Research Officer

**Research Officer**
- **12 months Fixed Term opportunity** based in Wellington - Upper Hutt (Whakatiki)
- Join a **Trusted Global Leading organisation** within a passionate team
- Grow and **share your knowledge and expertise** as the Research Officer

To provide research support to multiple simultaneous projects relating to the development of animal vaccines, and in market support of existing vaccines. This includes assisting in the development and scale-up of new products, performing laboratory analyses and preparing biological reagents; ensuring all health and safety, compliance and documentation standards are met.

The Research Officer is primarily responsible for Commercial Projects, working closely with the Technical Market Development Manager, R&D and the Bioprocess Technology & Support (BTS) group. The Research Officer will provide production support (provision of seed cultures, maintenance of seed culture collection, as well as product/process development) and test support (production and validation of test reagents, provision of test reagents, test development and validation, and test technology transfers within site and between sites).

The Research Officer sits within the Animal Health Commercial team and reports to the Technical Market Development Manager.

**What You Will Do**

**Responsibilities include, however not limited to**:
**Projects**

Undertake multiple projects simultaneously to ensure milestones and objectives are met:

- Ensure milestones achieved and timelines adhered to
- Prepare documents supporting new products/processes/tests
- Communicate with global internal and external customers and project team members

**Laboratory Analyses**

Perform laboratory analyses as required. This may include:

- Evaluation of vaccine performance
- Blending vaccines
- Testing of sera from vaccine support trials (lab animals, and target animals)
- In vivo toxin neutralisation tests
- Data collation and analysis

**Laboratory Stocks and Equipment**

Provision of validated reagents and management of laboratory stocks and equipment that pertain to product development projects. This may include:

- Preparation and validation of stock reagents for use in biological assays and maintain these to GMP standards
- Data analysis of validation results
- Preparation and distribution of documentation related to stock reagents
- Testing of reagents in in vivo and in vitro tests
- Order consumables
- Maintain laboratory equipment so that it is fit for use

**Manage Seed Culture Collection**
- Assist in the management of the seed culture collection to maintain compliant, secure seed banks of bacteria for use in vaccine production for product development projects
- Maintain stock records to GMP standards
- Ensure seed cultures are stored appropriately and storage vessels maintained
- Produce new seed lots as directed
- Perform fermentation trials for characterization as required
- Provide seed cultures to Production as requested

**Support Production Processes**

Support the development, optimisation and implementation of new production processes. These may include:

- Media development, new bacterial seeds, alternative fermentation, inactivation, processing and blending processes
- Perform trials as requested
- Analyse and interpret data
- Write required documents to company standards
- Assist in the investigation of product/process issues for resolution of problems
- Support the investigation of Test/Reagent issues for resolution of problems

**What You Must Have**
- Tertiary qualification in science e.g. immunology/biochemistry or related field is preferred
- Previous experience in laboratory testing and microbiology is desirable
- Experience of ELISA and in-vivo animal work (small laboratory animals) are preferred.
- Understanding of the principles of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP)/Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) is preferred.
- Experience in data analysis is desirable.
- Good computer skills are an advantage (Excel, Word)

**What You Can Expect**
- Be part of a collaborative team
- Support, growth, tenacity coupled with your passion, are all encouraged
- Autonomy to make an impact all while working within a trusted Global Leading organisation in Animal Health

**Who we are **

We are known as Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey, USA in the United States and Canada and MSD everywhere else. For more than a century, we have been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world's most challenging diseases. Today, our company continues to be at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions and advance the prevention and treatment of diseases that threaten people and animals around the world.

**What we look for **

Imagine getting up in the morning for a job as important as helping to save and improve lives around the world. Here, you have that opportunity. You can put your empathy, creativity, digital mastery, or scientific genius to work in collaboration w