$142,500 – $256,500
Listed on Moderna’s own careers site. You apply with them directly — we never stand between you and the employer.
What this role is
Moderna seeks a scientific leader to architect and optimize E. coli-based expression systems for recombinant protein and plasmid production, driving strain design, high-throughput screening, and translation of lab results into manufacturing-ready processes. This role suits an experienced molecular biologist or bioprocess engineer with deep expertise in microbial genetics and a track record of moving expression science from discovery through to regulatory handoff.
Our summary, not Moderna’s wording. The full posting is on their site.
Skills this role names
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What they ask for
Required
- PhD in Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Chemical/Biochemical Engineering, Biotechnology, Synthetic Biology, or related field with 5+ years industry experience (or MS with 10+ years, or BS with 12+ years)
- Substantial hands-on experience engineering E. coli strains, designing vectors, and developing expression systems for recombinant proteins or enzymes
- Expertise building and executing microbial expression-screening workflows
- Deep knowledge of E. coli genetics, physiology, plasmid biology, and expression regulation
- Demonstrated ability to connect host/vector/expression design choices to titer, yield, quality, and manufacturability
- Experience translating small-scale or high-throughput screening data into process-development decisions
- Track record leading complex technical projects and influencing cross-functional teams
Nice to have
- Direct experience developing E. coli systems specifically for recombinant enzymes or plasmid production
- Expertise in strain engineering, promoter/RBS libraries, copy-number optimization, or protein solubility strategies
- Experience building screening cascades that balance speed, throughput, and scale translation
- Working knowledge of fermentation, downstream processing, and analytical methods for assessing expression and product quality
- Background supporting CMC documentation, regulatory responses, or managing small technical teams