Chemical Manufacturing Technician I - API Manufacturing

Novo Nordisk AS

Petersburg, VA

JOB DETAILS
SKILLS
Application Programming Interface (API), Automation Systems, Biology, Biotech and Pharmaceutical, Chemistry, Chromatography, Chronic Disease, Cleanroom, Computer Skills, Corporate Compliance, Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP), DeltaV, Dental Insurance, Detail Oriented, Diabetes, Disability Insurance, Disease, Documentation, Documentation Standards, Drug Manufacturing, Emerging Technology, Environmental Chemistry, Environmental Monitoring, Environmental Regulations, Equipment Maintenance/Repair, Equipment Safety, GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices), Hazardous Materials/Substances, Health Insurance, Healthcare, High School Diploma, Housekeeping/Cleaning, ISO (International Organization for Standardization), Identify Issues, Inventory Management, Life Insurance, Loading/Unloading, Maintain Compliance, Manufacturing, Manufacturing Equipment, Manufacturing/Industrial Processes, Mentoring, Microsoft Office, Obesity, Operations Management, Power Amplifier, Preventative Maintenance, Problem Solving Skills, Process Safety Management, Product Documentation, Product Marketing, Production Schedule, Regulations, Regulatory Compliance, Safety Process, Safety Training, Safety/Work Safety, Small Molecules, Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), Team Player, Tuition Fees, Vision Plan
LOCATION
Petersburg, VA
POSTED
2 days ago

About the Department

For more than 100 years, Novo Nordisk has been tackling the unmet medical needs of people living with serious chronic diseases, such as diabetes & obesity. Being part of Novo Nordisk allows our employees to embark on the opportunity to help improve the quality of life for millions of people around the world.

Our new Petersburg, Virginia site marks a strategic move to advance our capabilities in Emerging Technologies (ET) within Chemical API development and production. The highly experienced site is designed to strengthen and accelerate our Small Molecule (SMOL) strategy while amplifying our operational capacity. This is to safeguard and support ET´s SMOL projects in the coming years, aligning with our vision and strengthening our potential for growth and innovation.

What we offer you:

  • Leading pay and annual performance bonus for all positions
  • All employees enjoy generous paid time off including 14 paid holidays
  • Health Insurance, Dental Insurance, Vision Insurance - effective day one
  • Guaranteed 8% 401K contribution plus individual company match option
  • Family Focused Benefits including 14 weeks paid parental & 6 weeks paid family medical leave
  • Free access to Novo Nordisk-marketed pharmaceutical products
  • Tuition Assistance
  • Life & Disability Insurance
  • Employee Referral Awards

At Novo Nordisk, you will find opportunities, resources, and mentorship to help grow and build your career. Are you ready to realize your potential? Join Team Novo Nordisk and help us make what matters.

The Position

Operate API manufacturing equipment to achieve production goals.

Relationships

Reports to Shift Supervisor, API Operations Area Lead

Essential Functions

  • Maintain chemical inventories
  • Follow instructions listed in GMP documentation & product quality and provide suggestions for improvements as needed
  • Read and understand SOP's, Job Instructions (JI's) & other documents, as required and challenge topics to develop knowledge
  • Real-time review of batch records ensuring compliance to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) & current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) standards
  • Manage individual training plan with assistance of API Operations Area Lead and Shift Supervisor
  • Setup, operate, monitor, control, highly automated processes & systems with assistance of more senior technicians
  • Clean, assemble and dismantle processing equipment
  • Handle bulk and drummed flammable solvents with oversight from more senior technicians
  • Handle drummed highly hazardous acids and bases with oversight from more senior technicians
  • Handle sensitizing agents, peptides, small molecule API's and intermediates with oversight from more senior technicians
  • Execute production schedule to achieve production goals
  • Assist in troubleshooting during equipment maintenance, including restoration of lost function, predictive & preventive maintenance
  • Participate in deviation investigations
  • Load & unload product from trucks, tankers & ISO containers, as required
  • Maintain clean room areas & perform environmental monitoring, as required with oversight from seasoned technicians
  • Perform Lock Out Tag Out (LOTO) activities in accordance with safety procedures with assistance of more senior technicians
  • Follow all safety & environmental requirements in the performance of duties
  • Ability to operate while using advanced personal protective equipment including but not limited to air hoods, full face respirators, cartridge respirators, and chemical suits with oversight from more senior technicians
  • Other accountabilities as assigned

Physical Requirements

Moves equipment &/or supplies weighing up to 33 pounds within the facility using various body positions. Routinely operates & inspects manufacturing equipment using hands. Must be able to be on your feet for up to a 12-hour shift. May require corrected vision to 20/20 or 20/25 based on role. May require color vision based on role. Occasionally ascends/descends a ladder. May be required to work at elevated heights. Must have a high consciousness for personnel and equipment safety. Required to utilize a variety of personnel protective equipment. May perform critical job functions in extreme heat / cold work environments depending on site. Occasionally works around odorous &/or hazardous materials. May be required to wear latex gloves. May perform critical job functions in extremely cold work environments depending on site. May position oneself within confined spaces for inspection if required of the role. Ability to work in loud noise environments with hearing protection. May be required to secure a lift license & operate lift based on the role.

