Technician, Quality Assurance
Sacramento, CA
Quality – Quality Assurance /
Regular, Full-Time Employee /
On-site
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 late-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 investigational cell therapies we hope to not only replace patients' blood and immune systems with healthy ones, but also restore their lives.
We operate a dedicated clinical manufacturing facility in Sacramento, CA (3400 Business Drive), which has historically served as the foundation for producing our high-precision cell therapy products. This site plays a critical role in advancing our clinical pipeline and ensuring the consistent, reliable supply of therapies for patients participating in our trials.
The Technician, Quality Assurance plays a critical role in supporting the production of Orca Bio’s life-saving cell therapy products by ensuring adherence to strict quality standards, cGMP compliance, and real-time production support. Reporting into the Quality Assurance leadership team, this position provides on-the-floor QA oversight, conducts real-time record and documentation review, and partners with manufacturing and technical teams to identify and resolve issues. The role collaborates closely with Manufacturing, Quality Control (QC), and other Quality functions to maintain seamless operations in a highly regulated environment.
Physical Demands
- 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 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
- Must be able to work at either Orca Bio Sacramento location (3400 Business Dr. or 7910 Metro Air Pkwy) based on operational needs.
- Must be comfortable regularly participating in video-based meetings.
- May be required to work scheduled overtime, weekends, or holidays based on business needs.
Essential Duties & Key Responsibilities
- Perform real-time review of production records, equipment logbooks, and QC documentation to ensure compliance with good documentation practices and cGMP requirements
- Partner with manufacturing and technical staff to review records and ensure product quality rationale supports batch disposition decisions
- Support real-time troubleshooting of equipment or production issues to minimize downtime and ensure uninterrupted manufacturing
- Conduct routine walkthroughs of classified areas (manufacturing and warehouse) to verify compliance with cGMP standards
- Escalate significant issues to QA and operational leadership as appropriate
- Provide coaching, training, and guidance to internal teams regarding compliance, documentation, and best practices
- Collaborate cross-functionally to address deviations and implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPA)
- Support broader QA functions as needed, including document control and deviation management
- Participate in continuous improvement efforts to enhance quality systems, efficiency, and compliance
Minimum Qualifications
- Ability to wear cleanroom gowning and adhere to cleanroom entry and gowning requirements
- Demonstrated ability to identify and support resolution of technical issues
- Familiarity with cGMP regulations and documentation practices
- Proven experience collaborating in cross-functional or project teams
- Strong attention to detail and ability to follow QA processes and escalation pathways
Preferred Qualifications
- Coursework or experience in a scientific discipline (e.g., biology, microbiology, environmental science), including A.S. or B.S. degree
- Prior experience in a regulated environment (e.g., GMP, biopharma, or cell therapy manufacturing)
- Understanding of aseptic technique, environmental monitoring, and microbiology principles
- Strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills
- Ability to adapt quickly in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and manage shifting priorities
- Experience contributing to investigations, CAPAs, or other QA system elements
Physical Demands
- Must be able to remain in a stationary position while reviewing records or working in a cleanroom environment
- Must comply with gowning requirements (no cosmetics, jewelry, etc.) and disclose any shedding skin conditions
- May need to ascend/descend stairs and walk through classified spaces during routine walkthroughs
Personal Qualities
- Highly detail-oriented with strong commitment to data integrity and documentation accuracy
- Collaborative mindset with strong interpersonal and communication skills
- Willingness to take initiative and provide support beyond defined responsibilities
- Adaptable, dependable, and motivated by Orca Bio’s mission to serve patients
$23 - $29 an hour
The anticipated annual salary range 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. You will also be eligible to receive pre-IPO equity, in addition to competitive medical, dental, and vision benefits, flexible PTO, 401(k) plan, life and accidental death and disability coverage, and parental leave benefits. Other perks include free 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.
