Senior Microbiologist

Position

Senior Microbiologist – Spices, Herbs & Steam Sterilization

Department

Quality Assurance / Quality Control

Location

Shamirpet,Hyderabad, Telangana

Experience

3–10 + Years (Mandatory experience in spices, herbs, botanicals, nutraceuticals or food ingredients)

Qualification

• M.Sc. / Ph.D. in Microbiology, Food Microbiology, Biotechnology or related discipline.
• Additional certifications in Food Safety, HACCP, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, BRCGS or FSMA will be an added advantage.

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Senior Microbiologist to lead microbiological quality assurance for our spice, herbal, and botanical ingredient processing operations. The ideal candidate should possess extensive knowledge of microbiological testing, contamination control, commercial steam sterilization processes, validation studies, environmental monitoring, and international food safety standards.

The candidate will be responsible for ensuring that all products consistently meet customer specifications and global microbiological standards while optimizing commercial sterilization processes without compromising product quality.

Key Responsibilities

1. Microbiology Laboratory Management

• Lead the microbiology laboratory and ensure compliance with GLP and laboratory best practices.
• Develop, review and approve microbiological testing protocols.
• Supervise microbiology analysts and laboratory technicians.
• Ensure calibration and maintenance of laboratory instruments.
• Maintain laboratory documentation, SOPs and validation records.

2. Microbiological Testing

Hands-on expertise in testing of:

• Total Plate Count (TPC)
• Yeast & Mold
• Coliforms
• E. coli
• Salmonella
• Bacillus cereus
• Staphylococcus aureus
• Enterobacteriaceae
• Clostridium species (where applicable)
• Water microbiological analysis
• Environmental swab monitoring

Interpret microbiological trends and recommend corrective actions.

3. Steam Sterilization Expertise

The candidate must have practical experience in:

• Commercial Steam Sterilizers
• Continuous Steam Sterilization Systems
• Batch Steam Sterilizers
• Validation of sterilization cycles
• Heat penetration studies
• Microbial reduction validation
• Process optimization
• Steam quality verification
• Critical Control Point (CCP) monitoring
• Sterility assurance

Should be capable of:

• Establishing sterilization parameters
• Validating kill steps
• Optimizing temperature, pressure and residence time
• Achieving target microbiological reduction while maintaining product quality, colour, aroma and active constituents.

4. Process Validation

Lead and execute:

• Validation protocols
• Revalidation studies
• Challenge studies
• Shelf-life microbiological studies
• Cleaning validation
• Environmental validation
• Water system validation

5. Root Cause Analysis

Investigate failures related to:

• High Total Plate Count
• Yeast & Mold failures
• Salmonella contamination
• Cross contamination
• Repeated microbiological deviations
• Customer complaints

Use structured problem-solving tools such as:

• Fishbone Analysis
• 5 Why Analysis
• CAPA
• FMEA

6. Regulatory Compliance

Ensure compliance with:

• BRC
• ISO 22000
• HACCP
• GMP
• GHP
• US FDA
• EU Food Safety Regulations
• ASTA Guidelines
• ESA Guidelines
• Customer-specific microbiological specifications

7. Customer & Audit Support

Support:

• Customer audits
• Third-party audits
• Regulatory inspections
• Supplier qualification
• Technical discussions with international customers

Provide technical responses for microbiological deviations and customer queries.

8. Product Categories

Experience in one or more of the following is preferred:

• Spices
• Herbs
• Botanical powders
• Herbal extracts
• Nutraceutical ingredients
• Dehydrated vegetables
• Tea ingredients
• Functional food ingredients

9. Documentation

Prepare and maintain:

• SOPs
• Validation Reports
• Risk Assessments
• CAPA Reports
• Investigation Reports
• Trend Analysis
• Monthly Quality Reports
• Sterilization Records

Required Technical Skills

• Strong knowledge of food microbiology
• Steam sterilization technology
• Thermal process validation
• Environmental monitoring
• Microbial challenge studies
• Risk assessment
• Laboratory quality systems
• Method validation
• Statistical analysis
• Microbiology data trending
• Root cause analysis

Desired Skills

• Strong analytical and troubleshooting abilities.
• Excellent communication and report-writing skills.
• Ability to work with cross-functional teams including Production, QA, Engineering and R&D.
• Experience in training and mentoring laboratory personnel.
• Customer-facing technical support experience is desirable.

Preferred Industry Experience

Candidates with experience in organizations involved in:

• Spice Processing
• Herbal Ingredients
• Botanical Extracts
• Nutraceutical Manufacturing
• Food Ingredient Processing
• Steam Sterilization Facilities
• Export-Oriented Food Manufacturing

will be given preference.

Employment Type

Full-Time

Compensation

Competitive salary based on qualifications, expertise, and relevant industry experience.