OPT Quality Control Microbiologist Jobs
Quality Control Microbiologist roles are a strong fit for F-1 OPT students with degrees in microbiology, biology, or related sciences. Most positions in pharma, biotech, and food manufacturing qualify for STEM OPT extension, giving you up to three years of work authorization to build regulated-industry experience.
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Get Access To All JobsWhy join Stryker?
Looking for a place that values your unique talents? Discover Stryker's award-winning culture.
We are proud to offer you our total rewards package which includes bonuses, healthcare, insurance benefits, retirement programs, wellness programs, as well as service and performance awards – not to mention various social and recreational activities, all of which are location specific.
Job description
We are excited to be named one of the World’s Best Workplaces by Fortune Magazine! We are proud to offer you 12 paid holidays annually. For an overview of our benefits and time off, please follow this link to learn more: US Stryker employee benefits.
Stryker is seeking a Staff Microbiologist for our Endoscopy business unit in San Jose, CA. We are seeking a talented and motivated Microbiologist to provide technical expertise supporting the development, validation, and lifecycle management of medical devices. In this role, you will partner with cross-functional teams to support microbiology, sterilization, reprocessing, and biocompatibility activities for both new product development and sustaining engineering efforts. You will independently lead assigned projects, develop technical strategies, and ensure products meet applicable biological safety, sterilization, and regulatory requirements. This position plays a key role in supporting product quality, regulatory compliance, and patient safety through the application of scientific principles, industry standards, and risk-based decision making throughout the product lifecycle.
What you will do
- Apply ISO, FDA, AAMI, EU MDR, and other applicable standards to develop microbiology, biocompatibility, sterilization, and reprocessing test strategies for medical devices.
- Lead microbiology and biocompatibility activities for product development projects, including defining testing requirements, acceptance criteria, and validation strategies.
- Partner with R&D teams to provide technical guidance on materials, product design, sterilization methods, and reprocessing considerations throughout development.
- Develop, review, and approve protocols, reports, risk assessments, and technical documentation supporting biological safety, sterilization, processing, and regulatory compliance.
- Support design reviews, development milestones, engineering changes, supplier changes, nonconformance investigations, CAPAs, and regulatory submissions.
- Execute and support sterilization process validations, equipment qualifications (IQ/OQ/PQ), requalification activities, and microbiological monitoring programs.
- Assess technical risks and recommend solutions to ensure product safety, performance, compliance, and successful project execution.
- Participate in regulatory and supplier audits as a subject matter expert for microbiology, sterilization, biocompatibility, and reprocessing activities.
- Contribute to the development and continuous improvement of procedures, work instructions, and processes to align with evolving regulations and industry standards.
- Support knowledge sharing and onboarding activities by providing technical guidance and training to team members and cross-functional partners.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams including R&D, Regulatory Affairs, Quality, Manufacturing, Operations, and external testing laboratories.
What you need
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in biology, Microbiology, Biomedical Engineering, Toxicology, or a related scientific discipline.
- Minimum 4 years of experience in medical device, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or regulated healthcare environments supporting microbiology, biocompatibility, sterilization, processing, or sterility assurance activities for sterile and/or reusable products.
- Working knowledge of medical device regulations such as ISO 10993, ISO 11135, ISO 11137, ISO 17665, AAMI, FDA, EU MDR, and other applicable regulatory standards.
- Experience authoring and reviewing technical documentation, including biological evaluation plans/reports (BEP/BER), test plans, validation protocols, validation documentation, and technical reports.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Master's degree or Ph.D. in Biology, Microbiology, Biomedical Engineering, Toxicology, Chemistry, or a related scientific discipline.
- Experience spanning all three key technical disciplines: reusable medical device processing validations, terminal sterilization technologies, and biological testing strategy development and biological safety evaluations.
- Experience working with external test laboratories, contract sterilizers, and suppliers supporting biological safety or sterilization activities.
- Experience supporting regulatory submissions for global markets.
Posted Date: 09/21/2026
This role will be posted for a minimum of 3 days.
United States of America Pay Ranges:
- Puerto Rico: $77,700 - $129,500 USD Annual
- USN: $83,300 - $138,800 USD Annual
- US5: $87,500 - $145,700 USD Annual
- US10: $91,600 - $152,700 USD Annual
- US15: $95,800 - $159,600 USD Annual
- US20: $100,000 - $166,600 USD Annual
- US30: $108,300 - $180,400 USD Annual
View the U.S. work location and transparency guide to find the pay range for your location.
