Marek's Seed Production Technician I

Marek's disease is a highly contagious, often fatal, malignancy that affects the nervous system and visceral organs in poultry. It is caused by a form of Herpes virus. Control is primarily accomplished through vaccination, which yields a dramatic reduction in losses, as a consequence of this disease.

Technicians will assist in maintaining viral stock which is used for vaccine production. This is accomplished through tissue and viral culture of Chicken Embryo Fibroblast (CEF) cells and Marek's Disease Virus in a production clean room environment. Tissue culture is performed using roller bottle culture vessels. The production of the vaccine begins in Marek's clean rooms with a highly concentrated CEF cell suspension. The suspension is cell counted, added to a growth media, and dispensed into culture vessels. Working seed ampoules, which already contain virus, are used to infect CEF cells with a targeted viral concentration. These viral cultures are then collected from the culture vessels and filled into labeled ampoules which are cryogenically frozen and stored prior to their use in final product vaccine production.

* Aseptic Technique: All manufacturing processes must be performed aseptically. Procedures take place under a Grade A Laminar Air Flow hood in a production clean room

* Clean room production work: Requires daily gowning with sterile hooded coveralls, goggles, face mask, two pairs of gloves, and clean room boot coverings

* Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): The ability to understand and follow Marek's Laboratory SOPs, Quality Assurance SOPs, Marek's Laboratory Support SOPs, and other SOPs as applicable

* Documentation: All procedures must be thoroughly documented; documentation must be legible and concurrent

* Tissue & Viral Culture: Performing and understanding basic tissue and viral culture

* Media preparation: Preparation of growth media and cryoprotectant media which is used during vaccine production processes

* Clean Room Support area: Can include dishware preparation, autoclave operation, dock receivals of raw materials, cryogenic freezing of produced ampoules

* Shift coverage: Marek's Disease vaccine production typically takes four days from start to finish, and the processing times range from early morning to late evening as cultures are infected and harvested in specific time frames. Shift coverage can rotate (unless otherwise specified during hiring).

* Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) & CFR Title 9: Animals and Animal Products

* Shape solutions out of complexity

* Client focus

* Collaborate with empathy

* Engage and develop

* Drive ambition and accountability

* Influence others

* Understanding of aseptic technique

* Understanding of clean room behavior

* Cell culture and viral culture knowledge

* Mathematical aptitude

* Coachability

* Thoroughness & attention to detail

* Flexibility

Education - Education - Bachelor's degree in a related field, preferred but not required

Work Experience - Manufacturing experience, beneficial but not required

* Able to read, write legibly, and communicate in English

* Color vision, frequent fine motor movements of the hands and wrist, periods of short-term balancing, bending, stooping, squatting, twisting, reaching below knees to above shoulders, static overhead work, operating in small spaces

* Ability to stand and walk >90% of work day

* Ability to push/pull up to 40 lbs frequently

* Ability to lift up to 20 lbs overhead occasionally

* Ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs frequently

* Ability to perform job duties for up to three hours without a break

* Large-scale clean room manufacturing

This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the job and general nature and level of work performed by job holders within this job. This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of qualifications, skills, duties and responsibilities or working conditions associated with the job. This job description is not an employment contract. Ceva reserves the right to modify job duties and/or job descriptions at any time to meet the needs of the business.

*VEVRAA Federal Contractor

**Ceva is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, genetic information, actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Ceva encourages men and women, members of all racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities and veterans to apply.

669B