Microbiologist — Food, Pharma, Environmental
Pay: $21.00–$30.00 per hour DOE
Job type: Full-time
Location: Olympia, Washington
Work setting: On-site laboratory position
Who we are
Vanguard Laboratory is a small, family-owned analytical chemistry and microbiology laboratory located in Olympia, Washington. We test food and beverage products, pharmaceuticals, peptides, agricultural products, drinking water, and environmental samples.
Vanguard Laboratory operates under an ISO/IEC 17025 quality-management system and maintains accreditations through A2LA and Washington State agencies. We are continuing to expand our food, pharmaceutical, water, and molecular microbiology capabilities.
Position Overview
We are seeking a dependable and technically capable Microbiologist with hands-on laboratory experience. Experience in food microbiology or pharmaceutical microbiology is strongly preferred.
This position includes routine microbiological testing, method implementation and verification, quality-system responsibilities, and development of new laboratory capabilities. The successful candidate must be comfortable performing both routine production testing and more technical method-development work.
This is a good opportunity for someone who wants to have a direct impact on a growing laboratory. You will help improve existing systems, bring new methods online, and expand our accredited testing capabilities.
Primary ResponsibilitiesRoutine Microbiological Testing
Receive, prepare, dilute, and analyze food, water, environmental, pharmaceutical, and related samples.
Perform microbiological testing using proper aseptic technique and contamination-control practices.
Prepare media, reagents, standards, controls, and laboratory supplies.
Perform applicable FDA BAM, USP, Standard Methods, and laboratory-developed procedures.
Conduct indicator-organism and general microbiology testing, including:
Aerobic plate count
Coliform and E. coli
Yeast and mold
Most probable number
Membrane filtration
Presence/absence testing
Pathogen screening and confirmation
Perform water and environmental testing, including sample preparation, incubation, enumeration, and related workflows.
Support BOD testing and other microbiology-related water analyses as assigned.
Accurately document sample preparation, calculations, observations, control results, and final results.
Food Microbiology
Perform culture-based testing of food and beverage products using FDA BAM or other recognized methods.
Support pathogen, indicator-organism, spoilage-organism, and general microbial-quality testing.
Assist with challenge studies, shelf-life studies, and product-stability programs.
Prepare study protocols, sampling plans, inoculation schemes, testing schedules, and final reports.
Trend microbiological results and recognize unexpected patterns, contamination, or product deterioration.
Work with a variety of food matrices and identify potential method interference or recovery concerns.
Pharmaceutical Microbiology
Perform or assist with pharmaceutical microbiology testing, which may include:
USP <61> microbial enumeration
USP <62> tests for specified microorganisms
USP <71> sterility testing
Bacterial endotoxin testing
Bioburden testing
Growth-promotion testing
Method suitability and inhibition/enhancement studies
Environmental and surface monitoring
Follow controlled procedures for aseptic processing, contamination control, incubation, and result interpretation.
Maintain complete, traceable, and defensible records suitable for regulated laboratory work.
Investigate positive, atypical, or out-of-specification microbiological results.
Molecular and Immunological Methods
Perform DNA isolation and RNA extraction from a variety of sample types.
Conduct PCR and qPCR workflows, including sample preparation, amplification, control review, and result interpretation.
Assist with primer and probe selection, evaluation, or design.
Troubleshoot amplification failure, inhibition, contamination, nonspecific amplification, and control failures.
Perform ELISA and other immunological assays as applicable.
Use microscopy and traditional microbiological techniques when required for investigation or identification.
Method Implementation and Validation
Assist with the implementation, verification, and validation of new microbiological methods.
Review scientific literature, compendial methods, regulatory references, and manufacturer instructions.
Develop study plans and establish appropriate acceptance criteria.
Evaluate accuracy, precision, specificity, recovery, robustness, range, detection capability, and method suitability where applicable.
Document method-development activities, including unsuccessful trials and troubleshooting.
Prepare validation reports, controlled worksheets, training materials, and supporting records.
Help transition new methods into routine laboratory use.
Participate in proficiency testing and interlaboratory comparison programs.
