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Vaccine Formulation Jobs (NOW HIRING)

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How much do vaccine formulation jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 11, 2026, the average hourly pay for vaccine formulation in the United States is $22.83, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $18.27 and $22.84 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is vaccine formulation?

Vaccine formulation refers to the process of combining different components, such as antigens, adjuvants, stabilizers, and preservatives, to create a safe and effective vaccine. The goal is to ensure the vaccine triggers a strong and lasting immune response while remaining stable and safe for storage, transport, and administration. Experts in vaccine formulation work to optimize these mixtures for maximum efficacy, safety, and shelf life, considering factors like dosage, delivery method, and target population.

What is the difference between Vaccine Formulation vs Vaccine Manufacturing Technician?

AspectVaccine FormulationVaccine Manufacturing Technician
Primary RoleDeveloping and preparing vaccine formulations, including mixing and stabilizing active ingredientsOperating equipment and assembling vaccine products during manufacturing processes
Required SkillsKnowledge of formulation techniques, laboratory skills, quality controlEquipment operation, process monitoring, adherence to manufacturing protocols
Work EnvironmentLaboratories, R&D settingsManufacturing plants, production lines
CertificationsOften requires degrees in pharmacy, chemistry, or related fieldsTypically requires technical certifications or training in manufacturing processes

Vaccine Formulation and Vaccine Manufacturing Technician roles both operate within the vaccine industry but focus on different stages. Formulation specialists develop the vaccine's composition, while manufacturing technicians handle the production process. Understanding these differences helps in choosing the right career path or job search focus.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Vaccine Formulation Scientist, and why are they important?

A Vaccine Formulation Scientist needs a strong background in biochemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, or related fields, often complemented by an advanced degree. Familiarity with analytical instruments, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards, and formulation software is essential. Attention to detail, problem-solving abilities, and effective teamwork are vital soft skills for success in this role. These skills ensure the safe, stable, and effective development of vaccines that meet regulatory and quality standards.

What are the typical challenges faced in a vaccine formulation role, and how are they addressed within a team setting?

Professionals in vaccine formulation often encounter challenges such as ensuring stability of active ingredients, optimizing delivery systems, and meeting strict regulatory requirements. These challenges are typically addressed through close collaboration with analytical scientists, process engineers, and quality assurance teams. Regular cross-functional meetings and iterative testing are common practices to troubleshoot issues and refine formulations. Being adaptable and maintaining clear communication within the team is key to overcoming technical hurdles and delivering safe, effective vaccines.
What job categories do people searching Vaccine Formulation jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Vaccine Formulation jobs are:
Infographic showing various Vaccine Formulation job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 83% Full Time, 13% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 88% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 10% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $47,488 per year, or $22.8 per hour.
Director, Vaccine Formulation Development

Director, Vaccine Formulation Development

Lilly

Indianapolis, IN • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 10 days ago


Eli Lilly and Company rating

8.8

Company rating: 8.8 out of 10

Based on 62 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

11th of 71 rated pharmaceutical


Job description

At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our employees around the world work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. We give our best effort to our work, and we put people first. We're looking for people who are determined to make life better for people around the world.

Overview

For more than 150 years, Lilly has been dedicated to meeting the health care needs of people in the United States and around the world. We address these needs primarily by developing innovative medicines-investing a higher percentage of our sales in research and development than any other major pharmaceutical company.

The Lilly Bioproduct Research and Development (BR&D) organization is focused on the development and commercialization of parenteral formulations of small molecules and large molecules such as monoclonal antibodies, novel therapeutic proteins and peptides. The organization is also committed to the development of genetic medicines which includes active investments in oligonucleotide development, nanomedicines for tissue specific targeting and other gene delivery strategies. The drug product team is also investing in building new platforms to support complex formulations such as vaccines, lipid nanoparticles, antibody drug conjugates and AAV and other non-viral vector delivery.

We are seeking a highly motivated scientific lead with deep, hands-on experience developing through clinical development and commercialization, and a strong emphasis on and complex antigen-adjuvant systems (e.g., aluminum- and emulsion-adjuvanted formulations). Experience with nanoparticle antigen display / VLP-like platforms is highly desirable. Familiarity with mRNALNP vaccine drug product development is a plus but not required.

KEY OBJECTIVES/DELIVERABLES
Responsibilities:

  • Represent Drug Product team in CM&C teams and support the formulation and process development of recombinant protein antigens, emulsion- or aluminum-based co-formulated vaccines.

  • Support the drug product development and bring in new formulation technologies to develop adjuvanted protein/subunit vaccines, bacterial vaccine platforms, and antigen-display nanoparticle. Build process capabilities for lab scale, early phase clinical scale, and scale up technologies for vaccine drug product unit operations including emulsion adjuvant manufacturing, aluminum salt adsorption, sterile filtration and lyophilization (as applicable), and aseptic fill/finish of modern container/closure and presentation systems (single-vial, two-vial reconstitution, prefilled syringe, dual-chamber).

