Manufacturing Technician I - Saturday-Wednesday 9:00AM-5:30PM

Job Summary and Purpose

Technicians assist in tissue and viral culture of Chicken Embryo Fibroblast (CEF) cells for Marek's Disease vaccine production in a clean room laboratory environment. Tissue culture is currently performed using roller bottle tissue culture vessels. The production of the vaccine begins in the Marek's laboratories with the receipt of highly concentrated primary CEF cell suspension; this suspension is then added to a growth medium made in house by technicians. Calculations are performed to reach a target cell amount per roller bottle vessel. Working seed ampoules are used to infect tissue culture vessels with a target virus particle amount to achieve optimal infection. These roller bottle viral cultures are then harvested, batched, and filled into labeled ampoules.

Responsibilities and Key Duties

• Aseptic Technique: All laboratory processes must be performed aseptically. Procedures take place under a Grade A Laminar Air Flow hood in a clean room laboratory.
• Clean room laboratory work: Requires daily gowning with sterile hooded coveralls, goggles, face-mask, two pairs of gloves, and clean room boot coverings.
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): The ability to understand and follow Marek's Laboratory SOPs, Quality Assurance SOPs, Marek's Laboratory Support SOPs, and other SOPs as applicable.
• Documentation: All procedures must be thoroughly documented; documentation must be legible and concurrent.
• Tissue & Viral Culture: Performing and understanding of basic tissue and viral culture.
• Media preparation: Assist in preparation of growth medium and cryoprotectant medium to be used during various vaccine production processes.
• Laboratory Support area: Marek's Laboratory Technicians work closely with Marek's Laboratory Support Technicians; this can include dishware preparation outside of the clean room laboratory and helping with the process of placing filled ampoules on cryogenic vial canes.
• Weekend and shift coverage: Marek's disease vaccine production typically takes four days from start to finish, and the processing times range from early morning to late evenings as cultures are infected and harvested in specific time frames. Shift coverage can rotate (unless otherwise specified during hiring). Multiple vaccine lot productions require weekend coverage, therefore one weekend shift a month is required (unless otherwise specified during hiring).
• Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) & CFR Title 9: Animals and Animal Products

Technical / Functional Competencies

• Understanding of aseptic technique
• Understanding of clean room behavior
• Cell culture and viral culture knowledge
• Mathematical aptitude
• Coachability
• Thoroughness & attention to detail
• Flexibility

Qualifications

Education - High school diploma or equivalent, required, Associates degree in a life-science field is a plus. Work Experience - Laboratory manufacturing experience, beneficial but not required.

Physical Requirements

• Able to read, write legibly, and communicate in English
• Frequent repetitions of squatting, bending, and twisting: to remove tissue culture roller bottles from their culture racks, rack rows range from about a foot to six feet in height; removal of these roller bottles can happen at a rapid pace during inoculation procedures
• Dexterity: Frequent fine motor movement (opening of ampoules, operating a syringe, opening and closing of twist cap roller bottles, placing ampoules on cryogenic vial canes)
• Lifting 30 lbs (carboys full of growth media and large peristaltic pumps require occasional movement)
• Standing: approximately 85% of the day is spent in standing position
• Daily dressing and operating in clean room required garments
• Frequent repetitions of wrist and shoulder rotations (opening and closing of twist cap roller bottles, and pouring of contents of roller bottles)
• Employees must adhere to strict grooming and appearance standards. The wearing of makeup, visible piercings, false nails, nail polish and any form of jewelry is strictly prohibited while on duty.

Working Conditions

Clean room manufacturing laboratory. Travel Required: 0% Travel.