Quality-System Responsibilities
Work in accordance with Vanguard Laboratory’s ISO/IEC 17025 quality-management system.
Review controls, blanks, media checks, growth-promotion results, environmental-monitoring data, and quality-control trends.
Review and verify laboratory data for accuracy, completeness, traceability, and technical validity.
Create and revise SOPs, worksheets, forms, logs, and other controlled documents.
Document deviations, nonconforming work, investigations, and corrective actions.
Participate in root-cause investigations and CAPA activities.
Maintain complete equipment, incubation, temperature, media, reagent, and training records.
Support internal audits, external assessments, proficiency testing, and corrective-action responses.
Recognize potential data-integrity or quality concerns and report them promptly.
General Laboratory Operations
Maintain incubators, refrigerators, freezers, biosafety equipment, pipettes, and other microbiology equipment.
Perform routine equipment checks and temperature monitoring.
Monitor media, reagents, consumables, cultures, and laboratory inventory.
Notify management before critical supplies reach their reorder point.
Maintain an organized, clean, and contamination-controlled work area.
Follow laboratory safety, waste-disposal, and biosafety procedures.
Cross-train on additional laboratory procedures as needed.
Assist other departments during periods of high workload.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in microbiology, biology, food science, biochemistry, environmental science, or a related scientific field, or equivalent relevant laboratory experience.
Hands-on experience in a microbiology laboratory.
Strong understanding of microbiological principles, aseptic technique, contamination control, incubation practices, and culture-based methods.
Ability to follow detailed laboratory procedures accurately and consistently.
Strong documentation practices and attention to traceability.
Ability to perform calculations, prepare dilutions, and interpret quality-control results.
Ability to recognize questionable results and investigate potential errors.
Strong organization, time-management, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to work independently while communicating effectively with laboratory management and other analysts.
Willingness to perform routine testing, cleaning, media preparation, inventory checks, and other operational work in addition to advanced technical assignments.
Preferred qualifications
Professional experience in a food-testing or pharmaceutical microbiology laboratory.
Experience with FDA BAM, USP microbiology chapters, Standard Methods, AOAC methods, or equivalent recognized procedures.
Experience with food pathogens, indicator organisms, spoilage organisms, challenge studies, or shelf-life testing.
Experience with pharmaceutical sterility, microbial enumeration, tests for specified organisms, bioburden, or bacterial endotoxins.
Experience with DNA isolation, RNA extraction, PCR, qPCR, ELISA, and microscopy.
Experience designing or evaluating primers and implementing PCR-based methods.
Familiarity with GLP, cGMP, FDA requirements, or ISO/IEC 17025.
Experience with method verification, validation, proficiency testing, or uncertainty and detection-limit studies.
Experience investigating contamination, failed controls, atypical results, or out-of-specification results.
Experience drafting SOPs, validation protocols, technical reports, or controlled laboratory documents.
Characteristics of the Successful Candidate
The successful candidate will be:
Reliable and productive
Meticulous without becoming inefficient
Comfortable working in a fast-moving laboratory
Willing to take ownership of methods and projects
Proactive about identifying problems and proposing solutions
Able to balance routine testing with development work
Scientifically curious and willing to learn unfamiliar methods
Honest about errors, uncertainty, and unexpected results
Focused on producing accurate, defensible work
Willing to help wherever needed in a small laboratory
Benefits
A working environment focused on continual improvement, innovation, and practical problem-solving
Direct involvement in expanding the laboratory’s technical capabilities
Professional-development opportunities, including conferences, seminars, and training courses
Flexible scheduling within laboratory operational needs
Employer-matched 401(k)
Employee-paid health, dental, vision, and life-insurance options
Paid vacation
Parental leave
Merit-based raises
Professional-development assistance
Opportunities for increased responsibility as the laboratory grows
Method-Development Bonus Program
Employees may earn bonuses of $500–$2,000 for each new method successfully implemented, depending on the complexity of the method, the employee’s role, completion of required documentation and validation work, successful proficiency testing where applicable, and addition to the laboratory’s approved scope or routine testing capabilities.
How to apply
Email a resume and a cover letter to [email protected]. Name this role in the subject line. Applications without a cover letter are not reviewed.