INTERNSHIP DETAILS

Summer Intern, Conjugation Development

CompanyVaxcyte
LocationSan Carlos
Work ModeOn Site
PostedFebruary 25, 2026
Internship Information
Core Responsibilities
The intern will assist with experimental studies to understand how process inputs affect conjugation workflows and downstream processing, while also generating and organizing analytical data for quality attributes. They will also provide general lab support by preparing materials, maintaining documentation, and helping execute planned experiments on schedule.
Internship Type
full time
Salary Range
$23 - $30
Company Size
511
Visa Sponsorship
No
Language
English
Working Hours
40 hours
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About The Company
Vaxcyte is a vaccine innovation company engineering high-fidelity vaccines to protect humankind from the consequences of bacterial diseases. VAX-31, a 31-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) candidate being evaluated in a Phase 3 adult clinical program and in a Phase 2 infant clinical program, is being developed for the prevention of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and is the broadest-spectrum PCV candidate in the clinic today. VAX-24, a 24-valent PCV candidate, is designed to cover more serotypes than any infant PCV on-market. VAX-31 and VAX-24 are designed to improve upon standard-of-care PCVs by covering the serotypes in circulation that cause a significant portion of IPD and are associated with high case-fatality rates, antibiotic resistance and meningitis, while maintaining coverage of previously circulating strains. VAX-XL, in earlier-stage development, also leverages the Company’s carrier-sparing, site-specific conjugation technology with the aim of further expanding coverage to deliver the broadest-spectrum candidate in the Company’s PCV franchise. Vaxcyte is re-engineering the way highly complex vaccines are made through XpressCF®, its cell-free protein synthesis platform exclusively licensed from Sutro Biopharma, Inc. Unlike conventional cell-based approaches, the Company’s system for producing difficult-to-make proteins and antigens is intended to accelerate its ability to develop high-fidelity vaccines with enhanced immunological benefits. Vaxcyte’s pipeline also includes VAX-A1, a prophylactic vaccine candidate designed to prevent Group A Strep infections, and VAX-GI, a vaccine candidate designed to prevent Shigella. For more information, visit www.vaxcyte.com.
About the Role

Join our Mission to Protect Humankind!

Vaxcyte is a clinical-stage vaccine innovation company engineering high-fidelity vaccines to protect humankind from the consequences of bacterial diseases, which have serious and costly health consequences when left unchecked. Working to eradicate or treat bacterial infections such as invasive pneumococcal disease, Group A Strep, and Shigella is just the beginning. Our path to success is clear and well-defined, and Vaxcyte is set up to go the distance. 
 
WHAT we do is every bit as important as HOW we do it! Our work together is guided by four enduring core values:
 
*RETHINK CONVENTION: We bring creative and intellectual diversity to every facet of the work we do in order to innovate and re-innovate the way vaccines are delivered.
 
*AIM HIGH: We embody our collectively audacious goal to courageously make the most complex biologics ever attempted to protect humankind.
 
*LEAD WITH HEART: Everyone leads at Vaxcyte with a kindness-first, inclusive approach to collaboration and vigorous debate that advances our business objectives.
 
*MODEL EXCELLENCE:  The magnitude of our challenge requires our shared commitment to demonstrating integrity, accountability, equality and clarity across communications and decision making.

Summary:

Vaxcyte’s Summer Internship program offers students with an opportunity to gain valuable work experience that complements their college curriculum with relevant hands-on work that can shape their future career pathing and interests.  

As a Conjugation Development Intern for Vaxcyte, you will work on a project as outlined below: 

  • Assist with experimental studies to understand how process inputs influence conjugation workflows and downstream processing.
  • Generate and organize analytical data for predefined quality attributes and contribute to summary slides or short write-ups of results and learnings.
  • Provide general lab and project support to the team by preparing materials, maintaining documentation, and helping execute planned experiments on schedule.

The Intern will learn and practice:  

  • Conjugation techniques that enable protein-polysaccharide vaccine development.
  • Application of Design of Experiments in a CMC/process development setting.
  • How to interpret analytical results and use data-driven decision making to evaluate process impacts.

Program Details:

The Internship will begin in June and will be around 10 weeks (8 hours per day) in duration at our San Carlos, California location.  

Requirements: 

  • Currently pursuing a BS or MS degree in Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Biochemistry, or a related discipline; enrolled student with at least 2 years of university coursework completed.
  • Prior wet-lab experience strongly preferred, including accurate pipetting, solution preparation, and basic documentation practices.
  • Enthusiastic and curious to learn about bioconjugate development.
  • Strong attention to detail and work quality.
  • Demonstrates collaboration and teamwork.
Reports to: Scientist I, Conjugation Development
 
Location: San Carlos, CA
 
Salary Range: The expected salary range for this position is $23-$26 per hour for undergraduate students and $30+/hr for graduate students. Actual pay will be determined based on year of university/college completed. The Summer Internship position will not be eligible for benefits. Relocation and housing stipend will not be offered. 

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.

 

Key Skills
Experimental StudiesProcess InputsConjugation WorkflowsDownstream ProcessingAnalytical Data GenerationQuality AttributesSummary SlidesLab SupportDocumentationConjugation TechniquesVaccine DevelopmentDesign Of ExperimentsCMCProcess DevelopmentData InterpretationData-Driven Decision Making
Categories
Science & ResearchEngineeringHealthcare