Merck KGaA Posted October 16, 2026

Microbiologist 3

Carlsbad, California, United States FULL_TIME
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Merck KGaA is the source of truth for this posting and owns the application process. We surface normalized context and market comparison you won't find on the original listing.

About this opportunity

Work Your Magic with us!  Start your next chapter and join MilliporeSigma.

Ready to explore, break barriers, and discover more? We know you’ve got big plans – so do we! Our colleagues across the globe love innovating with science and technology to enrich people’s lives with our solutions in Healthcare, Life Science, and Electronics. Together, we dream big and are passionate about caring for our rich mix of people, customers, patients, and planet. That's why we are always looking for curious minds that see themselves imagining the unimaginable with us.

This role does not offer sponsorship for work authorization. External applicants must be eligible to work in the US.

The MilliporeSigma Carlsbad Viral Vector Manufacturing facilities are a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) dedicated to the manufacture of clinical and commercial viral vector therapies. The site offers comprehensive services from process development, cell and viral banking, tech transfer, fill finish, and viral vector testing and manufacturing. This is a fast-paced, constantly evolving environment that aims to meet client needs while being held to strict regulatory standards for therapeutic biologics.

Your role:

As a Microbiologist 3 in the Microbiology group, you will support the site through testing the quality of the cleanroom manufacturing environment as well as performing microbiological assays in the Quality Control laboratory. This will ensure that products produced at the Carlsbad Viral Vector Manufacturing (CLD-VVM) plant adhere to strict regulatory and ISO requirements. Your delivery of on-time and quality results will support MilliporeSigma’s place as an industry leader in viral vector manufacturing. Microbiologist 3’s take a leading role in the team by authoring and leading studies, including method validation and sample-specific studies, performance qualifications, and Corrective and Preventative Action (CAPA) projects. Microbiologist 3’s support laboratory operations, testing incoming raw materials as well as in-process samples. Microbiologist 3’s also support cleanroom operations, collecting surface, air, utility (process gas and water), and personnel samples, as well as supporting monitoring of manufacturing fill/finish process.

Comply with company EH&S requirements, promote a safety-first culture, and support safe laboratory operations.

Perform environmental monitoring of cleanrooms and utilities, including process gases and water systems.

Conduct microbiological testing of raw materials, pharmaceutical water, and other samples in accordance with SOPs.

Operate, maintain, clean, and sterilize laboratory equipment, including autoclaves; manage supplies and consumable inventory.

Compile trend data and author reports, studies, and protocols, including bioburden validation, endotoxin inhibition/enhancement, hold-time, and disinfectant efficacy studies.

Implement new test methods and equipment and lead protocol execution for special studies and projects.

Lead change controls and CAPAs; report and investigate deviations, nonconformances, and related quality events.

Maintain accurate, timely, and data-integrity-compliant documentation, including raw data, testing records, logbooks, and SOP revisions, in accordance with ALCOA+ principles; support off-shift, weekend, and overtime operations as needed.

Physical Attributes:

Wearing PPE when entering the cleanroom space. PPE includes, safety glasses, face masks, hoods, scrubs, sterile gowns, gloves, sleeves, and boot covers.

Sitting and reaching to use computers and other office/lab equipment.

Occasionally standing for extended periods of time, up to four (4) to five (5) hours/time.

Occasionally lifting up to fifty (50) pounds.

Viewing objects at close and distant ranges. Occasional exposure to fumes, airborne particles, chemicals, vibration and biohazardous materials.

Who you are:

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s Degree in Biology, Microbiology, Chemistry or other Life Science Discipline

4+ years of quality analysis experience

OR

High School Diploma or GED

6+ years of quality analysis experience

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience with cGMP, aseptic techniques, microbiology testing, automation, troubleshooting for equipment, software and data integrity

Understanding and knowledge of governmental regulatory guidelines relating to the manufacturing of biologics and pharmaceuticals

Experience with Aseptic Technique and Cleanroom Gowning

Coursework in Microbiology

Experience working in a Quality Control laboratory

Pay Range for this position: $26-$40 per hour.

