---
title: 'Microbiology Manager at Scismic'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/microbiology-manager-scismic-springfield-g62fth1252zr'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-09'
---

# Microbiology Manager at Scismic

- **Company:** Scismic
- **Location:** Springfield, MO
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2025-09-23
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-09
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/scismic/54aa0dd3-652f-48f4-8985-553b2b435c17

## Job description

Scismic is supporting the growth of an exciting global company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. We are looking for a Microbiology Manager in Springfield, MO USA.

Position Summary

The Microbiology Manager leads the daily operations of the Microbiology Laboratory at the company's Springfield site, ensuring the highest standards of quality, compliance, and operational excellence. Reporting directly to the Laboratory Director, this role is responsible for supervising microbiology supervisors and operations leads, translating strategic objectives into actionable laboratory outcomes, and ensuring full compliance with internal standards and regulatory requirements (e.g., ISO, AOAC, FDA, USDA, SMEDP).

The Manager plays a critical role in driving performance, method integrity, and continuous improvement within a 365-day/year food testing laboratory, collaborating cross-functionally with Technical, Quality, Procurement, and Industrial Performance teams to support innovation and network initiatives.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership & People Development

- Manage and mentor microbiology supervisors, leads, and analysts to achieve daily throughput, quality, and turnaround targets.
- Foster a culture of safety, accountability, and engagement through effective coaching, training, and performance management.
- Oversee workforce planning, including scheduling, recruitment, onboarding, and retention in collaboration with Human Resources.
- Ensure consistent alignment with company policies, Code of Conduct, and equal employment standards.

Operational Excellence

- Translate site and corporate strategic goals into departmental action plans with measurable KPIs.
- Oversee daily sample flow, workload balancing, and resource allocation to maintain turnaround time and client commitments.
- Develop and maintain systems ensuring methodologies are properly implemented and validated per client and regulatory requirements.
- Support new method implementation, technology integration, and scope expansion in coordination with network technical teams.
- Oversee preventive maintenance, calibration, and qualification of laboratory equipment to ensure reliable performance.

Quality, Compliance & Audit Readiness

- Ensure all microbiological testing complies with internal SOPs and external standards (ISO 17025, AOAC, USDA, FDA, SMEDP).
- Review, interpret, and approve analytical data; verify that results meet quality and accuracy standards prior to release.
- Lead corrective and preventive action (CAPA) implementation, ensuring root cause investigations and effective follow-up.
- Serve as the primary contact for internal and external audits, demonstrating full readiness and documentation traceability.
- Partner with Quality Assurance to drive continuous improvement initiatives and maintain robust documentation practices.

Communication & Collaboration

- Partner closely with the Laboratory Director and network stakeholders to communicate departmental performance, challenges, and opportunities.
- Collaborate with Technical, Quality, Procurement, and Industrial Performance teams on process optimization and cost-efficiency projects.
- Provide technical support and consultative communication to internal and external clients regarding methods, data interpretation, and issue resolution.

Continuous Improvement & Strategic Contribution

- Leverage performance data and metrics (efficiency, quality, capacity, OTD) to identify trends and implement process improvements.
- Support the deployment of network-wide operational excellence initiatives and digital tools (e.g., LIMS enhancements, dashboards).
- Maintain current knowledge in food microbiology and laboratory technologies through continuing education and peer engagement.

Education

- Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology, Biology, Food Science, or related field required.
- Master’s or PhD in Microbiology or related discipline preferred.

## Experience

- Minimum of five (5) years in a microbiology laboratory environment, with at least two (2) years in a leadership or management role.
- Demonstrated expertise in food microbiology methods and quality systems (ISO, AOAC, BAM, USDA, FDA).
- Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing teams in a high-volume, regulated testing environment.
- Experience managing audits and implementing CAPA, method validations, and operational improvements.
- Proficiency with LIMS and standard office software (Google Suite, Microsoft Office).
- Familiarity with diagnostic and rapid detection platforms such as BAX, GeneUP, VIDAS, VITEK, IQ, and Invisible Sentinel.
- Strong preference for experience in the food testing or food manufacturing industry.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

- Deep understanding of laboratory performance metrics and data-driven decision-making.
- Strong analytical, organizational, and project management skills with attention to detail and urgency.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to influence cross-functional teams.
- Sound judgment and problem-solving ability in balancing quality, cost, and efficiency.
- Familiarity with business process improvement, Lean, or Six Sigma principles preferred.
- Ability to work effectively under pressure in a fast-paced, multi-shift environment.

