Cell Therapy Production Associate - 3rd Shift
About the job
- A Bachelor of Science degree in biology or a related field is required.
- One to two years of experience in process sciences, discovery research, or manufacturing is required.
- Experience with aseptic techniques is required.
- A Master of Science degree in biology or a related field is preferred.
- Prior experience in Good Manufacturing Practice and lab-scale manufacturing, including validation and quality systems, is preferred.
- Familiarity with cell and gene therapy, including work with human cells, cell characterization methods, sorting, and cell analysis, is preferred.
- Visual acuity of 20/20, corrected or uncorrected, and normal color vision are required.
- Ability to meet cleanroom gowning requirements and work with or around human blood, blood-derived materials, cells, other biological materials, and alcohol-based sprays is required.
- Ability to work at either Sacramento facility based on operational needs is required.
- Availability for scheduled overtime, weekend, holiday, and on-call rotation work based on business needs is required.
- Ability to regularly participate in video-based meetings is required.
- Operate and closely monitor advanced manufacturing equipment to support production of cell therapy products.
- Follow and execute standard operating procedures and batch records to perform production activities.
- Identify and resolve equipment or process issues, escalating them to management as necessary.
- Complete assigned training to maintain required technical proficiency and adhere to current Good Manufacturing Practice standards.
- Operate, monitor, clean, and prepare automated equipment for cell processing, expansion, and filling in Grade B and Grade C cleanroom environments.
- Contribute to continuous improvement efforts involving manufacturing efficiency and compliance practices, and support investigations, deviations, and change control processes.
- Participate in an on-call rotation for weekend and holiday shifts as needed.
- Clean and maintain production equipment and workstations and document production activities in a highly regulated environment.
- Collaborate with Materials Management, Quality Control, and Quality Assurance to conduct Good Manufacturing Practice manufacturing runs.
- Aseptic techniques are also listed as a preferred qualification.
About the company
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
Debt Financing
Total Funding
$542M
Headquarters
North Fair Oaks, California
Founded
2016
Get referred to Orca Bio
See people who can refer or advise you
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.
Help us improve and share your feedback! Did you find this helpful?
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
0%1 year growth
3%2 year growth
0%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.