Vaccine Researcher & Scientist (Austin – Formulation Lead)

Location: Austin, TX (Preferred) — open to relocation
Type: Full-time

Overview:

At LunaVax, we're reimagining how life-saving vaccines reach the people who need them most — starting with a microneedle patch platform that could change everything. We’re looking for a Vaccine Researcher & Scientist based in Austin (or open to relocation) to lead early-stage formulation R&D for our microneedle vaccine patch (MAP) platform. Your work will directly support our measles MAP feasibility study and help lay the foundation for vaccine delivery innovations across high-burden disease areas in Africa.

This is a unique opportunity to bridge lab-based R&D with global public health impact.

Responsibilities:

• Design and test novel vaccine formulations for microneedle patch delivery and other formats
• Conduct studies on stability, shelf life, cold chain independence, and usability
• Partner with regulatory teams to generate data for submissions and pilot deployment
• Collaborate with global labs and institutions on preclinical and early-stage human studies
• Analyze and contribute to the interpretation of preclinical and feasibility study data
• Stay current on vaccine technologies and make recommendations for internal pipeline development

Preferred Qualifications:

• PhD or MSc in virology, immunology, bioengineering, or related field
• 3–6 years of experience in vaccine formulation, delivery systems, or translational R&D (industry or academic)
• Experience with vaccine formulation, delivery systems, or microneedle platforms
• Demonstrated ability to lead or contribute to translational R&D programs
• Strong analytical and scientific writing skills
• Experience designing for LMIC or low-resource health systems a plus

What You’ll Gain:

• A central role in a purpose-driven team creating vaccine access breakthroughs
• Exposure to global innovation partnerships and deployment initiatives
• The opportunity to bridge lab research with real-world health impact
• Support for professional growth in a fast-moving, equity-focused biotech

Compensation:
Estimated range: $90,000 – $130,000 USD annually, depending on experience and role responsibilities. While LunaVax currently operates as an LLC, long-term participation incentives including potential equity upon corporate conversion may be considered for candidates aligned with our long-term vision and scale-up strategy.

Interested in this role?

We’re excited to learn more about you. Please complete the form above to share your interest. Our team carefully reviews all applications and will be in touch if your profile aligns with our current needs.

Thanks for considering LunaVax!