OPT Clinical Microbiologist Jobs
Clinical Microbiologist jobs on OPT require STEM-designated programs, which qualify you for the standard 12-month OPT period plus a 24-month STEM extension, giving you up to three years of authorized work. Most employers in hospital systems, public health labs, and biotech firms are familiar with sponsoring STEM OPT workers through the E-Verify requirement.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Build your future at Curia, where our work has the power to save lives.
Curia is a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with over 30 years of experience partnering with pharmaceutical and biotech companies to provide life-saving treatments to patients. At Curia, we are on a mission to advance our customers’ therapies from curiosity to cure and ultimately to improve patients’ lives.
We proudly offer
- Generous benefit options (eligible first day of employment)
- Paid training, vacation and holidays (vacation accrual begins on first day of employment)
- Career advancement opportunities
- Education reimbursement
- 401K program with matching contributions
- Learning platform
- And more!
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Quality Control Microbiologist performs quality activities in support of product production and releases. The QC Microbiologist performs a wide variety of activities to ensure compliance with applicable regulatory requirements by conducting testing, trending, and reporting results.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Perform microbiological testing (endotoxin, bioburden) for water. Perform microbiological testing (endotoxin, sterility, and bioburden) for raw materials, in-process materials, intermediates, and final products. Perform environmental monitoring of the clean rooms (under USP and EU specifications).
- Read, trend, and report environmental, personnel, in-process, raw material, finished product, and water testing results. Perform microbial characterization (gram stain, catalase, oxidase, and coagulase tests). Prepare and send out samples for microbiological identification.
- Maintain historical files on organisms found in classified areas; microbial identification and trending. Perform line clear and line start verifications. Inspection of media fills.
- Perform other microbiological assays: Sterility (including Biological Indicator testing) and growth promotion testing of all incoming media used in the microbiology laboratory. Microbial Limits/Enumeration testing. QC microbiological sample receipt for internal testing, login, processing, tracking, distribution of test results, and closure.
- Initiate OOS or Environmental Monitoring Excursion Investigations. Provide Support for general QC Microbiology Laboratory activities. Chart reading and changing.
- Equipment cleaning and maintenance. Maintaining supplies and inventory. General laboratory housekeeping.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in a scientific discipline, preferably microbiology with three (3) years of previous professional experience.
- Strong organizational skills and ability to prioritize and multi-task in a fast-paced environment. A minimum of three (3) years of industry experience in a GMP or GLP environment is preferred. Proficient in the validation/qualification of lab microbiological techniques preferred. Must be skilled in the use of computers and proficient in the use of spreadsheets. Previous experience with pharmaceutical cleanroom environments. Knowledgeable in FDA cGMPs (21 CFR 211); ISO 9001, 13485, and 17025 a plus.
Other Skills and Abilities:
- Facilitate the revision and release of all controlled documents. Facilitate mandatory reviews of SOPs and month-end reports.
- Provide oversight for projects to update/maintain official document templates. Direct and manage the Change Control System.
Other Qualifications:
Must pass a background check.
Must pass a drug screen.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to sit and use their hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts; high, precarious places; fumes or airborne particles; toxic or caustic chemicals; risk of electrical shock; explosives; risk of radiation, and vibration. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
NOTE:
This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent in this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the incumbents will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at-will” relationship.
Education, experience, location and tenure may be considered along with internal equity when job offers are extended.
We do not accept unsolicited assistance from any headhunters or recruitment firms for any of our job openings. All resumes or profiles submitted by search firms to any employee at Curia, in any form without a valid, signed search agreement by an authorized signatory in place for the specific position, approved by Talent Acquisition, will be deemed the sole property of Curia. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Curia because of the unsolicited referral.
All interested applicants must apply online. Please be aware of scammers. Curia will only send offer letters and requests for sensitive personal information from a curiaglobal.com email address.
Curia is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. Curia is an E-Verify employer.
LOCATION
Albuquerque, NM
INTRODUCTION
Build your future at Curia, where our work has the power to save lives.
Curia is a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with over 30 years of experience partnering with pharmaceutical and biotech companies to provide life-saving treatments to patients. At Curia, we are on a mission to advance our customers’ therapies from curiosity to cure and ultimately to improve patients’ lives.
We proudly offer
- Generous benefit options (eligible first day of employment)
- Paid training, vacation and holidays (vacation accrual begins on first day of employment)
- Career advancement opportunities
- Education reimbursement
- 401K program with matching contributions
- Learning platform
- And more!
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Quality Control Microbiologist performs quality activities in support of product production and releases. The QC Microbiologist performs a wide variety of activities to ensure compliance with applicable regulatory requirements by conducting testing, trending, and reporting results.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Perform microbiological testing (endotoxin, bioburden) for water. Perform microbiological testing (endotoxin, sterility, and bioburden) for raw materials, in-process materials, intermediates, and final products. Perform environmental monitoring of the clean rooms (under USP and EU specifications).
- Read, trend, and report environmental, personnel, in-process, raw material, finished product, and water testing results. Perform microbial characterization (gram stain, catalase, oxidase, and coagulase tests). Prepare and send out samples for microbiological identification.
- Maintain historical files on organisms found in classified areas; microbial identification and trending. Perform line clear and line start verifications. Inspection of media fills.
- Perform other microbiological assays: Sterility (including Biological Indicator testing) and growth promotion testing of all incoming media used in the microbiology laboratory. Microbial Limits/Enumeration testing. QC microbiological sample receipt for internal testing, login, processing, tracking, distribution of test results, and closure.
