Cell Therapy Specialist I

Overview

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center is an independent, nonprofit organization providing adult cancer treatment and groundbreaking research focused on cancer and infectious diseases. Based in Seattle, Fred Hutch is the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in Washington.

With a track record of global leadership in bone marrow transplantation, HIV/AIDS prevention, immunotherapy and COVID-19 vaccines, Fred Hutch has earned a reputation as one of the world's leading cancer, infectious disease and biomedical research centers. Fred Hutch operates eight clinical care sites that provide medical oncology, infusion, radiation, proton therapy and related services, and network affiliations with hospitals in five states. Together, our fully integrated research and clinical care teams seek to discover new cures to the world's deadliest diseases and make life beyond cancer a reality.

At Fred Hutch we value collaboration, compassion, determination, excellence, innovation, integrity and respect. Our mission is directly tied to the humanity, dignity and inherent value of each employee, patient, community member and supporter. Our commitment to learning across our differences and similarities make us stronger. We seek employees who bring different and innovative ways of seeing the world and solving problems.

The Cellular Therapy Lab (CTL) at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center is on the cutting edge of new technologies for cancer therapy, including cell-based immunotherapy. We are committed to advancing treatment options for our patients through the translation of innovative research into clinical practice. We collaborate with our consortium partners (University of Washington and Seattle Children's Hospital) as well as industry (biotechnology) and non-industry external entities.CTL is responsible for all minimally manipulated therapeutic cell processing occurring at the Fred Hutch. Procedures range from cryopreservation to flow cytometric enumeration of cell proportions to more complex procedures such as cell selection, enrichment, and depletion. The laboratory is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cGTP/cGMP standards, maintains College of American Pathologists (CAP) certification, and is accredited by the Joint Commission and the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT).

At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, all employees are expected to demonstrate a commitment to our values of collaboration, compassion, determination, excellence, innovation, integrity, and respect.

The schedule for this position will be 1.0FTE/full-time Monday-Friday from 11:30am-8pm.

Responsibilities

• Process cellular products/specimens according to standard operating procedure (SOP), and specific guidance for clinical trials, using aseptic technique
• Perform and analyze results of quality control testing of components, including automated nucleated cell counts and flow cytometry
• Document processing steps accurately, generate processing reports and prepare patient/donor laboratory charts; review processing reports and charts
• Understand and stay current with SOPs as needed, and perform SOP qualifications. Provide input/feedback to Lab Supervisor on documentation and process improvements
• Thaw cryopreserved components and assist with infusion at the patient bedside
• Meet unrelated donor (URD) component couriers and perform necessary testing and processing of components prior to release
• Potentially assist with the bone marrow collection within operating rooms
• Perform clinical trials processing:
  • CliniMACS(r) cell selection e.g. CD34+ cell enrichment, CD3+ cell depletion
  • CAR-T therapy processing and cryopreservation

Qualifications

Required:

• Four-year college degree with major in biological science or related degree
• Basic hematology knowledge
• Motivation and initiative to learn new scientific theory and applications
• Mature judgment
• Work independently with moderate supervision
• Proven team player
• Collaborate and communicate effectively across functions
• Interpret data thoroughly
• Strong trouble-shooting capabilities
• Scientific writing skills, including preparation of clear, concise SOPs and technical reports
• Strong math skills
• Strong communication skills
• Attention to detail
• Flexibility in scheduling: night, weekend, holiday and on-call rotations
• Must be able to differentiate between colors and pass a standardized color vision screen to perform this role

Preferred:

• Bachelor's degree in a chemical, biological, clinical or medical laboratory science, or medical technology from an accredited institution or a Bachelor's degree and equivalent education and training as defined in 42CFR493.1489(b)(3)(ii). Meets the CLIA education requirements for a high complexity testing
• Advanced knowledge of oncology, hematology and/or immunology
• Flow cytometry expertise
• Immunotherapy experience
• CliniMACS(r) operation experience
• Surgical tech experience
• LabWare LIMS knowledge
• A good understanding of cGMP/cGTP standards
• Proven record of completing projects efficiently and effectively