
Associate, Cell Therapy Handling and Cryopreservation
Job Overview
Location
Sacramento, CA
Job Type
Full-time
Category
Product Management
Date Posted
September 16, 2025
Full Job Description
ďż˝
ďż˝ Description
- • Be the guardian of life-saving cell therapies from the moment they arrive at our 100,000-square-foot Sacramento facility until they leave for the patient. As an Associate, Cell Therapy Handling and Cryopreservation, you will own the critical hand-off points that determine whether a transplant succeeds or fails, ensuring every bag of cells retains its identity, potency, and chain-of-custody.
- • Receive, inspect, and log incoming leukapheresis units with surgical precision—verifying temperature, packaging integrity, and labeling against SOPs and regulatory requirements—so that no patient ever receives the wrong product.
- • Execute controlled-rate freezing protocols on intermediate and final cell products, operating liquid-nitrogen freezers, controlled-rate freezers, and vapor-phase storage tanks while documenting every parameter in electronic batch records and LIMS.
- • Coordinate the final choreography of drug-product release: printing compliant labels, assembling insulated shippers, confirming temperature monitors, and partnering with logistics couriers to guarantee on-time delivery to transplant centers across the country.
- • Maintain absolute chain-of-identity and chain-of-custody through barcode scanning, tamper-evident sealing, and real-time inventory updates, eliminating the risk of mix-ups that could cost a patient their life.
- • Serve as the primary interface between Manufacturing, Quality Assurance, and Supply Chain, escalating deviations within minutes, initiating CAPAs, and participating in cross-functional troubleshooting sessions that continuously tighten our processes.
- • Work inside ISO-7 cleanrooms for up to 8 hours per shift, fully gowned (hood, goggles, mask, gloves, boots) in 4°C cold rooms and adjacent to –196°C LN2 storage, while adhering to strict no-cosmetics and no-jewelry policies to protect product sterility.
- • Perform visual inspections under bright LED light to detect microscopic clumps, discoloration, or compromised seals, leveraging 20/20 vision (corrected acceptable) and normal color perception to distinguish color-coded components and labels.
- • Lift, move, and inventory cryoboxes and shippers weighing up to 25 lbs, climb step stools to access overhead LN2 tanks, and stand for extended periods without compromising aseptic technique or documentation accuracy.
- • Contribute to tech-transfer projects and process-improvement initiatives—whether that means qualifying a new freezer, revising a batch record, or piloting RFID tracking—to scale our capacity as we advance toward commercial launch.
- • Document every action contemporaneously in electronic systems compliant with 21 CFR Part 11, GDP, and cGMP, ensuring audit-readiness at all times and enabling rapid traceability during regulatory inspections.
- • Embrace a culture where urgency meets compassion: you will see the patient’s name on every bag you freeze, reminding you that precision today can restore someone’s tomorrow.
ďż˝ Requirements
- • Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Engineering, or related field (preferred) OR 1–3 years of hands-on experience in a GMP-regulated biotech or pharmaceutical environment
- • Demonstrated ability to follow detailed SOPs, maintain GDP-level documentation, and execute tasks with zero-defect attention to detail
- • Comfort working in cleanroom and cold-chain environments, including full aseptic gowning and prolonged exposure to 4 °C rooms and –196 °C liquid nitrogen
- • Visual acuity of 20/20 (corrected acceptable) and normal color vision to perform visual inspections and distinguish color-coded materials
- • Physical capability to stand for extended periods, lift up to 25 lbs, and perform repetitive motions while maintaining sterile technique
- • Flexibility to work day, swing, or weekend shifts and scheduled overtime/holidays as production demands dictate
️ Benefits
- • Competitive hourly wage of $23–$29 plus pre-IPO equity, giving you ownership in a company poised to redefine stem-cell transplantation
- • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k) with company match, life and AD&D insurance, and generous parental leave
- • Flexible PTO policy and a culture that encourages unplugged rest so you can bring your best self to patients every day
- • Daily catered lunches and fully stocked snack bars at both Sacramento sites—fuel for the mission-driven work you’ll do
- • A start-up environment where your ideas move from whiteboard to patient impact within weeks, supported by leaders who lead by example regardless of title
Skills & Technologies
Junior
Remote
Degree Required
About Orca Bio, Inc.
Orca Bio is a clinical-stage cell therapy company developing high-precision allogeneic stem cell and T-cell therapeutics to treat blood cancers, genetic disorders and autoimmune diseases. Its proprietary Orca-Q platform enables precise purification and formulation of donor-derived cell subsets to reduce graft-versus-host disease and improve engraftment outcomes. The company is advancing multiple Phase 2/3 trials in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and has partnerships with leading transplant centers to commercialize next-generation cellular medicines.
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