Position Summary:
Calviri is an early-stage healthcare company building exceptional research and product development teams. We are seeking passionate scientists to join the company’s forward-thinking efforts in developing diagnostic and vaccine products to detect cancer early or prevent it from starting.
Our mission is to provide a broad spectrum of fundamentally different diagnostics and vaccines that will end deaths from cancer. Calviri’s mission focuses on using frameshift neo-antigens derived from errors in RNA synthesis and processing to provide these pioneering products. The company is currently engaged in the largest dog clinical trial ever conducted, in which we are evaluating the efficacy of a preventative cancer vaccine (https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/21/health/cancer-vaccine-dog-trial/index.html ).
We are looking for an outstanding peptide chemist to spearhead the high-throughput production of our peptide neo-antigens. Calviri has pioneered the in-situ synthesis of large libraries of peptides on silicon wafers. We have applied innovative photolithography approaches to peptide synthesis to manufacture microarrays with peptide sequence complexities of greater than 400,000 per chip (RSC Adv., 2020, 10, 29675). This peptide chip technology is at the core of our ability to diagnose cancer and other diseases early and generate vaccines to treat and even prevent cancer. We are continuing to develop novel array formats and content for multiple new applications and are looking for ambitious scientists to help drive these efforts.
In this position, overarching responsibilities will include the design, development, optimization and maintenance of integrated systems for peptide synthesis on microarrays using photolithography and Boc chemistry. Candidates familiar with photolithography tools and/or microarrays are favored. A successful candidate will have demonstrated proficiency in customizing chemistries to meet specialized needs in automated peptide array synthesis.
Strong consideration will be given to candidates that have a successful history of meeting time-sensitive deadlines and that have demonstrated the ability to both manage projects and work effectively as an independent contributor. As an early-stage company, Calviri anticipates candidates will be required to engage in a variety of roles and responsibilities to meet these expectations.
Job Responsibilities:
- Develop and implement all peptide synthesis process chemistry methods, and transfer them to the array manufacturing team
- Develop and implement new analytical technologies to guide and monitor improvements to peptide production
- Participate in the development of new technologies related to peptides and chip-based workflows
- Define critical quality metrics for all products and acquire the metrology tools necessary for ensuring manufacturing output quality
- Deliver results through the application of chemistry skills, systematic problem-solving and validation of performance in collaboration with all stakeholders.
- Establish vendor relationships that will provide uninterrupted access and appropriate quality controls for all raw materials needed for peptide synthesis processes
- Work with the VP of R&D to define goals for new capabilities and innovative products that will drive organizational growth
Qualifications:
- Minimally 6 years post-graduation experience in chemistry positions related to peptide synthesis
- Strong analytical skills and knowledge of organic peptide chemistry
- Demonstrated expert in peptide chemistry principles and their sound application
- Hands on experience with core relevant analytical techniques
- Strong troubleshooting skills demonstrated in both team and individual contexts
- Proficient communicator with great written and verbal fluency in English
Education:
- Ph.D. in Chemistry or related disciplines including peptide chemistry, organic chemistry or analytic chemistry
- Experience in industry or start-up
The company is located at two sites: Tempe and Phoenix’s Wexford Science and Technology research labs (https://wexfordscitech.com/projects/phoenix-biomedical-campus/). Salary is competitive.