Immunology and Mechanistic Biology Scientist

The Zoetis Global Therapeutics 4 Livestock Health group, within Veterinary Medicine Research and Development, discovers prophylactic, therapeutic, and biopharmaceutical solutions for veterinary applications. Our work supports livestock health, productivity, sustainability, and food security, as well as companion-animal anti-infective programs. This is a business-critical role: the Senior Scientist will generate and interpret mechanistic immunology data that enables target identification, substrate validation, portfolio decisions, and progression of programs from ideation toward development. The team works across therapeutic areas, disease biology, and species, translating biology into agile, decision-ready deliverables.

We are seeking a motivated Immunology and Mechanistic Biology Scientist who can move confidently between scientific hypothesis and practical execution. The successful candidate will bring hands-on experience in cell culture, modern cell biology, immunoassay development, and in vitro screening, and plan/prioritize their work autonomously. We value diverse experience gained across academic, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, veterinary, or biomedical research settings, including work with multiple species, model systems, sample types, and assay platforms.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Design, execute, troubleshoot, and document in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo studies that define immune mechanisms, support target identification and validation, and inform substrate or modality decisions.

• Characterize immunological responses across model systems and species using fit-for-purpose technical approaches, integrating data from multiple assay formats into clear conclusions.

• Develop, optimize, qualify, and transfer immunoassays across ELISA, ELISpot, MSD/U-Plex, Luminex, flow cytometry, and other relevant platforms.

• Develop and adapt cell-based assays using primary and immortalized immune and non-immune cells, applying imaging, luminescence/fluorescence, receptor-binding, effector-function, and related readouts.

• Plan experiments independently using literature, prior data, and input from project leads; analyze results, identify risks and next steps, and recommend practical follow-on studies.

• Own and deliver business-critical experimental data packages that meet portfolio milestones, demonstrate agility working across multiple project teams, therapeutic questions and experimental approaches, while adjusting priorities as project needs change.

• Translate experimental results into decision-ready data interpretations, technical updates, reports, and presentations for project teams and stakeholders.

• Develop and standardize protocols; maintain accurate documentation; and ensure compliance with biosafety, GLP-aligned quality, and regulatory expectations so that data are reproducible and audit-ready.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Immunology, Cell Biology, Biotechnology, or a related field; an advanced degree is a plus.

• 8+ years of relevant experience in academic, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, veterinary, or biomedical research, with evidence of delivering target identification/validation, immunoscreening, assay development, or immunotherapeutic discovery programs.

• Proficiency in modern in vitro immunology and cell biology techniques, with the ability to apply methods thoughtfully across different biological questions and project contexts.

• Strong practical expertise across in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo immunology using multiple platforms, including ELISA, ELISpot, MSD, Luminex, and flow cytometry; experience with multiple species or sample types is preferred.

• Hands-on experience with cell culture and cell-based assays using primary and immortalized, immune and non-immune cells, along with a track record of assay optimization and non-GLP qualification work.

• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across cross-functional teams, with sound scientific judgment, attention to detail, and a delivery-focused mindset.

OTHER SKILLS DESIRED:

• Broad knowledge of cellular and molecular immunology, including innate and adaptive immune mechanisms, humoral and cellular immunity, and inflammation biology.

• Experience developing MSD platform-based assays, adapting traditional MSD immunoassays to U-Plex and Luminex multiplex assays, including panel design, QC, data analysis, and validation across species and sample types.

• Hands-on experience with cellular assay development and readouts such as Incucyte imaging, luminescence/fluorescence, immunohistochemistry, receptor-binding affinity, and effector function in primary cell systems.

• Flow cytometry experience, including cell sorting, intracellular staining, ROS detection, and apoptosis characterization.

• Experience with 3D cell culture and/or ChIP-seq development.

• Experience with laboratory automation equipment, such as Agilent systems or iDot.

• Familiarity with GLP principles and data-quality practices.

• Excellent collaboration skills and the ability to contribute across immediate teams, project teams, and diverse functions and departments.

• Working knowledge of Word, Excel, Prism, Outlook, and related data-analysis or documentation tools.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Work environment: This role may involve exposure to animal pathogens, chemicals, animal tissues or fluids, and zoonotic organisms. All work must follow applicable safety, biosafety, and regulatory requirements.

• Role will be based in Kalamazoo, MI, with minimal travel to off-site locations in the US, UK, or EU.

 

 

Full time

 

 

Regular

 

 

Colleague

 

 

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