Specialist I, Quality Assurance

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 I, Quality Assurance is an integral entry-level role focused on supporting the effective implementation of our quality policies and systems. In this position, you will assist in the management and documentation of quality processes - including deviations, change controls, CAPAs, and document control - and contribute to batch disposition support to ensure products meet our stringent quality standards. Your work directly aids in maintaining regulatory compliance and enhancing our operational excellence, while also providing a foundation for professional growth within a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

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.

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.