The offer range represents the anticipated low and high end of the base pay compensation for this position. The actual compensation offered will be determined by factors such as location, level of experience, education, skills, and other job-related factors. Position may be eligible for sales or performance-based bonuses. Benefits offered by the Company include health insurance, paid time off (PTO), retirement contributions, and other perquisites. For more information click here .

RSREMD

What we offer: We are curious minds that come from a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences. We believe that this variety drives excellence and innovation, strengthening our ability to lead in science and technology. We are committed to creating access and opportunities for all to develop and grow at your own pace. Join us in building a culture of inclusion and belonging that impacts millions and empowers everyone to work their magic and champion human progress!

Apply now and become a part of a team that is dedicated to Sparking Discovery and Elevating Humanity!

Job details

Seniority
Not listed
Function
Quality
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
Carlsbad, California, United States
Employment type
FULL_TIME

How this role compares

Computed from every other active Quality role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 1513 comparable Quality roles across 149 biopharma companies.

1513Comparable roles tracked
1378Currently active
149Companies hiring similar roles
53Countries represented

Salary context

239 of 1513 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)

Peers share this role's job function. This posting doesn't list a seniority level, so peers aren't narrowed by seniority either -- the range below may span more levels than usual.

This roleSubject $26/hr – $40/hr (≈ $54,080–$83,200/yr)
Lowest disclosed · QA - Stat Sort Specialist · Lilly $18/hr – $35/hr (≈ $37,482–$72,592/yr)
Highest disclosed · VP, Quality Assurance · City Therapeutics $340,000/yr – $360,000/yr
Peer group range $55,037 – $350,000 (median $131,400)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 1513 comparable roles

United States598
Ireland88
France76
Germany74
China67
India49

+ 47 more countries

Seniority mix

685 of 1513 peers have a known seniority level

Manager200
Senior180
Intern/Fellow/Postdoc92
Associate73
Principal36
Associate Director36
Director33
Senior Director28
Executive/VP7

Therapeutic area mix

1 of 1513 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Vaccines & Infectious Disease1

Similar opportunities

The closest matches from our peer group, ranked by how similar they are, not how well you'd qualify for them -- treat this as market context, not a guaranteed shortlist; a weak match is labeled as one below.

40%similar
Lilly Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America Associate
Same function Same country
40%similar
AbbVie North Chicago, IL Director
Same function Same country
40%similar
AbbVie North Chicago, IL Manager
Same function Same country
40%similar
Gilead Sciences, Inc. La Verne, United States
Same function Same country
40%similar
Gilead Sciences, Inc. La Verne, United States Senior
Same function Same country
40%similar
Gilead Sciences, Inc. Foster City, United States Manager
Same function Same country

Notify me about similar jobs

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How we calculate "similar"

No black box, no LLM guesswork: a deterministic score built from four normalized attributes. Here's this role's own peer group at different match levels, so you can see the mechanism, not just the result.

Every comparison starts from the same 100-point budget: 25 for working in the same function, 40 for the same therapeutic area, 20 for the same or adjacent seniority, 15 for the same country. A dimension we can't confirm on both sides contributes nothing, never a guess, never a free pass.

40%
Advisor, Physicochemical Properties and Compound Quality
Lilly · Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America · Associate
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
QA Specialist III
Gilead Sciences, Inc. · La Verne, United States · Seniority not listed
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
Senior Manager Quality Assurance, Medical Device (Sustaining)
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc (USA) · Renss, United States · Manager
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
Executive Director, Quality Assurance Microbiology
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc (USA) · Renss, United States · Executive/VP
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
Unmatched or unknown dimensions score exactly the same: 0 points, never a partial guess. A role we know almost nothing about beyond its function bottoms out at 25%; it never inflates to 100% just because there's little to compare against. Seniority uses a defined ladder (Associate → Manager → Associate Director → Senior → Principal → Director → Senior Director → Executive/VP) so "Director" and "Senior Director" count as adjacent, but "Director" and "Executive/VP" do not.