Qualifications

  • High School Diploma or GED and a minimum of one (1) year of manufacturing experience in a chemical manufacturing environment required, preferably in a pharmaceutical manufacturing environment

  • In lieu of a High School diploma and one (1) year of experience, may consider an Associate's Degree in Engineering Technology or a Science-related field from an accredited college or university

  • Computer literacy including, but not limited to, ability to operate computer driven manufacturing/production equipment & efficient use of Microsoft Office suite programs required

  • Ability to read & understand complicated product documentation & standard operating procedures with attention to detail required

  • Ability to perform basic material handling tasks, safely & effectively use material handling equipment required

  • Basic knowledge of biology/chemistry required

  • Preferred Skills and Experience:

  • API Manufacturing experience

  • Experience demonstrating a systematic approach to problem solving & troubleshooting based on data & fact to include actively participating in event response activities, documenting problems & ensuring rapid resolution & preventing recurrence

  • Experience following SOPs to perform tasks & raising issues if errors are found

  • Experience following established safety guidelines when performing tasks

  • Experience with operation, troubleshooting, & training less experienced personnel in large scale reactor unit operations including but not limited to, pressure and vacuum inertions, distillations, refluxing of solvents, separation of bi-phasic systems and pH adjustments using acids and bases. In addition, experience with filtration of products using various types of filtration equipment, centrifugation of materials, chromatography, and drying of materials under heat and vacuum

  • Experience with Process Safety Management (PSM) systems. Ability to identify safety concerns & improvement

  • Experience in ensuring compliance with corporate/local SOPs, regulations & ISO standards

  • General knowledge in current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) manufacturing & production processes associated with pharmaceutical companies

  • Mechanical aptitude, ability to follow use tools to perform tasks, basic troubleshooting of mechanical components & systems preferred

  • Experience working with work permits/Lock Out Tag Out (LOTO) systems

  • Experience with DeltaV and general automation software. Experience with general troubleshooting of these systems & working with support groups to resolve issues

We commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equality of opportunity for all our job applicants.

At Novo Nordisk, were not chasing quick fixes - were creating lasting change for long-term health. For over 100 years, weve been driven by a single purpose: to defeat serious chronic diseases and help millions of people live healthier lives. This dedication fuels our constant curiosity and inspires us to push the boundaries of whats possible in healthcare. We embrace diverse perspectives, seek out bold ideas, and build partnerships rooted in shared purpose. Together, were making healthcare more accessible, treating and defeating diseases, and pioneering solutions that create change spanning generations. When you join us, you become part of something bigger - a legacy of impact that reaches far beyond today.

Novo Nordisk is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal laws, rules or regulations.

If you are interested in applying to Novo Nordisk and need special assistance or an accommodation to apply, please call us at 1-855-411-5290. This contact is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.

About the Company

N

Novo Nordisk AS

Working at Novo Nordisk

 

Life-changing careers

Starting a career at Novo Nordisk is more than getting a job. It is an opportunity to improve the lives of millions of people living with a serious chronic disease.

Whether you are a part of supplying insulin for patients around the world, discovering the next breakthrough at one of our state-of-the-art research centres, working with us is truly life-changing.

 

We are inspired by life

We are a proud life-science company on a mission to ensure that people living with a chronic disease can live a full life. Millions rely on us.

We’re inspired by life in all its forms and shapes, ups and downs, opportunities and challenges. From our colleagues in the lab, working to change lives through pioneering break-through treatments, to our colleagues putting sustainability at the core of our processes and working to prolong the life of our planet, this mission to improve lives is at the core of our every action.

 

Together we drive change

Change is a constant — change in lifestyle, change in technology, change all over. At Novo Nordisk, we don’t wait for change. We drive it.

We’re a dynamic company in an even more dynamic industry, and we know that what got us to where we are today is not necessarily what will make us successful in the future.

That’s why we continuously push to improve the way we work and the lives of the patients we serve, creating innovative solutions that fit the way people want to live. To accomplish this, we embrace a spirit of open-mindedness and experimentation, striving for excellence without fixating on perfection.

 

Together, we are life-changing

Our company is our people. We know that life is anything but linear and balancing what is important at different stages of our career is never easy. That’s why we make room for diverse life situations, always putting people first. We want to ensure that every employee can achieve a work-life balance that supports their current priorities and where they want to go next.

 

Your development starts here

We value our employees for the unique skills, backgrounds and perspectives they bring to the table. We work continuously to help bring out the best in all of our people, offering opportunities for development and creating an environment of mobility within the company. We strive to offer a workplace that’s great to be in and to be from.

It is very important to us that anyone working with us feels empowered as an employee and as a person. We all should have the opportunity to act fast, make decisions and be agile. 

With a career at our company, you will feel a difference right from the start. A sense of inspiration that comes from a shared belief in driving positive change for people, families and communities everywhere, and it’s a collective effort. We rely on the joint potential and collaboration of our more than 45,000 employees.

In the video above, meet  Marie Darting, one of our scientists, and hear more about her work as a formulation scientist, her perspective on development plans and the impact she feels her work has on people living with a chronic disease.

 

Who we are

We were founded in 1923 and today we are a global healthcare company headquartered just outside Copenhagen, Denmark.

Our purpose is to drive change to defeat diabetes and other serious chronic diseases, such as obesity and rare blood and endocrine disorders. We do so by pioneering  scientific breakthroughs, expanding  access to our medicines , and working to prevent and ultimately cure diabetes.

With almost 100 years of experience, one of the broadest diabetes product portfolios in the healthcare industry, as well as an award-winning pipeline of innovative products, our success is built on our company values – the Novo Nordisk Way.

COMPANY SIZE
2,500 to 4,999 employees
INDUSTRY
Biotechnology/Pharmaceuticals
FOUNDED
1923
WEBSITE
https://www.novonordisk.com/