  • Support tech transfer of process and formulation to clinical manufacturing sites.

  • Work closely with synthetic chemistry, toxicology, ADME groups, analytical teams and device teams to develop vaccine drug products that are immunogenic, stable and patient-centric.

  • Lead others in the design, execution and interpretation of experiments to drive the definition and optimization of formulations and processes

  • Innovate or assess cutting edge formulation methodologies for complex or unstable vaccine antigens and antigen-adjuvant systems

  • Identify and spearhead research efforts on understanding new vaccine technologies and establish proof of concept for technologies for appropriate assets under development

  • Establish and leverage strategic relationships with academia and start-ups to accelerate and access emerging innovation.

  • Drive a strong innovation agenda for the team leading to publications, presentations and industry wide influence

  • Wear multiple functional hats so that input into various complementary parts of the project can be managed in a rapid and localized manner

  • Coaching, training and administration of performance management to personnel (primarily, but not limited to, direct reports)

Basic Qualifications:

  • PhD in chemistry, biochemistry, chemical engineering, or related discipline.

  • 10 years of experience in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry developing vaccine drug product formulations and processes including hands-on experience with adjuvanted protein/subunit vaccines, bacterial vaccine platforms, and antigen-display nanoparticles.

  • Experience with preparation of control strategies and regulatory submissions supporting clinical development and licensure.

  • Demonstrated leadership of vaccine drug product programs across drug substance handoff, formulation development, process development, technology transfer, and clinical/commercial manufacturing readiness.

  • Experience supervising scientists and engineers.

Additional Skills and Preferences:

  • Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of vaccine formulation and process development, and parenteral manufacturing and aseptic technologies.

  • Background encompasses both innovation and technical development of wide array of vaccine platforms.

  • Proven record of developing processes and deep understanding of principles and analytical techniques necessary to characterize recombinant protein antigens, antigen-adjuvant compatibility and interactions (e.g., stability and adsorption isotherm characterization), and colloidal/emulsion systems (e.g., DLS, particle sizing, zeta potential, microscopy, biophysical/structural methods for adsorbed and emulsion-associated antigens).

  • Hands-on experience with squalene oil-in-water emulsion adjuvants including emulsion manufacturing operations such as microfluidization and high-shear / high-pressure homogenization.

  • Working knowledge of vaccine-specific regulatory expectations (FDA CBER, EMA biologics, WHO TRS) and applicable ICH guidelines (Q5C, Q5E, Q6B, Q8-Q11) for biological products, including comparability, stability, and CMC submission strategy for adjuvanted vaccines. Late-stage vaccine drug product development experience especially BLA filing experience is preferred.

  • Extensive experience collaborating with key partner functions to develop innovative solutions with a patient focus in an integrated fashion.

  • Familiarity with OMV (Outer membrane vesicles) delivery platforms is a plus.

  • May also need to support adjacent biologics programs (monoclonal antibody, proteins and peptide programs) in various stages of development.

Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions. If you require accommodation to submit a resume for a position at Lilly, please complete the accommodation request form (https://careers.lilly.com/us/en/workplace-accommodation) for further assistance. Please note this is for individuals to request an accommodation as part of the application process and any other correspondence will not receive a response.

Lilly is proud to be an EEO Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.


Our employee resource groups (ERGs) offer strong support networks for their members and are open to all employees. Our current groups include: Africa, Middle East, Central Asia Network, Black Employees at Lilly, Chinese Culture Network, Japanese International Leadership Network (JILN), Lilly India Network, Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), PRIDE (LGBTQ+ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN), Women's Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL), enAble (for people with disabilities). Learn more about all of our groups.

Actual compensation will depend on a candidate's education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is

$177,000 - $281,600

Full-time equivalent employees also will be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance). In addition, Lilly offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees, including eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k); pension; vacation benefits; eligibility for medical, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits; flexible benefits (e.g., healthcare and/or dependent day care flexible spending accounts); life insurance and death benefits; certain time off and leave of absence benefits; and well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities).Lilly reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion and Lilly's compensation practices and guidelines will apply regarding the details of any promotion or transfer of Lilly employees.

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About Eli Lilly

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Eli Lilly, based in Indianapolis, IN, US, is one of the pioneers in the pharmaceutical industry with a rich history dating back to 1876. This global pharmaceutical company focuses on discovering, developing, manufacturing and selling pharmaceutical products in approximately 120 countries. The company's product categories include endocrinology, oncology, cardiovascular, neuroscience, and immunology. Having invested over $9 billion in research and development in the past decade, Eli Lilly is also committed to creating high-quality medicines that meet real needs. As a recipient of several awards and recognitions, Eli Lilly is known for its focus on life-saving research and drug development. Their mission is to make medicines that help people live longer, healthier, and more active lives.

Industry

Pharmaceutical product wholesalers

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Indianapolis, IN, US

Year founded

1876