Pilot Production Operator

ZymoChem • San Leandro, CA

11d • Onsite

About The Position

Join our Materials department as a Temporary Pilot Production Operator! This role offers a unique opportunity to get hands-on experience in the bio-based materials industry. You will support the Materials Development team with small production runs and product testing. If you’re passionate about biotech and want to be part of impactful work, this is a great place to start. This temporary position will start around October 1 and continue until February/ March 2027. Competitive hourly range of $25 to $30 an hour depending on experience. On site work schedules will vary between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday each week. Some production days will be shorter than others, so some lab support work will be added for those shorter days. Regular weekend work is not anticipated, but possible.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent required; relevant technical coursework preferred.
• Minimum of 1 year of experience in biotechnology manufacturing, pilot lab production, laboratory operations, or similar experience required.
• Ability to follow SOPs, batch instructions, equipment procedures, handle production equipment, work with chemicals and materials, and follow team member directions.
• Basic math, measurement, data entry, and record keeping skills are required.
• Able to follow safety protocols, wear PPE required, chemical-handling, equipment-safety requirements; work safely around hot and rotating equipment; and promptly report safety concerns.
• Excellent time management skills, effective with multitasking, and can adapt to changing priorities while following approved procedures and supervisor direction.
• Ability to safely move up to 40 lbs between locations and to stand, bend, reach, and perform hands-on work for extended periods.
• Legal authorization to work in the United States is required.

Nice To Haves

• Having experience preparing lab or pilot scale samples desired.

Responsibilities

• Assist in production run setup, execution, monitoring, and shutdown of pilot-scale production runs under approved procedures and supervisors direction.
• Accurate recording of process times, temperatures, weights, yields, lot numbers and equipment conditions in batch records and logs.
• Collect and label in-process and finished-product samples and assist with sample preparation
• Perform basic testing procedures after training.
• Complete some lab support tasks such as sieving or particle-size work, moisture or absorbency testing, data entry, inventory and restocking, sample packaging, and lab organization.
• Set up, monitor, and clean lab equipment, such as hydration and mixing, material transfer, gel grinding, oven loading and unloading, sieving, surface treatment, tanks, heat exchanger, mixers, mills, and production containers.
• Maintain and ensure lab areas and equipment are clean, organized, and stocked, specifically weighing and staging materials, verifying labels and lot numbers, sample tracking, inventory checks, restocking, and 5S or line-clearance activities.
• Check equipment before use by completing pre-use checks, prompting reporting alarms, spills, abnormal conditions, and deviations from process; and clear handoffs with other operators, engineers, and scientists.
• Other duties may be assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED