Full-Time
Lab Systems Equipment Technician
Lab Systems and Equipment
Orca Bio
201-500 employees
Develops and commercializes safer cell therapies
Compensation Overview
$24 - $26/hr
Sacramento, CA, USA
In Person
May require work at either Sacramento location; scheduled overtime, weekends, or holidays may be required.
Bachelor's, Associate's
 Biology & Biotech (1) |
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- An associate degree in a scientific or technical discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
- 0 to 2 years of experience supporting laboratory equipment, instrumentation, maintenance, calibration, or related technical activities in a regulated environment.
- Ability to wear cleanroom gowning and meet requirements of controlled and classified manufacturing spaces.
- Basic understanding of laboratory instrumentation and equipment operation.
- Ability to follow written procedures and accurately complete documentation.
- Ability to identify equipment issues and communicate findings to appropriate personnel.
- A bachelor's degree in biology, biochemistry, engineering, biotechnology, or a related scientific discipline is preferred.
- Experience in GMP, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, or cell therapy environments is preferred.
- Experience supporting equipment calibration, maintenance, or qualification activities is preferred.
- Familiarity with electronic systems, computerized equipment, and GMP documentation practices is preferred.
- Perform routine inspection, cleaning, calibration coordination, and maintenance activities for laboratory equipment.
- Serve as a system administrator for benchtop instruments, including balances, pH meters, and spectrophotometers.
- Manage user access, software updates, backup, and recovery processes in accordance with data integrity policies.
- Perform audit trail reviews of equipment.
- Execute preventative maintenance schedules and ensure equipment remains in qualified status.
- Maintain equipment logbooks, maintenance records, and supporting documentation.
- Assist with equipment setup, installation, relocation, and commissioning activities.
- Support troubleshooting efforts by identifying basic equipment issues and escalating complex problems as appropriate.
- Coordinate vendor service visits and ensure required documentation is completed and filed.
- Support equipment inventory management and labeling activities.
- Perform routine data backup activities following approved procedures.
- Maintain equipment records and documentation in accordance with GMP and data integrity requirements.
- Assist with audit trail review activities and documentation.
- Support investigations, deviations, CAPAs, and change controls related to laboratory equipment.
- Follow procedures designed to ensure compliance with applicable regulatory requirements and ALCOA+ principles.
- Support laboratory personnel with equipment operation and day-to-day equipment-related needs.
- Assist with method transfers, equipment qualifications, and validation activities.
- Collaborate with Quality Control, Manufacturing, Facilities, Validation, and IT personnel to ensure equipment readiness and compliance.
- Participate in continuous improvement initiatives to improve equipment reliability and laboratory efficiency.
- Complete equipment records, forms, and logs accurately and in a timely manner.
- Assist in the preparation and revision of equipment-related SOPs, work instructions, and forms.
- Support inspection readiness activities by maintaining organized and compliant records.
- Remain in a stationary position while reviewing records or working in a cleanroom environment.
- Comply with gowning requirements and disclose any shedding skin conditions.
- Ascend or descend stairs and walk through classified spaces during routine walkthroughs as needed.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Strong communication and teamwork skills.
- Willingness to learn new equipment and technologies.
- A collaborative mindset with strong interpersonal and communication skills.
- Willingness to take initiative and provide support beyond defined responsibilities.
- Adaptability, dependability, and motivation to support the company's patient-focused mission.
Orca Bio develops and commercializes cell therapies to improve outcomes for patients. It works by researching, developing, and producing therapies that use the body’s own cells to treat diseases, with products sold to healthcare providers who administer them to patients. The company aims to enhance the safety and effectiveness of cell therapies, making treatments more reliable for conditions that lack good options. Orca Bio differentiates itself through its focus on delivering safer, more effective therapies and by fostering a strong team culture with active stakeholder communication, including a regularly updated newsroom. Overall, its goal is to expand access to improved cell therapies and become a leading player in the cell therapy market.
Company Size
201-500
Company Stage
Series F
Total Funding
$542M
Headquarters
Menlo Park, California
Founded
2016
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- FDA approval on June 30, 2026 validates Orca Bio's platform and pipeline.
- The company raised $250 million in December 2025, funding launch and expansion.
