Senior Scientist, Microbiology and Sterility Assurance

GSK • Marietta, GA

22h • Hybrid

About The Position

At GSK, we are committed to positively impacting the health of 2.5 billion people by the end of the decade through R&D focused on vaccines and medicines, leveraging our understanding of the immune system and cutting-edge technology. We foster a culture that is ambitious for patients, accountable for impact, and dedicated to doing the right thing, accelerating significant assets to meet patient needs. This role is part of a team ensuring the safe delivery of medicines to patients. As a Senior Scientist, you will lead microbiology and sterility assurance activities for a sterile R&D manufacturing facility, collaborating with manufacturing, quality, and development teams to prevent contamination and support product release. The position values practical laboratory skills, clear communication, and a continuous improvement mindset, offering growth and a measurable impact on patient safety. The role will initially be located at GSK’s Upper Merion site in Upper Merion, Pennsylvania from 2025 to 2027/2028, and will permanently move to Marietta, Pennsylvania afterwards.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology, Biology, Biotechnology, or a related scientific discipline.
• Minimum 3 years’ hands-on experience in a pharmaceutical, biotech, or sterile manufacturing microbiology laboratory.
• Experience with environmental monitoring, aseptic techniques, gowning, and contamination control.
• cGMP principles and experience working to regulatory quality standards.
• Experience performing bioburden, sterility, endotoxin testing, and microbial identifications.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree (Master’s) in Microbiology or related field.
• Experience with method development, validation, or transfers for microbiological assays.
• Familiarity with pharmacopeial microbiology standards and compendial methods.
• Experience using laboratory information management systems (LIMS) and electronic documentation.
• Prior experience reviewing microbiology data for regulatory submissions or CMC support.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical investigations and communicate findings clearly to stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on microbiology support for sterile operations, including aseptic processing, environmental monitoring, and gowning qualifications.
• Lead investigations of unexpected microbiological results and drive corrective actions with clear root cause and risk assessment.
• Perform and review routine microbiological testing: bioburden, sterility, endotoxin, microbial identifications, and water testing.
• Develop, revise, and approve microbiological methods, SOPs, and sampling plans that support product release and stability programs.
• Partner with manufacturing, quality, and development teams to define and implement contamination control and sterility assurance strategies.
• Support validation activities, method transfers, and evaluation of rapid microbiological technologies.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees