Microbiologist(Specialist)

Job Description: Executive – Microbiology

Function: Quality / Food Safety

Department: Quality Assurance

Location: Foods Manufacturing Plant

Position: Executive – Microbiology

Reporting to: Quality Manager / Microbiology Manager

1. Job Purpose

To ensure microbiological safety and quality of raw materials, packaging materials, process environment, water, finished products, and manufacturing operations through effective microbiological testing, environmental monitoring, hygiene verification, trend analysis, investigation, and preventive controls.

2. Key Responsibilities

Microbiological Testing & Laboratory Management

Perform/review microbiological analysis of raw materials, finished products, water and environmental samples as per approved specifications and test methods.

Ensure testing for relevant indicator, spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms based on product risk and approved testing plans.

Ensure timely release/reporting of microbiological test results and immediate escalation of out-of-specification or abnormal results.

Maintain microbiology laboratory controls covering media preparation, sterilization, incubation, culture handling, equipment verification and laboratory housekeeping.

Ensure microbiology laboratory equipment is calibrated/verified and fit for use.

Maintain appropriate microbiological cultures/reference materials and associated records as applicable.

Environmental Monitoring & Hygiene

Execute and continuously review the plant Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP) based on zoning and microbiological risk.

Conduct/review hygiene monitoring including equipment/product-contact surface swabs, environmental swabs, air monitoring and personnel hygiene verification, as applicable.

Monitor microbiological trends and identify recurring contamination or hygiene concerns.

Support validation and verification of cleaning and sanitation/CIP programs from a microbiological perspective.

Participate in hygiene inspections and GMP assessments across production, warehouse and utility areas.

Food Safety & Compliance

Support implementation and verification of food-safety controls aligned with the site's HACCP/Food Safety Management System.

Support compliance with applicable FSSC 22000/ISO 22000, FSSAI and internal company requirements.

Participate in internal, external, certification and regulatory audits.

Maintain microbiology-related SOPs, specifications, test methods, records and laboratory documentation in a state of audit readiness.

Support microbiological risk assessment during process/product changes, new product introduction and validation activities.

Investigation, CAPA & Continuous Improvement

Investigate microbiological OOS/OOT results, environmental-monitoring excursions and hygiene failures.

Lead/support root-cause analysis and CAPA, including assessment of potential product and food-safety implications.

Perform periodic trending of product, water, environmental and hygiene microbiological results.

Identify adverse trends and ensure preventive actions are initiated before they develop into significant food-safety risks.

Provide microbiological technical support during complaints, deviations and food-safety investigations.

Quality & Shop-floor Support

Work closely with Production, Engineering, R&D, Supply Chain and Quality teams on microbiological and hygiene-related issues.

Verify microbiological effectiveness following major cleaning, maintenance or contamination events, as defined by site procedures.

Support pest-control, water-quality, sanitation and personnel-hygiene programs from a microbiological-risk perspective.

Drive microbiological awareness and GMP/hygiene training for relevant employees.

3. Key Deliverables / KPIs

Compliance to microbiological sampling and testing plan

On-time testing/reporting and disposition support

Zero overdue microbiological OOS/OOT investigations

Effective closure of microbiological CAPAs

Environmental monitoring compliance and adverse-trend reduction

Hygiene/cleaning verification compliance

Laboratory equipment calibration/verification compliance

Audit readiness and closure of microbiology-related observations

Effective microbiological trend review and proactive risk escalation

4. Qualification & Experience

Education:

M.Sc./B.Sc. in Microbiology, Food Microbiology, Biotechnology or related life-science discipline. M.Sc. Microbiology/Food Microbiology preferred.

Experience:

Preferably 2–5 years of microbiology/quality experience in a food, FMCG, dairy, beverage or other relevant food-manufacturing environment.

5. Technical Competencies

Food microbiology and microbiological risk assessment

Environmental Monitoring Program

Pathogen and indicator-organism testing principles

Water microbiology

Hygiene and sanitation verification

Media preparation, incubation and aseptic laboratory practices

Microbiological OOS/OOT investigation

RCA and CAPA

HACCP and GMP/GHP

FSSC 22000 / ISO 22000 awareness

FSSAI food-safety requirements

Laboratory documentation and data integrity

Trend analysis and risk-based decision making

6. Behavioural Competencies

Strong food-safety mindset

High attention to detail

Analytical and investigation skills

Strong ownership and timely escalation

Effective cross-functional collaboration

Good communication and documentation skills

Ability to work effectively in a manufacturing/shop-floor environment

7. Role Expectation

The Executive – Microbiology is expected not only to perform microbiological testing but also to translate microbiological data into actionable food-safety insights, proactively identify contamination/hygiene risks, ensure robust investigation and CAPA, and maintain the plant in a state of microbiological and audit readiness.