- Princeton capacity and Sacramento hiring support commercialization and faster nationwide patient delivery.
What critics are saying
- TREGZI costs $428,000, forcing transplant centers and payers into tough coverage fights.
- Complex donor-specific manufacturing can bottleneck supply, delaying launches beyond the planned 25 centers.
- Any post-marketing safety signal or FDA CMC issue would cripple Orca Bio's only commercial product.
What makes Orca Bio unique
- Orca Bio's TREGZI won FDA approval on June 30, 2026, first precision cell therapy.
- Its donor-derived regulatory T-cell design directly reduces chronic GVHD after transplant.
- Princeton and Sacramento manufacturing create a bicoastal vein-to-vein network for personalized production.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Life Insurance
Unlimited Paid Time Off
401(k) Retirement Plan
Parental Leave
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↓ -1%1 year growth
↑ 2%2 year growth
↓ -3%The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Tregzi, the first regulatory T cell-based immunotherapy for improving chronic graft-versus-host disease-free survival in adult blood cancer patients undergoing stem cell transplantation. The treatment uses donor-derived immune cells to help fight cancer whilst reducing the risk of chronic GVHD, a serious complication where transplanted donor cells attack the patient's body. In the PRECISION-T trial involving 187 patients, 78% of those receiving Tregzi achieved chronic GVHD-free survival at one year, compared to 38.4% receiving standard transplants. Only 12.6% of Tregzi patients developed serious chronic GVHD within one year versus 44% in the control group. The treatment, developed by Orca Biosystems, received Orphan Drug and Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy designations.
Orca Bio has secured FDA approval for Tregzi, a first-of-its-kind engineered cell therapy for blood cancer patients requiring transplants. The allogeneic regulatory T cell-based immunotherapy is approved as an alternative stem cell transplant to improve survival free of chronic graft-versus-host disease in adults with hematological malignancies. In the phase 3 Precision-T trial involving 187 patients, 78% who received Tregzi were alive and free from chronic GVHD at one year, compared to 38% with standard transplants—a 74% improvement. Overall survival was 94% versus 83%. Orca is pricing Tregzi at $428,000 wholesale acquisition cost. The company recently raised $250 million and is launching at select centres, aiming for 25 by year-end. CEO Nate Fernhoff said the company is "well capitalised" for launch but didn't rule out a future IPO.
Orca Bio has received US FDA approval for TREGZI, the first precision-engineered cell therapy for matched-donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in adults with hematological malignancies. The therapy uses donor cells to reconstitute the immune system whilst suppressing graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The approval is based on the Phase 3 Precision-T study of 187 patients with acute myeloid leukaemia, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, myelodysplastic syndrome and mixed-phenotype acute leukaemia. Results showed 78% chronic GVHD-free survival at 12 months with TREGZI compared to 38% with conventional transplant. Overall survival was 94% versus 83%, whilst non-relapse mortality was 3% compared to 13%. TREGZI is a personalised treatment manufactured for each patient using living cells from a matched donor.
Orca Bio expands Sacramento workforce, adds East Coast manufacturing site ahead of approval. June 15, 2026 san francisco biotechnology network news news, syndication comments off on orca Bio expands Sacramento workforce, adds East Coast manufacturing site ahead of approval. Orca Bio, a biotechnology company that works in precision cell therapy, has expanded its Sacramento workforce and added an East Coast manufacturing center in Princeton, New Jersey, as it prepares for commercialization. Click here to view original post
Orca Bio has expanded its manufacturing capabilities ahead of the potential launch of its lead cell therapy, Orca-T, adding East Coast manufacturing capacity in Princeton, New Jersey, and tripling its West Coast manufacturing workforce in Sacramento, California. The Princeton facility will serve as a strategic East Coast manufacturing bridge, initially producing therapies for ongoing clinical programmes and supporting commercial production following potential FDA approval. The bicoastal network aims to reduce "vein-to-vein" time for patients nationwide. Orca Bio has more than tripled its Sacramento operations team over the past year, enhancing expertise in manufacturing, supply chain logistics and quality assurance. Orca-T's Biologics License Application is under FDA review, with a target action date of 6 July 2026.