Technician I Microbiology

Charles River Laboratories; Wayne (PA); On-site; USD 28,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus incentives

401K

Paid time off

Stock purchase program

Health and wellness coverage

Work-life balance flexibility

Job summary

Charles River Laboratories seeks a lab assistant to support Microbiology Testing Services. You will perform routine microbiology tasks, maintain cleanroom and biosafety practices, and assist with environmental monitoring programs under supervision.

The role requires a biology degree and 0–1 year of lab experience, with growth into Biologics testing activities and regulatory knowledge over time.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Biology or related discipline.
• 0-1 years related experience in a biological lab.
• Knowledge of cGMPs or regulatory affairs preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and communication ability.
• Basic MS Office skills.

Responsibilities

• Perform microbiology testing activities including reagent/media prep and aseptic technique in a biosafety cabinet.
• Maintain laboratory equipment, stock supplies and dispose of waste per procedures.
• Complete cleanroom gowning certification as required.
• Train on assays and environmental monitoring as directed by supervisor.
• Oversee equipment maintenance for Environmental Monitoring and schedule repairs.
• Execute static and dynamic Environmental Monitoring and update the EM database.
• Prepare samples and isolates for microbial ID and update the Microbial ID database.
• Perform bioburden, sterility, and mycoplasma tests as applicable.
• Document activities in notebooks and batch records per cGMP.
• All other related duties as assigned.

Skills

Laboratory techniques

Aseptic technique

Interpersonal skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Biology or related discipline

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

For 75 years, Charles River employees have worked together to assist in the discovery, development and safe manufacture of new drug therapies. When you join our family, you will have a significant impact on the health and well‑being of people across the globe. Whether your background is in life sciences, finance, IT, sales or another area, your skills will play an important role in the work we perform. In return, we’ll help you build a career that you can feel passionate about.

Job Overview

Under direct supervision, responsible for performing daily laboratory tasks as they relate to Microbiology Testing Services.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Perform laboratory activities necessary for Microbiology testing including, but not limited to, reagent and media preparation, growth promotion of media and reagents and the practice of aseptic technique working within a biological safety cabinet.

• Perform routine laboratory maintenance including, but not limited to, cleaning of equipment, stocking of the laboratory and disposing of laboratory waste.

• Complete cleanroom gowning certification as necessary.

• Complete training on the performance of assays and/or environmental monitoring as assigned by their current Supervisor or Manager.

• Duties specific to Environmental Monitoring may include, but are not limited to:

• Oversee the general maintenance of all equipment related to the performance of Environmental Monitoring and schedule repairs as required. Perform any laboratory maintenance and/or monitoring as necessary.

• Responsible for the execution of both static and dynamic Environmental Monitoring and updating the EM Database.

• Perform preparation of sample material and all environmental and personnel isolates recovered during Environmental Monitoring for microbial identification, and updating the Microbial Identification Database.

• Duties specific to Sterile Services may include, but are not limited to:

• Perform bioburden and bioburden verification testing via pour plate and/or membrane filtration methods.

• Perform bacteriostasis and fungistasis testing via direct inoculation and/or membrane filtration.

• Perform sterility testing via direct inoculation and/or membrane filtration.

• Perform mycobacterium testing.

• Perform bacteriophage testing.

• Duties specific to Mycoplasma Testing may include, but are not limited to:

• Cultivable mycoplasma testing using broth and agar cultures following various compendia.

• Non‑cultivable mycoplasma testing using indicator cell culture following various compendia.

• Perform mycoplasmastasis testing (inhibitory testing) following various compendia.

• Document all activities performed in notebooks, test batch records and/or forms in accordance with the current Good Manufacturing Practices.

• Perform all other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree (B.A./B.S.) or equivalent in Biology or related discipline.

• Experience: 0-1 years related experience in biological lab.

• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted as a satisfactory substitute for the specific education and experience listed above.

• Certification/Licensure: None

• Other: Knowledge of cGMPs or regulatory affairs pertaining to the pharmaceutical and biological industries is preferred. Must possess excellent interpersonal skills to maintain communication across biological functional groups. Able to communicate effectively in a group or one on one setting. Basic Microsoft Office skills are a plus.

The pay for this position is $24.70 per hour. Please note that salaries vary within the range based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, education, certifications, and location.

About Biologics Testing Solutions

With more than 50 years of experience and proven regulatory expertise, the Charles River Biologics group can address challenging projects for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies worldwide. Offering a variety of services such as contamination and impurity testing, protein characterization, bioassays, viral clearance studies and stability and lot release programs, we support clients throughout the biologic development cycle, from the establishment and characterization of cell banks through preclinical and clinical studies to marketed products. Whether clients need stand‑alone services, a unique package of testing, or insourced support, our Biologics group can create a custom solution to suit their needs. Each year more than 20,000 biologic testing reports are sent each and over 200 licenses products are supported by our biologics testing solutions team.

About Charles River

Charles River is an early‑stage contract research organization (CRO). We have built upon our foundation of laboratory animal medicine and science to develop a diverse portfolio of discovery and safety assessment services, both Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and non‑GLP, to support clients from target identification through preclinical development. Charles River also provides a suite of products and services to support our clients' clinical laboratory testing needs and manufacturing activities. Utilizing this broad portfolio of products and services enables our clients to create a more flexible drug development model, which reduces their costs, enhances their productivity and effectiveness to increase speed to market.

With over 20,000 employees within 110 facilities in over 20 countries around the globe, we are strategically positioned to coordinate worldwide resources and apply multidisciplinary perspectives in resolving our client's unique challenges. Our client base includes global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, government agencies and hospitals and academic institutions around the world.

At Charles River, we are passionate about our role in improving the quality of people's lives. Our mission, our excellent science and our strong sense of purpose guide us in all that we do, and we approach each day with the knowledge that our work helps to improve the health and well‑being of many across the globe. We have proudly worked on 80% of the drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the past five years.

We're committed to providing benefits that elevate your quality of life. Based on your position these may include: bonus/incentives based on performance, 401K, paid time off, stock purchase program, Health and wellness coverage, employee and family wellbeing support programs, and work life balance flexibility.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Charles River is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, family status, pregnancy, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

It is unlawful in some states (including Massachusetts) to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

For more information, please visit www.criver.com.