Pilot Plant Technician

Pilot Plant Technician in Springfield, MO

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!

The Pilot Plant Technician is responsible for the safe and compliant manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), intermediates, and development materials within the Pilot Plant. This position performs a variety of manufacturing unit operations, including reactions, filtration, distillation, drying, milling, and material handling, in accordance with approved batch records, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), cGMP requirements, and applicable safety and environmental standards.

The Pilot Plant Technician works both independently and as part of a cross-functional team to support Pilot Plant and Chemical Research and Development (CRD) activities. This role requires strong mechanical aptitude, attention to detail, accurate documentation, and the ability to safely operate and maintain manufacturing equipment while consistently following established procedures.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Safely perform manufacturing and Pilot Plant operations in accordance with approved batch records, SOPs, special instructions, and applicable cGMP, safety, and environmental requirements.

• Set up, operate, monitor, and shut down Pilot Plant equipment and systems used for operations such as reactions, filtration, distillation, drying, milling, and material transfer.

• Monitor process conditions and accurately document observations, operating parameters, activities, and results in accordance with applicable procedures and data integrity requirements.

• Clean, inspect, and verify equipment, vessels, and processing areas in accordance with established procedures and cleaning protocols.

• Maintain process flow and appropriately prioritize assigned work with supervisory or technical oversight.

• Identify and communicate process or equipment concerns and assist in troubleshooting processing issues independently or in collaboration with CRD, Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, and other appropriate functions.

• Work independently on Pilot Plant and CRD projects under the technical direction of a CRD Chemist, Engineer, or other designated technical lead and clearly communicate project progress, observations, and results.

• Maintain a clean and orderly work environment in accordance with cGMP, safety, and housekeeping standards.

• Respond appropriately to abnormal plant conditions, process deviations, alarms, spills, and emergency situations in accordance with established procedures and training.

• Properly use required personal protective equipment (PPE) and respiratory protection and maintain the medical qualifications necessary for assigned PPE and respirator use.

• Safely operate powered industrial equipment, including forklifts, when trained and authorized.

• Perform hazardous waste management activities as assigned, including waste determinations, waste profiling, container labeling, inspections, container management, and spill or emergency response activities.

• Maintain appropriate inventories of process-contact disposables, PPE, and other materials required to support Pilot Plant operations.

• Support the purchasing and procurement of equipment, supplies, and materials needed for Pilot Plant activities.

• Assist with the development, review, and maintenance of Pilot Plant SOPs and other controlled documentation.

• Participate in required training and demonstrate continued proficiency in assigned equipment, processes, procedures, and job responsibilities.

• Provide hands-on training and knowledge sharing to peers and other employees as assigned and qualified.

• Collaborate effectively with CRD, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality Control, Quality Assurance, EHS, and other departments supporting Pilot Plant activities.

• Report to work fit for duty and adhere to assigned work schedules.

• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Good Manufacturing & Documentation Practices

Quality is something we take pride in together. You’ll perform your work in alignment with cGMP requirements and Curia’s standards, which means:

• Perform all documentation in compliance with ALCOA++ principles and site SOPs.

• Adhere to applicable cGMP documents including SOPs, batch records, protocols, change controls, and controlled forms.

• Keep all required cGMP training current and escalate quality concerns along with proposed solutions to the Quality department.

Qualifications

Required

• High school diploma or GED equivalent.

• Strong reading, mathematical, and comprehension skills sufficient to accurately follow detailed manufacturing instructions, batch records, SOPs, safety documentation, and other controlled procedures.

• Demonstrated mechanical aptitude and ability to learn the operation of manufacturing and process equipment.

• Ability to perform work with a high degree of attention to detail and accurately document activities in accordance with cGMP and data integrity requirements.

• Ability to follow written and verbal instructions and consistently comply with established procedures.

• Ability to successfully complete all required safety, cGMP, equipment, process, and job-specific training.

• Ability to work independently with limited supervision while recognizing when escalation or additional technical support is required.

• Ability to work effectively as part of a team and communicate clearly with peers, supervisors, technical personnel, and cross-functional departments.

• Ability to meet the physical and work environment requirements of the position.

• Ability to become medically qualified to wear required respiratory protection and other PPE.

• Ability to become qualified to operate a forklift and other assigned powered industrial equipment.

Preferred

• Advanced education, coursework, or technical training in manufacturing, chemistry, chemical processing, physical sciences, life sciences, or a related field.

• Previous experience in pharmaceutical, chemical, manufacturing, Pilot Plant, or other industrial processing environments.

• Previous experience working in a cGMP-regulated environment.

• Experience operating chemical processing or manufacturing equipment such as reactors, filtration systems, distillation equipment, dryers, mills, pumps, or material transfer systems.

• Experience reading and executing batch records, SOPs, technical instructions, or other controlled manufacturing documentation.

• Experience troubleshooting mechanical or processing issues.

• Experience working collaboratively with technical, engineering, maintenance, quality, or research and development teams.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The physical demands described below are representative of those required to successfully perform the essential functions of this role.

• Regularly required to sit, stand, walk, talk, and hear.

• Frequently required to use hands and fingers to handle or feel objects, reach with hands and arms, and climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.

• May occasionally lift and/or move up to 55 pounds.

• Visual requirements include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, color vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

• Work schedule is normally 12 hours covering either days or nights, weekends and holidays to support a 24/7 production operation. Must be able to work overtime as required and report fit for duty on scheduled shifts.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described below are representative of those encountered while performing the essential functions of this role.

• Regular work in a production area of a typical manufacturing facility.

• The production environment may include moving mechanical parts, fumes or airborne particles, extreme heat, wet or humid conditions, low levels of toxic or caustic chemicals, and outdoor weather conditions.

• Noise level in the work environment is typically moderate.

___________________________________________________________________________

This job description reflects the general nature and scope of the role and is not exhaustive. We’re a growing organization, and opportunities to contribute beyond this list are part of what makes Curia exciting. We’re committed to reviewing reasonable accommodation requests to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this role

Other Qualifications

• Must pass a background check
• Must pass a drug screen
• May be required to pass Occupational Health Screening

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.