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 Associate, Cell Therapy Handling and Cryopreservation - Day Shift supports critical operations related to the receipt of patient materials (leukapheresis/blood), cryopreservation of cellular products, and preparation and coordination of final drug product shipments.  This role will operate with a deep understanding of GMP manufacturing, cell therapy processes, and the ability to execute multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.    Day Shift Hours Worked: • 6:00am to 6:30pm or • 6:30am to 7:00pm   Work Week Schedule: •  Sunday, Monday, Tuesday + every other Wednesday

Physical Demands & Work Conditions

Production Associates: 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.

Must meet cleanroom gowning requirements, including wearing full gowning (face coverings, gloves, hoods, goggles) for up to 3 consecutive hours at a time, minimal movement in the cleanroom, and working with or around human blood, blood-derived materials, cells, other biological materials, and alcohol-based sprays. 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.

Must be comfortable regularly participating in video-based meetings.

Essential Duties & Key Responsibilities

Blood Intake & Chain-of-Identity Management:

Receive and verify incoming apheresis materials according to SOPs and regulatory requirements. 

Perform visual inspections and documentation checks to ensure proper labeling, temperature, and packaging. 

 Maintain strict adherence to chain-of-identity and chain-of-custody procedures. 

Cryopreservation Support: 

Assist in the preparation and cryopreservation of intermediate and final cellular products. 

Operate and maintain cryogenic storage equipment (e.g., controlled-rate freezers, LN2 tanks). 

Accurately complete batch records and electronic documentation systems. 

Drug Product Shipment: 

Coordinate the labeling, packaging, and final release of drug product for shipment. 

Prepare shipping materials, confirm shipping conditions (e.g., temperature control), and liaise with logistics partners. 

Ensure real-time data entry into inventory, tracking systems and eBRs 

Perform other duties as assigned 

Work closely with Quality Assurance, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing teams to ensure timely and compliant operations. 

Support deviation investigations, CAPAs, and continuous improvement initiatives as needed. 

Maintain accurate and complete records in accordance with GMP and GDP standards. 

Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Training  

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Engineering, or related field preferred. 

1-3 years of experience in a GMP-regulated biotech or pharmaceutical environment preferred. 

Strong understanding of cell therapy manufacturing processes  

Strong attention to detail, organizational skills and document accuracy. 

Ability to work with biological materials and cryogenic systems 

Knowledge of regulatory compliance (FDA and GxP) a plus 

Comfortable working in a clean room and or cold environment (Liquid Nitrogen storage) 

Travel Requirements and Work Environment

Domestic and international travel not required 

May involve standing for extended periods and lifting up to 25 lbs 

Shift work, weekends, or holidays may be required depending on production needs 

Exposure to human blood products and temperature-controlled storage areas 

Gowning and use of Personal Protective Equipment required 

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.