Health benefits include: Medical and prescription drug insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, critical illness insurance, accident insurance, hospital indemnity insurance, personalized healthcare support, wellbeing program and tobacco cessation program. Financial benefits include: Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), 401(k) plan, Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), basic life and AD&D insurance, and short-term disability insurance. Stryker offers innovative products and services in MedSurg, Neurotechnology, Orthopaedics and Spine that help improve patient and healthcare outcomes. Alongside its customers around the world, Stryker impacts more than 150 million patients annually. Depending on customer requirements employees and new hires in sales and field roles that require access to customer accounts as a function of the job may be required to obtain various vaccinations as an essential function of their role.
Why join Stryker?
Looking for a place that values your unique talents? Discover Stryker's award-winning culture.
We are proud to offer you our total rewards package which includes bonuses, healthcare, insurance benefits, retirement programs, wellness programs, as well as service and performance awards – not to mention various social and recreational activities, all of which are location specific.
Job description
We are excited to be named one of the World’s Best Workplaces by Fortune Magazine! We are proud to offer you 12 paid holidays annually. For an overview of our benefits and time off, please follow this link to learn more: US Stryker employee benefits.
Stryker is seeking a Staff Microbiologist for our Endoscopy business unit in San Jose, CA. We are seeking a talented and motivated Microbiologist to provide technical expertise supporting the development, validation, and lifecycle management of medical devices. In this role, you will partner with cross-functional teams to support microbiology, sterilization, reprocessing, and biocompatibility activities for both new product development and sustaining engineering efforts. You will independently lead assigned projects, develop technical strategies, and ensure products meet applicable biological safety, sterilization, and regulatory requirements. This position plays a key role in supporting product quality, regulatory compliance, and patient safety through the application of scientific principles, industry standards, and risk-based decision making throughout the product lifecycle.
What you will do
- Apply ISO, FDA, AAMI, EU MDR, and other applicable standards to develop microbiology, biocompatibility, sterilization, and reprocessing test strategies for medical devices.
- Lead microbiology and biocompatibility activities for product development projects, including defining testing requirements, acceptance criteria, and validation strategies.
- Partner with R&D teams to provide technical guidance on materials, product design, sterilization methods, and reprocessing considerations throughout development.
- Develop, review, and approve protocols, reports, risk assessments, and technical documentation supporting biological safety, sterilization, processing, and regulatory compliance.
- Support design reviews, development milestones, engineering changes, supplier changes, nonconformance investigations, CAPAs, and regulatory submissions.
- Execute and support sterilization process validations, equipment qualifications (IQ/OQ/PQ), requalification activities, and microbiological monitoring programs.
- Assess technical risks and recommend solutions to ensure product safety, performance, compliance, and successful project execution.
- Participate in regulatory and supplier audits as a subject matter expert for microbiology, sterilization, biocompatibility, and reprocessing activities.
- Contribute to the development and continuous improvement of procedures, work instructions, and processes to align with evolving regulations and industry standards.
- Support knowledge sharing and onboarding activities by providing technical guidance and training to team members and cross-functional partners.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams including R&D, Regulatory Affairs, Quality, Manufacturing, Operations, and external testing laboratories.
What you need
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in biology, Microbiology, Biomedical Engineering, Toxicology, or a related scientific discipline.
- Minimum 4 years of experience in medical device, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or regulated healthcare environments supporting microbiology, biocompatibility, sterilization, processing, or sterility assurance activities for sterile and/or reusable products.
- Working knowledge of medical device regulations such as ISO 10993, ISO 11135, ISO 11137, ISO 17665, AAMI, FDA, EU MDR, and other applicable regulatory standards.
- Experience authoring and reviewing technical documentation, including biological evaluation plans/reports (BEP/BER), test plans, validation protocols, validation documentation, and technical reports.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Master's degree or Ph.D. in Biology, Microbiology, Biomedical Engineering, Toxicology, Chemistry, or a related scientific discipline.
- Experience spanning all three key technical disciplines: reusable medical device processing validations, terminal sterilization technologies, and biological testing strategy development and biological safety evaluations.
- Experience working with external test laboratories, contract sterilizers, and suppliers supporting biological safety or sterilization activities.
- Experience supporting regulatory submissions for global markets.
Posted Date: 09/21/2026
This role will be posted for a minimum of 3 days.
