Micro Technician

Job Purpose:  

The Auto-Sampler and Clean Room Technician owns the day-to-day production auto-sampling process and the readiness of the clean room and associated sampling equipment. This position ensures required production samples are collected at the correct times, accurately identified, documented, composited, and submitted; maintains complete sample traceability; and promptly responds to or escalates sampling and equipment issues that could prevent requirements from being met. The primary accountability of this role is reliable production auto-sampling, sample traceability, clean-room readiness, auto-sampler ownership and sanitation, N60 sampling when required, compositing, documentation, and timely escalation of equipment or sampling issues. Technical repairs requiring specialized Maintenance support are coordinated with the Maintenance team.

Duties & Responsibilities:   

1. Auto-Sampler Ownership, Maintenance, and Sanitation 

• Own the day-to-day readiness, condition, sanitation, and basic troubleshooting of the production auto-sampler system and associated components. 

• Monitor productionauto-samplers during operations to confirm sampling is occurring as required. 

• Respond promptly to missed samples, plugs, malfunctions, and other upset conditions. 

• Remove, disassemble, clean and sanitize, inspect, reassemble, and replace auto-sampler equipment and components as required. 

• Swap compromised, plugged, or otherwise unsuitable equipment/components with clean, sanitized, serviceable equipment so required sampling can continue. 

• Maintain an adequate supply of clean, sanitized, assembled, and ready-to-use auto-sampler equipment and components. 

• Perform routine equipment checks and assist with applicable preventive maintenance and troubleshooting activities. 

• Coordinate with Maintenance, Quality, and Operations when repairs, technical support, or additional troubleshooting are required. 

• Clean and sanitize auto-sampler equipment and components according to approved sanitation procedures, including disassembly, cleaning, sanitizing, inspection, reassembly, and verification of readiness for use. 

• Document equipment swaps, cleaning and sanitation activities, maintenance-related activities, interruptions, troubleshooting, and abnormal conditions according to approved procedures. 

• Escalate recurring equipment failures, sampling interruptions, or conditions that could affect sample integrity, food safety, or compliance. 

2. Production Sampling and Traceability 

• Collect required production samples at established sampling intervals and at applicable product changeovers, end-of-runs, or other required sampling events, following approved procedures and maintaining complete sample traceability. 

• Perform N60 sampling when required due to auto-sampler failure, sampling interruption, equipment malfunction, or as directed by Quality, Operations, or upper management. 

• N60 sampling requires the sanitary collection of samples from 60 individual product bags and the proper compositing, identification, documentation, handling, and submission of the samples in accordance with established procedures. 

• Properly identify, label, secure, and transport samples for compositing, testing, or submission in accordance with site procedures. 

• Verify sample information, including product, line, date, time, and other required identifiers, for completeness and accuracy. 

• Immediately communicate missed, delayed, compromised, or untraceable samples through the required escalation process. 

3. Clean Room, Documentation, and IEH Submissions 

• Maintain the clean room in a clean, organized, sanitary, and audit-ready condition. 

• Use the clean-room scale and computer to support sample handling, documentation, compositing, and required recordkeeping. 

• Complete required sampling spreadsheets, logs, and daily documentation accurately and on time. 

• Perform required sample compositing and prepare daily composite samples for IEH shipment or testing according to established procedures. 

• Complete the IEH submission process according to the established schedule and procedure. 

• Review records and submissions for completeness, accuracy, traceability, and consistency before release or shipment. 

4. Food Safety, Sanitation, and Communication 

• Follow all site food-safety, GMP, personal hygiene, gowning, PPE, sanitation, allergen-control, and contamination-prevention requirements. 

• Maintain sanitary conditions and protect sample integrity when moving between production, sampling, clean-room, and sanitation areas. 

• Do not compromise sample integrity, product protection, or sanitation requirements to meet production timelines. 

• Communicate clearly and promptly with Production, Quality, Maintenance, Sanitation, and IEH/laboratory contacts when sampling, equipment, sanitation, or maintenance requirements cannot be met. 

• Support continuous-improvement, corrective-action, and investigation activities related to sampling, traceability, sanitation, equipment reliability, and maintenance as assigned. 

Qualifications: 

• High school diploma or equivalent required; additional education or experience in food manufacturing, quality, sanitation, production sampling, or a related area preferred. 

• Experience in a food-manufacturing, quality, sanitation, production, or regulated environment preferred. 

• Ability to follow detailed SOPs, sanitation procedures, equipment procedures, and sampling requirements consistently and accurately. 

• Strong attention to detail and demonstrated ability to maintainaccurate documentation and sample traceability. 

• Basic computer and spreadsheet skills sufficient to complete required records and submissions. 

• Ability to recognize abnormal equipment or sampling conditions and escalate them promptly. 

• Ability to work independently while coordinating effectively with Production, Quality, Maintenance, and Sanitation teams. 

Working Conditions/Physical Requirements: 

• Ability to work in a food-manufacturing and clean-room environment while following required PPE, hygiene, sanitation, and food-safety practices. 

• Ability to stand, walk, bend, reach, lift, carry, and handle auto-sampler components safely, and perform repetitive cleaning, sanitizing, sampling, and documentation tasks throughout the workday. 

• Ability to safely lift, carry, handle, and manipulate individual finished-product bags as required for N60 sampling and other production-sampling activities. 

• N60 sampling may require repeated handling of individual product bags of varying weights throughout the workday. 

• Ability to perform the physical activities necessary to collect samples from 60 individual bags, move samples to the designated sampling area, and complete required compositing and documentation. 

• Ability to work around production equipment, noise, temperature changes, and other normal manufacturing conditions. 

Key Performance Expectations: 

• Required routine and event-based samples are collected accurately and within established requirements, with complete and accurate traceability. 

• N60 sampling is performed correctly and sanitarily when required. 

• Auto-sampler plugs, malfunctions, missed samples, and other upset conditions are addressed promptly and documented. 

• Clean, sanitized, serviceable auto-sampler equipment is available to sustain required production sampling. 

• Auto-sampler cleaning, sanitation, equipment swaps, troubleshooting, and maintenance-related activities are completed and documented according to established procedures. 

• Clean-room conditions, sampling records, composites, and IEH submissions are complete, accurate, timely, and audit-ready. 

• Sampling or equipment issues that cannot be resolved within requirements are escalated immediately.