- Initiate OOS or Environmental Monitoring Excursion Investigations. Provide Support for general QC Microbiology Laboratory activities. Chart reading and changing.
- Equipment cleaning and maintenance. Maintaining supplies and inventory. General laboratory housekeeping.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in a scientific discipline, preferably microbiology with three (3) years of previous professional experience.
- Strong organizational skills and ability to prioritize and multi-task in a fast-paced environment. A minimum of three (3) years of industry experience in a GMP or GLP environment is preferred. Proficient in the validation/qualification of lab microbiological techniques preferred. Must be skilled in the use of computers and proficient in the use of spreadsheets. Previous experience with pharmaceutical cleanroom environments. Knowledgeable in FDA cGMPs (21 CFR 211); ISO 9001, 13485, and 17025 a plus.
Other Skills and Abilities:
- Facilitate the revision and release of all controlled documents. Facilitate mandatory reviews of SOPs and month-end reports.
- Provide oversight for projects to update/maintain official document templates. Direct and manage the Change Control System.
Other Qualifications:
Must pass a background check.
Must pass a drug screen.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to sit and use their hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts; high, precarious places; fumes or airborne particles; toxic or caustic chemicals; risk of electrical shock; explosives; risk of radiation, and vibration. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
NOTE:
This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent in this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the incumbents will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at-will” relationship.
Education, experience, location and tenure may be considered along with internal equity when job offers are extended.
We do not accept unsolicited assistance from any headhunters or recruitment firms for any of our job openings. All resumes or profiles submitted by search firms to any employee at Curia, in any form without a valid, signed search agreement by an authorized signatory in place for the specific position, approved by Talent Acquisition, will be deemed the sole property of Curia. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Curia because of the unsolicited referral.
All interested applicants must apply online. Please be aware of scammers. Curia will only send offer letters and requests for sensitive personal information from a curiaglobal.com email address.
Curia is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. Curia is an E-Verify employer.
LOCATION
Albuquerque, NM
See all 42+ OPT Clinical Microbiologist Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship in Clinical Microbiologist
Target STEM OPT-friendly employers early
Hospital networks, public health labs, and biotech companies are the most active sponsors for Clinical Microbiologist roles. Focus your search on employers with established STEM OPT reporting processes, since they understand the 24-month extension and E-Verify requirements already.
Confirm your degree qualifies for STEM OPT
Clinical Microbiology roles are typically sponsored under Microbiology, Biomedical Science, or Medical Laboratory Science CIP codes. Verify with your DSO that your program's CIP code appears on the STEM OPT designated degree program list before applying.
Apply at least 90 days before OPT expiry
STEM OPT extension applications must be filed before your current OPT expires. Submit your I-765 extension at least 90 days out, since processing can run four to five months without premium processing available for this category.
Address ASCP or AMT certification proactively
Many clinical microbiology positions require ASCP Board of Certification or AMT credentials. Completing certification during OPT strengthens your H-1B visa sponsorship case later, since certified specialists are more straightforwardly classified as specialty occupation workers.
Understand the E-Verify reporting obligation
Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify to hire you on STEM OPT extension. Confirm this before accepting an offer. If they aren't enrolled, sponsorship falls through at a critical moment, and switching employers resets your reporting timeline.
Frame visa sponsorship around specialty occupation early
Clinical Microbiologist roles requiring a degree in microbiology, clinical laboratory science, or a related field fit cleanly within H-1B specialty occupation criteria. Communicate this to hiring managers upfront so the sponsorship conversation doesn't stall due to unfamiliarity with the pathway.
Clinical Microbiologist OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work as a Clinical Microbiologist on OPT?
Yes. Clinical Microbiology falls under STEM-designated degree programs, so you qualify for both the standard 12-month OPT authorization and a 24-month STEM extension if your degree's CIP code appears on the official STEM list. Your job must be directly related to your major field of study, which is straightforward for most microbiology or biomedical science graduates entering this role.
Do Clinical Microbiologist employers commonly sponsor OPT workers?
Hospital systems, public health laboratories, and pharmaceutical companies regularly hire STEM OPT workers for clinical microbiology roles and sponsor H-1B petitions afterward. Employers in regulated clinical settings tend to have HR infrastructure already familiar with E-Verify enrollment and OPT reporting requirements. You can browse employers actively hiring on Migrate Mate to identify which organizations have consistent sponsorship track records.
Does ASCP certification affect my OPT or visa sponsorship eligibility?
ASCP certification doesn't affect your OPT authorization directly, but it significantly strengthens your H-1B case when your employer files after OPT. Board certification demonstrates that the role requires specialized knowledge tied to a specific field of study, which supports the specialty occupation classification USCIS requires. Many hospital employers also require ASCP certification before making a full-time offer, so pursuing it during OPT removes a barrier to sponsorship.
What happens to my OPT if I switch employers in a clinical microbiology role?
You can change employers on OPT, but you must report the change to your DSO within 10 days and update your SEVIS record. On STEM OPT extension, your new employer must be enrolled in E-Verify and you must submit a new Form I-983 training plan. There's no waiting period, but working for a non-E-Verify employer on STEM OPT extension would violate your authorization.
Is a Clinical Microbiologist role considered a specialty occupation for H-1B?
Clinical Microbiologist positions that require a bachelor's degree or higher in microbiology, clinical laboratory science, or a directly related field generally satisfy H-1B specialty occupation criteria. Roles requiring ASCP board certification reinforce this classification. Job descriptions specifying generic degree requirements regardless of field create more scrutiny, so targeting employers whose postings require a specific scientific discipline strengthens the petition.