United States of America Pay Ranges:
- Puerto Rico: $77,700 - $129,500 USD Annual
- USN: $83,300 - $138,800 USD Annual
- US5: $87,500 - $145,700 USD Annual
- US10: $91,600 - $152,700 USD Annual
- US15: $95,800 - $159,600 USD Annual
- US20: $100,000 - $166,600 USD Annual
- US30: $108,300 - $180,400 USD Annual
View the U.S. work location and transparency guide to find the pay range for your location.
Health benefits include: Medical and prescription drug insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, critical illness insurance, accident insurance, hospital indemnity insurance, personalized healthcare support, wellbeing program and tobacco cessation program. Financial benefits include: Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), 401(k) plan, Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), basic life and AD&D insurance, and short-term disability insurance. Stryker offers innovative products and services in MedSurg, Neurotechnology, Orthopaedics and Spine that help improve patient and healthcare outcomes. Alongside its customers around the world, Stryker impacts more than 150 million patients annually. Depending on customer requirements employees and new hires in sales and field roles that require access to customer accounts as a function of the job may be required to obtain various vaccinations as an essential function of their role.
See all 30+ OPT Quality Control Microbiologist Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Quality Control Microbiologist Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship in Quality Control Microbiologist
Target STEM-designated programs first
Confirm your degree program's CIP code qualifies for the 24-month STEM OPT extension before applying. QC Microbiology roles in pharma and biotech almost universally satisfy STEM OPT requirements, making you a longer-term hire for employers.
Emphasize GMP and regulatory lab experience
Employers in FDA-regulated industries prioritize candidates familiar with Good Manufacturing Practice environments. Highlight any GMP coursework, lab rotations, or internships on your resume. This signals you can contribute immediately without extensive onboarding in a compliance-heavy setting.
Frame your OPT timeline proactively with employers
When discussing work authorization, lead with your full timeline. A 12-month OPT period plus a 24-month STEM extension gives you up to three years, which covers most H-1B visa sponsorship cycles for life sciences employers who sponsor regularly.
Focus applications on mid-size and large pharma or biotech companies
Companies with established QC departments and regulatory affairs teams are far more likely to have prior experience sponsoring visas. Smaller contract labs may not have the infrastructure or HR capacity to navigate sponsorship, even when they want to hire.
Get certified in relevant quality systems
An ASQ Certified Quality Technician or similar credential strengthens your candidacy and demonstrates commitment to the QC field. Employers weighing sponsorship costs are more likely to invest in candidates who show initiative beyond their degree requirements.
Use Migrate Mate to find OPT-friendly QC roles
Browse Quality Control Microbiologist openings on Migrate Mate, which filters specifically for employers open to OPT and visa sponsorship. This reduces time spent applying to positions where your work authorization will immediately disqualify you from consideration.
Quality Control Microbiologist OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Do Quality Control Microbiologist jobs qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Yes, in most cases. If your degree is in microbiology, biology, biochemistry, or a related STEM field with a qualifying CIP code, you're eligible to apply for the 24-month STEM OPT extension. Combined with your initial 12-month OPT, that gives you up to three years of work authorization in a QC Microbiology role.
Which industries hire QC Microbiologists who are on OPT?
Pharmaceutical manufacturing, biotech, food and beverage, and medical device companies are the most active employers for QC Microbiologists. Pharma and biotech tend to have the most experience with visa sponsorship because they hire internationally at scale. Contract research and contract manufacturing organizations also hire OPT students regularly for QC roles.
How do I find Quality Control Microbiologist jobs open to OPT students?
Migrate Mate is the recommended starting point. It surfaces QC Microbiology roles from employers who are open to OPT and visa sponsorship, so you're not filtering manually through listings that won't consider your work authorization status. Searching by industry or role type helps narrow to regulated-environment positions where your lab background is most relevant.
Will employers sponsor H-1B visas after my OPT period ends for this role?
Many do, particularly in pharmaceutical and biotech companies that rely heavily on international talent for lab and quality operations roles. H-1B sponsorship depends on company size, HR capacity, and how critical your role is to the team. The STEM OPT extension gives you two additional years after initial OPT, which is enough time to go through one or two H-1B lottery cycles.
What should I include on my resume to stand out as an OPT candidate for QC Microbiology roles?
Highlight laboratory techniques relevant to QC work: microbial identification, environmental monitoring, sterility testing, and any exposure to USP methods or FDA-regulated environments. Mention GMP training explicitly if you've completed it. Quantify your experience where possible, such as the number of samples processed or test methods you've been trained on, to give hiring managers a concrete sense of your readiness.