STEM OPT Quality Control Microbiologist Jobs
Quality Control Microbiologist roles in pharmaceutical, biotech, and food manufacturing qualify for STEM OPT's 24-month extension when your degree is in microbiology, biology, or a related STEM field. Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify and sign your I-983 training plan before your extension begins.
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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
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization in Quality Control Microbiologist
Verify your CIP code before applying
Your degree's Classification of Instructional Programs code determines STEM OPT eligibility. Microbiology (26.0503), biology (26.0101), and biochemistry (26.0202) all qualify. Confirm your CIP code with your DSO before targeting roles to avoid authorization gaps.
Check E-Verify status before accepting offers
STEM OPT requires your employer to be enrolled in E-Verify before your extension is approved. Search the E-Verify employer search tool by company name to confirm enrollment. Pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturers typically enroll, but contract labs and smaller testing firms often don't.
Tailor your I-983 to QC microbiology duties
Your training plan must list specific learning objectives tied to your STEM degree, not just job duties. Map tasks like sterility testing, environmental monitoring, and method validation directly to the scientific skills your degree program covered.
Target employers with active LCA filings for your role
Use Migrate Mate to filter employers by verified DOL Labor Condition Application history for microbiologist and life sciences roles, so you focus your applications on companies already familiar with work authorization requirements for STEM graduates.
Research prevailing wages before negotiating
Your offer must meet or exceed the DOL prevailing wage for your role and location. Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up wage levels for your specific occupation code before negotiating salary, so you can identify whether an offer is compliant.
Time your extension application around GMP facility timelines
STEM OPT extension applications must be filed with USCIS at least 90 days before your initial OPT end date. GMP-regulated employers in pharma and food processing often require lengthy onboarding and background checks, so account for that lead time in your start date negotiations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a microbiology or biology degree qualify me for the STEM OPT extension as a Quality Control Microbiologist?
Yes, if your degree's CIP code appears on the STEM OPT designated degree program list. Microbiology (26.0503), biochemistry (26.0202), and biology (26.0101) all qualify. Your DSO can confirm your exact CIP code. The job title itself doesn't determine eligibility, your degree field does, so verify the code before you apply for the extension.
Is E-Verify enrollment required for my QC Microbiologist employer, and how do I check?
Yes. Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify before USCIS can approve your STEM OPT extension. You can search the E-Verify employer search tool by company name to confirm enrollment status. Large pharmaceutical manufacturers and contract research organizations typically comply, but smaller clinical labs and independent testing facilities may not be enrolled.
What should my I-983 training plan include for a Quality Control Microbiologist role?
Your I-983 must describe specific learning objectives that connect your daily QC duties to the STEM knowledge from your degree. For this role, relevant objectives include applying microbiological testing methods, interpreting out-of-specification results, and developing competency in Good Manufacturing Practice protocols. Generic job descriptions won't satisfy USCIS, each objective should name a concrete skill tied to your academic training.
Can I stay authorized if my STEM OPT extension is pending when my initial OPT expires?
Yes, if you filed your extension application before your initial OPT EAD expired. USCIS provides a 180-day cap-gap period that maintains your work authorization while the extension is pending. You must remain employed with the same E-Verify-enrolled employer during this period. Switching employers while in cap-gap status is not permitted and could interrupt your authorization.
Where can I find Quality Control Microbiologist jobs from employers who understand STEM OPT requirements?
Migrate Mate lists Quality Control Microbiologist positions from employers with verified DOL LCA filing history, so you can identify companies already experienced with work authorization for STEM graduates. Filtering by E-Verify enrollment status and STEM-relevant occupation codes before applying saves time and reduces the risk of accepting an offer from an employer who can't support your extension.