Staff Microbiologist

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 114,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

     

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Abbott is a global healthcare leader, creating breakthrough science to improve people’s health. We’re always looking towards the future, anticipating changes in medical science and technology.

Working at Abbott

At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and family, be your true self and live a full life. You’ll also have access to:

• Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of .

• Free medical coverage for employees* via the Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO

• An excellent retirement savings plan with high employer contribution

• Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program and FreeU education benefit - an affordable and convenient path to getting a bachelor’s degree.

• A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries around the world and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune.

The Opportunity

his position works out of our Sylmar, CA location in the Cardiac Rhythm Management division.

As a global leader in Cardiac Rhythm Technologies, we focus on innovative technologies that can improve the way doctors treat people with heart arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats.

Staff Microbiologist position is for an experienced microbiologist that demonstrates and maintains a robust and in-depth conceptual understanding of microbiological and ethylene oxide (EO) sterilization principals for application in assessment and qualification of medical devices. This role will be responsible for assessment of new or modified products to determine impact and qualification strategies for microbiological and EO sterilization aspects. This role requires comprehensive experience in EO sterilization validation, requalification, and assessment of new or modified medical devices for adoption into an EO sterilization cycle.

What You’ll Work On

Routine Microbiology Lab Support:

• Demonstration as a subject matter expert for microbiology lab testing (e.g. bioburden, Bacterial Endotoxin, etc.)

• Mentor and train microbiology lab personnel on laboratory activities as needed.

• Review of Microbiological test reports.

• Validation of Microbiology Lab Testing Processes and Equipment.

• Conduct investigations related to testing failures, equipment excursions or other instances as needed.

Routine Production Microbiology and Sterilization Support:

• Demonstration as a subject matter expert for Microbiological methods and EO sterilization.

• Complete sterilization and microbiological assessments for production changes (i.e. process changes, packaging changes, load configuration changes, design changes, etc.).  

• Conduct routine lot release of sterilized product.

• Perform investigations related to sterilization issues and product impact assessments.

• Troubleshoot routine and validation sterilization cycle nonconformances.

• Review and approve nonconforming material reports.

• Review, assess, and support supplier change notifications.  

• Speak as a subject matter expert for internal/external and supplier audits.

• Assess manufacturing process changes for microbiological and sterilization impact. 

• Perform annual sterilization validations for ethylene oxide cycles per regulatory requirements.

• Conduct calibration out of tolerance investigations.

Technical Sterilization Support:

• Independently conceives, plans, and conducts complex and/or original technical microbiological and sterilization projects.

• Acts as core team member for sterilization related projects and provides input and updates to management and stakeholders as required.