PrincipalScientist,ProcessDevelopment(ExpressionSystems)

**The Role** Moderna is seeking an Individual to lead host strain, vector, and expression system strategy for E. coli-based production of recombinant enzymes, plasmids, and related biological materials supporting Moderna’s technology platforms and pipeline programs. This role owns the front end of microbial production: designing, building, screening, and selecting host/vector/expression systems that enable high-performing, scalable, and robust upstream processes. The successful candidate will bring deep expertise in microbial genetics, molecular biology, expression-system design, screening workflows, data-driven construct selection, and translation of small-scale screening outputs into process-development-ready leads. **Here’s What You’ll Do** * Own the strategy for E. coli host strain, vector, and expression-system for recombinant enzymes, plasmids, and related biological materials. * Design and execute screening cascades that identify production candidates with strong titer, yield, quality, genetic stability, robustness, and process-development potential. * Define stage-appropriate decision criteria for host/vector selection, expression tuning, induction strategy, plasmid stability, growth, product quality, and manufacturability. * Develop and optimize small-scale and high-throughput screening workflows, including shake flask, deep-well plate, ambr, or other scale-down systems where appropriate. * Evaluate host strains, promoters, ribosome binding sites, copy number, plasmid architecture, induction systems, codon/design strategies, secretion or localization strategies where relevant, and expression timing. * Use DOE and data-driven approaches to improve screening throughput, predictiveness, reproducibility, and translation to bioreactor performance. * Lead or support strain and vector engineering to improve expression performance, stability, productivity, robustness, and manufacturability. * Apply molecular biology, microbial physiology, and synthetic biology prin