Specialist, Logistics

Specialist, Logistics

The Specialist, Logistics ensures the secure and timely transport of donor cells and drug products between Orca Bio's manufacturing sites and transplant centers. This role owns real-time coordination of active courier runs, disruption response, chain-of-custody documentation, and vein-to-vein KPI tracking, and partners closely with internal stakeholders and external donor and recipient organizations. As part of a cross-trained team, the Specialist also serves as backup coverage for packaging operations during surge periods. The ideal candidate is proactive, solutions-oriented, and able to work independently in a fast-paced environment, with strong attention to detail, a sense of urgency, and the ability to troubleshoot issues in real time.

Night Shift Hours Worked:

• 6:00pm to 6:30am or
• 6:30pm to 7:00am

Day Shift Hours Worked:

• 6:00am to 6:30pm or
• 6:30am to 7:00pm

Work Week Schedule:

• Sunday, Monday, Tuesday + every other Wednesday or
• Thursday, Friday, Saturday + every other Wednesday

Physical Demands

• Production Associate Roles: Must have visual acuity of 20/20 (corrected or uncorrected) and normal color vision to safely perform critical tasks such as visual inspection of materials, equipment, and labeling, including distinguishing color-coded components in a GMP environment.
• Most roles must be able to meet cleanroom gowning requirements, including wearing full gowning (face coverings, gloves, hoods, goggles) for extended periods, as needed. Use of cosmetics (makeup, painted nails), jewelry, or facial piercings is not permitted in the cleanroom, and any skin conditions that cause shedding must be disclosed.

Work Conditions

• Many roles must be able to work at either Orca Bio Sacramento location (3400 Business Dr. or 7910 Metro Air Pkwy) based on operational needs, as well as regularly participate in video-based meetings. Also, may be required to work scheduled overtime, weekends, or holidays based on business needs.

Essential Duties & Key Responsibilities:

Real-Time Transport Monitoring:

Provide live tracking of courier flights throughout active runs.

Monitor weather and emergency events that may affect transport, and adjust plans proactively.

Maintain daily communication with Orca Porters during active runs.

Actively monitor shipments and resolve delays or issues in real time.

Participate in on-call coverage during active courier transports to handle non-routine issues.

Disruption & Incident Response:

Rebook delayed flights and hotels, and re-issue itineraries and TSA letters as travel plans change.

Assess the impact of flight delays on batch and delivery timelines, including triage with manufacturing and scheduling.

Manage NMDP delays and issues routed through the courier, and negotiate NMDP itineraries.

Lead courier incident management (personnel), clean up incident paperwork, and follow up with TSA and couriers on potential and actual changes.

Communicate changes urgently and professionally to all impacted stakeholders.

Chain of Custody, Data & KPIs:

Upload chain-of-custody (CoC) and NMDP records; verify temperature data; and track the return of materials.

Update delivery times in OrcaLink and capture vein-to-vein (V2V) times for KPI reporting.

Ensure all documentation and compliance requirements for pickups and deliveries are met.

Courier Program & Vendor Coordination:

Schedule couriers for donor cell pickups and deliveries, and coordinate outbound drug product shipments to recipient sites.

Manage flight and travel logistics for couriers, liaising with airlines and travel providers.

Lead third-party courier implementation and troubleshoot transportation issues as they arise.

Review and approve courier invoices, and track and optimize courier performance.

Conduct commercial site feasibility assessments for new and existing treatment centers, and support dry-run paperwork.

Partner with clinical schedulers and commercial case managers to troubleshoot and triage non-routine issues during transports.

Cross-Coverage & Continuous Improvement:

Serve as cross-trained backup for night packaging operations during surge or coverage gaps, covering coordination-adjacent, non-aseptic tasks: Credo and dry-shipper charging and preparation, asset checkout and batch assignment in TrakSYS, final packing/handover and CoC, shipping-condition confirmation, temperature-data upload, and asset recirculation.

Continuously evaluate and improve logistics workflows to support operational scalability.

Contribute to training materials and ensure the courier team remains compliant and current.

Assist with additional logistics and operations-related projects as needed.

Minimum Experience, Education, Certifications, Licenses:

Bachelors degree and 23 years of relevant logistics experience required. B.S. in biology, life sciences, or logistics preferred.

Proven success in logistics coordination, preferably in a regulated environment.

Familiarity with handling biological materials and associated transportation regulations is a plus.

Proficiency in logistics tracking systems or software required.

Preferred Experience:

Logistics or courier coordination in fast-paced, time-sensitive industries (e.g., healthcare, biotech, or medical transport).

Working with regulated materials, such as biological specimens or pharmaceuticals, with knowledge of chain-of-custody, IATA, or DOT compliance.

Real-time problem-solving and communication during transport disruptions or delays.

Managing relationships with vendors, third-party couriers, airlines, and internal stakeholders simultaneously.

Exposure to continuous improvement efforts, workflow scaling, or SOP development.

Familiarity with logistics tools and platforms such as shipment tracking systems, Google Workspace, Smartsheet, or equivalent.

Prior dispatcher experience.

Personal Qualities:

Highly detail-oriented, with an unwavering commitment to quality, safety, and compliance.

Takes ownership and drives forward without waiting for instruction.

Is naturally curious, eager to learn, and energized by solving problems.

Brings creative solutions to unexpected challenges.

Is comfortable juggling multiple priorities in a fast-paced, startup environment.

Communicates clearly and professionally with internal and external stakeholders.

Works both independently and collaboratively with a team-first mindset.

Stays calm under pressure and adapts quickly to change.

Embraces a positive attitude, a collaborative spirit, and a good sense of humor.

$60,000 - $90,000 a year

The anticipated annual salary range for this job is based on prior experience in the role/industry, education, location, internal equity, and other job-related factors as permitted by law. For remote-based positions, this range may vary based on your local market. Full-time employment positions will also be eligible to receive pre-IPO equity and annual bonus, in addition to competitive medical, dental, and vision benefits, PTO, 401(k) plan, life and accidental death and disability coverage, and parental leave benefits. Other perks include subsidized daily lunches and snacks at our on-site locations.

Who we are

We are driven by a passion for science and compassion for patients. We act with urgency to ensure our treatments are one day accessible to all who need them.

We live by our core values of passion, courage, and integrity. Excellence in our work means the chance to unlock a better quality of life for our patients, and with that comes tremendous responsibility.

We innovate on a path that hasn't been paved. We embrace an entrepreneurial spirit and take calculated risks to achieve our mission. We aren't afraid to ask "why not" and challenge the status quo.

We maintain a start-up culture of camaraderie and leadership by example, regardless of title.

We're proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and recognize that celebrating our differences creates stronger, lasting solutions that better serve our team, our patients and their healthcare providers.