Location: Lincoln, Nebraska (Onsite)
Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Flexible core hours)
Salary Range: $79,000 – $123,000 annually depending on directly relevant experience and skills
Reports To: Biological Development Manager
We are seeking a highly motivated Senior Scientist to join our Research & Development team in Lincoln, Nebraska. This is a hands-on, individual contributor role focused on the development, scale-up, and technical transfer of veterinary biologics for food-producing animals.
The ideal candidate will bring industry experience in animal health, biologics, vaccines, or related biotechnology fields and possess a strong understanding of biological systems, process development, and manufacturing scale-up. This position will play a key role in advancing bacterial and viral vaccine programs from early development through commercial manufacturing.
Approximately 50–60% of the role will be laboratory-based, with the remainder dedicated to project planning, technical documentation, data analysis, and cross-functional collaboration.
- Lead and execute development activities for bacterial and viral biologics intended for poultry, swine, and cattle applications.
- Design, perform, and troubleshoot laboratory experiments supporting process development, optimization, and scale-up.
- Support technology transfer activities from R&D into manufacturing environments.
- Develop scalable upstream and downstream processes involving microorganisms, cells, and biological substrates.
- Collaborate closely with Production, Quality Assurance, Quality Control, Regulatory Affairs, and Manufacturing teams.
- Generate, analyze, and communicate experimental results to project teams and leadership.
- Author and maintain technical documentation, protocols, reports, batch records, and SOPs.
- Support regulatory submissions and compliance efforts involving FDA and USDA requirements for veterinary biologics.
- Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives and scientific problem-solving across development programs.
- Participate in occasional weekend activities when project timelines or biological processes require support.
- Bachelor's degree in Microbiology, Biology, Immunology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, or a related life sciences discipline.
- 5-10+ years of hands-on industry experience in biologics, vaccines, bioprocessing, fermentation, cell culture, or related biotechnology environments.
- Experience working with biological systems such as bacteria, viruses, mammalian cells, microbial cultures, parasites, or other biological substrates.
- Knowledge of process development principles, including scale-up and technology transfer.
- Strong laboratory troubleshooting, data interpretation, and technical writing skills.
- Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across multidisciplinary teams.
- Industry experience within the animal health, veterinary biologics, vaccine, or agricultural biotechnology industries is highly preferred.
- Familiarity with FDA and/or USDA regulatory requirements related to biologics or vaccine manufacturing.
- Experience with fermentation, bioreactors, upstream processing, downstream processing, and manufacturing scale-up.
- Experience supporting commercial manufacturing or process transfer activities.
- Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in a related scientific field.
- Experience working in highly regulated environments.
Beyond technical expertise, we're looking for someone who:
- Has a strong work ethic and ownership mentality.
- Communicates effectively and collaborates well with diverse teams.
- Thrives in a fast-paced development environment.
- Is open to giving and receiving constructive feedback.
- Demonstrates scientific curiosity and practical problem-solving skills.
- Brings a positive attitude and contributes to a strong team culture.
You'll join a collaborative R&D organization with approximately 45–50 professionals across analytical, clinical, regulatory, and development functions. The Lincoln-based development team consists of five scientists focused on advancing innovative veterinary biologics that support animal health and food production worldwide.
This is an opportunity to make a direct impact on the development of next-generation veterinary vaccines and biologics while working alongside experienced scientists in a growing organization. You'll have visibility across the full product lifecycle—from development and scale-up through manufacturing and commercialization—and play a meaningful role in improving animal health globally.
As part of our promise to talent, Kelly supports those who work with us through a variety of benefits, perks, and work-related resources. Kelly offers eligible employees voluntary benefit plans including medical, dental, vision, telemedicine, term life, whole life, accident insurance, critical illness, a legal plan, and short-term disability. As a Kelly employee, you will have access to a retirement savings plan, service bonus and holiday pay plans (earn up to eight paid holidays per benefit year), and a transit spending account. In addition, employees are entitled to earn paid sick leave under the applicable state or local plan.
Why Kelly® Science & Clinical?
Kelly Science & Clinical is your connection to premier scientific and clinical companies looking to hire industry experts just like you. Our team creates expert talent solutions to solve the world’s most critical challenges. Every day, we match science professionals with dream jobs that fit their skills, interests, and career goals-it’s the way we think job searching should be. Nearly 100 percent of our science recruiters have a professional background and education in science, so we know a thing or two about the science market and how to get your expertise noticed.
About Kelly
Work changes everything. And at Kelly, we’re obsessed with where it can take you. To us, it’s about more than simply accepting your next job opportunity. It’s the fuel that powers every next step of your life. It’s the ripple effect that changes and improves everything for your family, your community, and the world. Which is why, here at Kelly, we are dedicated to providing you with limitless opportunities to enrich your life-just ask the 300,000 people we employ each year.
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