Applications are invited for appointment as Assistant Research Officer (holding a functional title of Research Scientist) in the Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute (HKJCGHI) of the School of Public Health (Ref. 532713), to commence as soon as possible on a one-year temporary or two-year fixed-term basis, with the possibility of renewal subject to funding availability and satisfactory performance.
HKU has partnered with International Vaccine Institute (IVI) and The University of Cambridge to establish the HKJCGHI, funded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. IVI is a non-profit international organization dedicated to vaccines and vaccination for global health. The Science Unit of IVI coordinates the Vaccine Process Development workstream and contributes to others workstreams of the HKJCGHI, including capacity building. These areas of work are in sync with HKJCGHI activities of the Science Unit in Seoul, South Korea.
Applicants should possess a Master’s degree in Microbiology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or a related field. A PhD degree in a relevant discipline is desirable, but not mandatory. Applicants should have at least 12 years of relevant experience (or at least 8 years for PhD holders) in process/analytical development, production-purification-conjugation-formulation of vaccines targeting infectious diseases.
Applicants should demonstrate in-depth understanding and hands-on experience in cell culture-based viral vaccine production, including propagation of mammalian cell cultures or large-scale recombinant protein and RNA expression in shake flask/bioreactors, media optimization/evaluation, production of bioreactor-based processes to bacterial-based vaccines, and bioprocessing methods for high cell density growth and viral propagations, well-versed in GLP and cGMP, and ability to apply technical and functional knowledge to design and independently execute experiments/projects. Experience in handling quantitative and/or qualitative assays for vaccine development research would be an advantage. They should have excellent written and spoken English skills along with good communication skills, a keen sense of responsibility, good organizational skills, and the ability to work independently as well as in a team. Preference will be given to candidates with prior practical work experience in vaccine/biopharmaceutical industry, or in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) settings, while proficiency in Mandarin and working knowledge within the biomanufacturing ecosystem of Hong Kong and China will be considered an advantage.
The appointee will contribute to research activities on infectious diseases and vaccines under the HKJCGHI and report to the Senior Research Scientist of Science Unit. Key responsibilities include leading the process development of vaccine candidates and intermediates, including scalable process and analytical methods; designing experiments on upstream and downstream (purification) process optimizations to ensure reproducible process suitable for production under GMP conditions that could be scaled-up; troubleshooting independently and collaborating with team members (both within and cross-functional) to achieve organizational research objectives. The role also involves supporting the technology transfer of vaccine candidates developed at GHI-IVI to vaccine manufacturers, preparing, editing and reviewing research reports, manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals, and presentations for scientific meetings. He/She will also coordinate with and manage internal and external stakeholders to facilitate project progress.
A highly competitive salary commensurate with qualifications and experience will be offered, in addition to annual leave and medical benefits. The appointment on fixed terms will attract a contract-end gratuity and University contribution to a retirement benefits scheme, totalling up to 10% of basic salary.
The University only accepts online application for the above post. Applicants should apply online and upload an up-to-date CV. Review of applications will start on August 5, 2025, and continue until October 14, 2025, or until the post is filled, whichever is earlier.
