Specialist I, Quality Assurance

Orcabiosystems
Sacramento, CA
On-site

Who this role is best for

Strong fit for early-career professionals with scientific backgrounds who manage quality systems and support batch disposition in a biotechnology environment.

Best fit for

  • Early-career professionals with scientific training and interest in quality assurance in biotech
    — “Bachelor’s degree in a relevant scientific discipline (e.g., biology, biochemistry, immunology) with 1–3 years of related experience
  • Individuals who thrive in regulated environments and value cGMP compliance
    — “consistently adhering to cGMP policies and procedures

Things to consider

  • Willingness to work in cleanrooms with strict personal appearance and safety requirements
    — “Use of cosmetics (makeup, painted nails), jewelry, or facial piercings is not permitted in the cleanroom
  • Potential for unscheduled overtime, weekends, and holidays based on operational needs
    — “may be required to work scheduled overtime, weekends, or holidays based on business needs
  • Geographic commitment to Sacramento, CA, with possible site rotations
    — “work at either Orca Bio Sacramento location based on operational needs

How to stand out

  • Highlight experience with deviation investigations and CAPA processes in your resume and interviews
    — “Support thorough and timely investigations of deviations and assist in documenting root cause analyses
  • Emphasize your ability to manage document control systems and prepare for audits
    — “Help prepare quality documentation for internal and external audits
  • Showcase your communication skills and ability to train others on quality systems
    — “Provide basic training and support to staff on quality systems and procedures
  • Demonstrate your familiarity with FDA regulations and GMP compliance in your application materials
    — “Basic understanding of FDA regulations, GMP compliance, and quality system processes
  • Show adaptability and a willingness to work in fast-paced, regulated environments
    — “the ability to work both independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced, regulated environment
Pace · SteadyCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Team

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • timely batch disposition decisions
  • quality standard compliance
  • product release
Typical background
quality assurancemanufacturingregulatory compliance

Skills & requirements

Required

Quality System ManagementDeviation ManagementChange ControlCAPADocument ManagementBatch Disposition SupportBatch Record Review

Preferred

Cleanroom Gowning RequirementsGMP Environment Compliance

Stack & domain

Quality AssuranceDeviationsChange ControlCAPADocument ManagementBatch DispositionGMPCleanroomVisual InspectionEquipmentLabelingColor-coded ComponentsRegulatory ComplianceAttention To DetailProblem-solvingTeamworkCommunicationLeadership

About the role

Original posting from Orcabiosystems via Lever

More than one million people in the United States today are fighting blood cancer. While a traditional allogeneic stem cell transplant has been the best hope for many, the transplant itself can prove fatal or lead to serious conditions, such as graft vs. host disease. Orca Bio is a commercial-stage biotechnology company redefining the transplant process by developing next-generation cell therapies with the goal of providing significantly better survival rates with dramatically fewer risks. With our purified, high-precision cell therapies we hope to not only replace patients' blood and immune systems with healthy ones, but also restore their lives.

We have built a state-of-the-art, 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Sacramento, CA (7910 Metro Air Pkwy) to ensure the consistent and reliable delivery of our high-precision cell therapy products. This site is essential to advancing our clinical pipeline and supporting future commercial availability of our life-saving therapies.

The Specialist, Quality Assurance position is a key role in meeting the quality policy through their management of the different quality systems, including production records and deviation system management. The ideal candidate will be responsible for managing the quality systems, including deviations, change control, corrective and preventive actions (CAPA), and document management. Additionally, this role involves making timely batch disposition decisions to ensure quality standards are met before product release, supporting the rapid processing times required by our product. You will have the unique opportunity to make a difference in the lives of many patients as Orca Bio develops next-generation cell therapies.

Physical Demands:

  • Production Associate Roles: Must have visual acuity of 20/20 (corrected or uncorrected) and normal color vision to safely perform critical tasks such as visual inspection of materials, equipment, and labeling, including distinguishing color-coded components in a GMP environment.
  • Most roles must be able to meet cleanroom gowning requirements, including wearing full gowning (face coverings, gloves, hoods, goggles) for extended periods, as needed. Use of cosmetics (makeup, painted nails), jewelry, or facial piercings is not permitted in the cleanroom, and any skin conditions that cause shedding must be disclosed.

Work Conditions:

  • Many roles must be able to work at either Orca Bio Sacramento location (3400 Business Dr. or 7910 Metro Air Pkwy) based on operational needs, as well as regularly participate in video-based meetings. Also, may be required to work scheduled overtime, weekends, or holidays based on business needs.

Responsibilities:

Quality System Support:

  • Assist in managing quality systems such as deviations, change controls, CAPAs, and document control.
  • Support thorough and timely investigations of deviations and assist in documenting root cause analyses and corrective actions.
  • Help review and document change controls in compliance with regulatory requirements and internal procedures.

Batch Disposition Support:

  • Support the review of batch records and related documentation, assisting in the evaluation of batch release data.
  • Collaborate with manufacturing and quality control teams to document and address any quality issues during batch processing.

Document Management & Regulatory Support:

  • Assist in maintaining the document management system, ensuring accuracy and compliance with regulatory standards.
  • Help prepare quality documentation for internal and external audits and support adherence to cGMP protocols.

Training, Collaboration, and Continuous Improvement:

  • Provide basic training and support to staff on quality systems and procedures.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including manufacturing and research & development, to assist in quality improvement initiatives.
  • Participate in continuous improvement efforts and track the progress of quality-related activities.

General Requirements:

  • Bachelor’s degree in a relevant scientific discipline (e.g., biology, biochemistry, immunology) with 1–3 years of related experience in quality control testing, analytical development, or GMP environments.
  • Basic understanding of FDA regulations, GMP compliance, and quality system processes.
  • Exposure to internal audit processes and document control is a plus.
  • Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and a commitment to data integrity.
  • Excellent communication skills and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced, regulated environment.
  • Willingness to learn, adapt, and work overtime as necessary, while consistently adhering to cGMP policies and procedures, including proper documentation and use of personal protective equipment.

The anticipated annual salary range (listed above) for this job is based on prior experience in the role/industry, education, location, internal equity, and other job-related factors as permitted by law. For remote-based positions, this range may vary based on your local market. Full-time employment positions will also be eligible to receive pre-IPO equity and annual bonus, in addition to competitive medical, dental, and vision benefits, PTO, 401(k) plan, life and accidental death and disability coverage, and parental leave benefits. Other perks include subsidized daily lunches and snacks at our on-site locations.

Who we are

We are driven by a passion for science and compassion for patients. We act with urgency to ensure our treatments are one day accessible to all who need them.

We live by our core values of passion, courage, and integrity. Excellence in our work means the chance to unlock a better quality of life for our patients, and with that comes tremendous responsibility.

We innovate on a path that hasn’t been paved. We embrace an entrepreneurial spirit and take calculated risks to achieve our mission. We aren’t afraid to ask “why not” and challenge the status quo.

We maintain a start-up culture of camaraderie and leadership by example, regardless of title.

We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and recognize that celebrating our differences creates stronger, lasting solutions that better serve our team, our patients and their healthcare providers.

Notice to staffing firms

Orca Bio does not accept resumes from staffing agencies with which we do not have a written agreement and specific engagement for a particular opening. Our employment activities, inquiries and offers are managed through our HR/Talent team, and all candidates are presented through this channel only. We do not accept unsolicited resumes, and we rarely outsource recruitment.

Source: Orcabiosystems careers (Lever)

Similar roles