Vacancy Summary
Project Title: Formulation Innovation to Enhance Thermal Stability and Deployability of a Lassa Fever Vaccine
Vaccine deployment is severely constrained by the need for logistics including cold chain distribution. Infectious diseases remain a major threat to health and health security in the EU and globally and thus a proactive approach to the development of vaccines in preparedness for future infectious disease outbreaks is needed. One such threat is Lassa mammarenavirus, which remains a major epidemic threat in West Africa and a priority pathogen for global health security. Our partners have successfully developed a live recombinant virus vector Lassa vaccine to clinical testing. However, this vaccine currently requires ultra-cold chain storage with limited refrigerator stability. This creates challenges for broad deployment and storage, particularly for rapid use in an outbreak response and for routine preventive use in endemic settings in resource-limited regions.
In this Horizon-EU funded project, the consortium will advance this Lassa vaccine candidate toward a next-generation formulation optimized for epidemic deployment. Specifically, the partners will develop and evaluate a thermostable formulation manufactured using scalable, production technologies and advance it through required preclinical testing and first in human clinical evaluation. Scientists in the Vaccine Immun-isation Technology and Access (VITAL) group in NIBRT will collaborate with the vaccine manufacturing part-ner to identify, develop and verify thermostabilising formulations and processes for this live virus vector vac-cine. We will focus on developing a liquid and a lyophilised vaccine form.
Position Available
Research Assistant
Location
Dublin
Department
ResearchÂ
Hiring Manager
Professor Anne Moore
Contract Type
21 Months SPC
Application Date
October 2026
Interview Dates
November 2026
Start Date: January/February 2027
Salary & Benefits
Competitive salary and excellent suite of benefits including pension, private health insurance, income protection scheme, 25 days annual leave plus up to 3 additional company days off, generous training and career development supports, flexible working hours and work from home set up supported.
Role Purpose
We are seeking a motivated Research Assistant to join the Lassa LIFT project at NIBRT. The successful candidate will perform and support research activities in this project. They will primarily focus on performing, analysing and reporting on immunohistochemical cell-based virus potency assays. They will have a key operational role in assisting multiple technical aspects of this project. They will be responsible for establishing and maintaining cell banks, virus stocks, supporting sample management and tracking and reagent/material inventory, supporting the maintenance of laboratory equipment and supporting compliance activities related to health and safety and biosafety protocols. The Research Assistant will liaise with the Facilities Team in NIBRT.
The successful candidate will have at least 2 years’ postgraduate experience in virology. They will be motivated to develop a career as a laboratory scientist. They will have an inquisitive mindset, excellent project organizational skills, have a strong attention to detail and ability to work effectively with the research and cross-functional teams. They must also have excellent communication, practical, problem solving and record-keeping skills. Ideally, they would have knowledge and/or experience with formulation science concepts used in vaccine stability studies.
Key Responsibilities
The key responsibilities of the job include:
- Perform research under the direction of the Principal Investigator and Research Fellow.
- Provide assistance in conducting research activities, including planning, organizing, conducting, ana-lysing and communicating research studies within the overall scope of this research project. Take responsibility for team-wide sample logging and ensuring upkeep of material and equipment inventory.
- Contribute to the design as well as the execution of this research.
- Maintain laboratory safety protocols, data integrity practices, and electronic notebook compliance.
- Carry out relevant administrative and management work associated with this research.
- Engage in the wider research and scholarly activities of the research group and NIBRT and contribute to its profile by participating in outreach and dissemination promotion activities.
- Engage in appropriate training and development opportunities to develop own transferable skills, career and reputation.
- Present information on research progress and outcomes to others responsible for the research project.
- Provide guidance as required to any support staff and/or research students assisting with the research project, as agreed with the Principal Investigator.
- Ideally, contribute to the publication of findings.
- Confer with the Principal Investigator in developing plans for research projects and to discuss the interpretation of results and the preparation of manuscripts for publication.
- Carry out any additional duties as may reasonably be required within the general scope and level of the post.
NIBRT Employee Responsibilities:
At NIBRT, our purpose is to support the Biopharma Industry in Ireland and beyond. As such, all colleagues act as NIBRT ambassadors may need to communicate, and build relationships, with our Biopharma clients and partners. This may require ad hoc attendance of industry events and conferences outside of routine hours.
At NIBRT all team members are expected to:
- Conduct themselves in line with the NIBRT values, maintaining at all times a high standard of professionalism.
- Enhance the value derived through collaboration by participating in and/or working at company events (inside and outside of standard working hours), working in at least one of NIBRT’s cross functional teams, providing feedback through survey or focus groups when asked to do so.
- Attend and/or complete mandatory training prescribed for all employees by NIBRT.
- Support colleagues and the institute by promoting the work and services of NIBRT through your media and networks.
Essential Criteria
- Minimum of 2 years’ experience subsequent to BSc or MSc in life sciences, preferably in virology.
- Laboratory-based experience in virology
- Experience of designing and implementing biosafety and health and safety protocols and practices.
- Excellent report writing and presentation skills.
- Demonstrable achievements in delivering results.
- Excellent laboratory organisation experience and practices.
- Evidence of excellent communication skills.
- An ability to work independently to a tight schedule.
- Capability of working effectively within a team to achieve results.
- Ability to interact with stakeholders from a range of disciplines across the organisation.
- A clearly articulated motivation for the post.
- Proven record of initiative and motivation.
Desirable Criteria
- Familiarity with formulation science concepts
- Industry experience.
- Experience of working in EU-funded consortia.
How To Apply?
To apply for this position please forward your CV and cover letter to careers@nibrt.ie
Please include your name and the position which you are applying for in the subject line. Please note that the successful candidate may be required to supply parchments of degrees/qualifications/work permits.
Informal enquiries can be made in confidence by contacting careers@nibrt.ie
NIBRT is an Equal Opportunities Employer.
Awards and Recognition
