notebooks. The ideal applicant will be highly self-driven, possess strong analytical and troubleshooting abilities, and demonstrate the capacity to work collaboratively with others. In summary, candidates should possess competency in laboratory techniques, organizational skills, and an adaptable professional approach.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform routine bacterial culturing, media preparation, and sterile techniques.
• Process tissues and conduct immunoassays (ELISA, Western blot).
• Process clinical samples for bacterial identification
• Perform routine bacterial identification (MALDI-TOF and biochemical testing)
• Perform routine tissue culture and infection assays.
• Execute PCR, RT-PCR, DNA/RNA extraction, and protein analysis.
• Prepare reagents and manage clinical samples.
• Maintain accurate lab records and summarize assay results.
• Proactively learn new skills, prioritize tasks, and follow protocols.
• Support lab maintenance and supply management.

Basic Requirements

• Minimum: BS in biology, immunology, vaccinology, microbiology, clinical microbiology or related fields with 1-3 years' industry or clinical laboratory experience.
• Knowledge of animal infectious diseases.
• Ability to work in a collaborative setting with multiple Project Teams, Project Team Leaders and line representatives to deliver goals.
• Flexibility to work weekends and holidays on a rotating basis.

Technical Skills Requirements

• Excellent organizational and communication abilities (verbal and written English) with demonstrated skill in documentation, scientific writing (protocols, reports, journal articles) and presenting data and study summaries to project teams. Computer skills required: Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint.
• Demonstration of initiative and self-motivation, with passion to work in a collaborative and dynamic multi-disciplinary team environment in a global company and able to prioritize work and work efficiently with limited supervision
• Strong practical and theoretical knowledge of the scientific disciplines that support vaccine design and development, including clinical microbiology and assay development/execution.
• Independent and critical scientific thinking, including a willingness to embrace, evaluate, and enable new technologies for the purpose of improving existing capabilities. High attention to detail and ability to multitask across multiple projects.
• Management of lab supplies and operation of equipment autonomously.
• Experience and knowledge with aseptic techniques and/or sterile cell culture procedures.

Desirable:

• Experience in bacterial and viral propagation (in vitro and in vivo), veterinary vaccine development, and associated analytical and immunology methods.
• Experience in clinical microbiology, bacterial identification and propagation
• Molecular expertise or knowledge in molecular recombinant methods, DNA/RNA extraction and expression platforms

 

 

Full time

 

 

Regular

 

 

Colleague

 

 

Any unsolicited resumes sent to Zoetis from a third party, such as an Agency recruiter, including unsolicited resumes sent to a Zoetis mailing address, fax machine or email address, directly to Zoetis employees, or to Zoetis resume database will be considered Zoetis property. Zoetis will NOT pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume.

Zoetis will consider any candidate for whom an Agency has submitted an unsolicited resume to have been referred by the Agency free of any charges or fees. This includes any Agency that is an approved/engaged vendor but does not have the appropriate approvals to be engaged on a search.

 

 

Notice: Zoetis Recruiters will contact candidates via email from an address ending in @zoetis.com and may also initially connect with candidates through LinkedIn, including LinkedIn InMail. Zoetis does not use Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or other web-based/generic email domains to communicate about job opportunities, interviews, or offers of employment. If you receive a recruitment-related email message claiming to be from Zoetis that does not come from @zoetis.com, please treat it as suspicious. For your security, do not reply, click links, open attachments, share personal or financial information, or send money in response to unexpected or questionable recruitment communications.

 

 

Zoetis is committed to equal opportunity in the terms and conditions of employment for all employees and job applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or gender expression, national origin, disability or veteran status or any other protected classification. Disabled individuals are given an equal opportunity to use our online application system. We offer reasonable accommodations as an alternative if requested by an individual with a disability. Please contact Zoetis Colleague Services at zoetiscolleagueservices@zoetis.com to request an accommodation. Zoetis also complies with all applicable national, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment as well as employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Act. All applicants must possess or obtain authorization to work in the US for Zoetis. Zoetis retains sole and exclusive discretion to pursue sponsorship for the acquisition or maintenance of nonimmigrant status and employment eligibility, considering factors such as availability of qualified US workers. Individuals requiring sponsorship must disclose this fact. Please note that Zoetis seeks information related to job applications from candidates for jobs in the U.S. solely via the following: (1) our company website at www.Zoetis.com/careers site, or (2) via email to/from addresses using only the Zoetis domain of “@zoetis.com”. In addition, Zoetis does not use Google Hangout for any recruitment related activities. Any solicitation or request for information related to job applications with Zoetis via any other means and/or utilizing email addresses with any other domain should be disregarded. In addition, Zoetis will never ask candidates to make any type of personal financial investment related to gaining employment with Zoetis.