Physical and Travel Requirements

- Ability to lift up to 50 lbs and work in laboratory conditions with standard PPE.
- Ability to stand for extended periods during lab operations.
- Occasional travel up to 10–15% for meetings, audits, or training.
- Ethical & Code of Conduct Responsibilities
- The Microbiology Manager must operate at all times in compliance with Company Code of Conduct, promoting ethical behavior, client focus, and adherence to quality and safety standards.

Full Time Eligible Benefits Overview:

- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance plans.
- Generous paid time off (PTO) package to support work-life balance following state and local ordinances.
- Optional 401(k) plan with employer matching contributions.

## About Scismic

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Scismic is a digital STEM ecosystem that uses explainable AI and skills-based matching to connect life science, deep tech, and manufacturing employers with qualified talent, while also providing workforce development tools for educators and economic organizations.
- **Entity Type**: Private (NIH-funded)
- **Headquarters**: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States (with offices in Boston, London, and Singapore)
- **Founded**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Founders**: Dr. Danika Khong, PhD (CEO & Co-Founder)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: HR tech / talent platform for STEM (Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Deep Tech)
- **Target customers**: B2B (employers in pharma, biotech, medtech, AI/ML, robotics), B2C (STEM job seekers), B2G (economic development organizations, professional associations), B2E (universities and training providers)
- **Mission**: "Put the right scientists in the right roles to help drive innovation forward" and address the broken connection between academia and industry [scismic.com](https://scismic.com/about)

## Products & Services
- **Scismic Connect**: AI-powered hiring platform for employers. Provides gender- and race-blind skills matching, guarantees 3 interview-ready candidates, 97% first-year retention, and free replacement if a hire leaves within 12 months. Reduces time-to-hire by 80% [scismic.com](https://scismic.com/employers)
- **Skills Locker**: Skills intelligence solution for education institutions. Maps curriculum to labor market demand, tracks emerging skills by region, and improves graduate employment outcomes [scismic.com](https://scismic.com/?hsLang=en)
- **SMARTBoard EDU**: White-label technology for economic development organizations and professional associations to build skills-first communities, map regional talent supply/demand, and coordinate multi-stakeholder initiatives [scismic.com](https://scismic.com/?hsLang=en)
- **Job Seeker Platform**: Free platform for STEM professionals to find jobs, receive personalized career pathway recommendations, and access upskilling opportunities [scismic.com](https://scismic.com/?hsLang=en)

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Over 80,000 scientists and engineers screened; 8,000+ skills mapped (NIH-awarded taxonomy); 97% employee retention beyond 12 months [scismic.com](https://scismic.com/employers)
- **Notable Investors / Partners**: Funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to reduce bias in candidate evaluation; also partners with economic development organizations and professional associations [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/scismic-llc)
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount of 9 employees (-22.2% YoY, -4 people) per LinkedIn; LinkedIn followers 11,609 (+18.9% yearly). The company is expanding into workforce development and education verticals with white-label solutions [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/scismic-llc)

## Competitive Advantages
- **NIH-awarded skills-matching technology** that is gender- and race-blind, reducing bias in candidate screening
- **Specialized focus on STEM** (life sciences, manufacturing, deep tech) – not a generalist platform
- **Strong retention guarantees**: 97% first-year retention, free replacement within 12 months
- **Plug-and-play ecosystem** for multiple stakeholders (employers, educators, workforce boards) – not just a job board

## Strategic Focus
- **Skills-first hiring** – moving away from pedigree-based evaluation to verified skills data
- **Bridging the academia-industry gap** – helping translate STEM education into commercial innovation
- **Workforce development at scale** – white-label solutions for regional economic development and professional associations
- **Expanding education partnerships** – aligning curriculum with real-time labor market demand

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Mission-driven team of PhD scientists and engineers who understand the rigor of research and the importance of talent in STEM. Rated 4.5/5.0 on LinkedIn (6 reviews) with high scores for Work-Life (4.7) and Culture (4.6), but lower for Compensation (2.4) [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/scismic-llc)
- **Remote/Hybrid/Office**: Not explicitly stated; headquarters in Cambridge, MA with global offices (Boston, London, Singapore). Likely hybrid or remote-friendly given 9 employees across multiple countries.
- **Notable Perks**: Opportunity to work on NIH-funded technology that directly impacts diversity and innovation in STEM. Small team offers high autonomy and impact. Focus on career development and upskilling for employees as well.
- **Engineering Culture**: Building explainable AI and skills-matching algorithms; team is composed of researchers, product innovators, and commercial strategists [scismic.com](https://scismic.com/about)

## Sources
1. [scismic.com](https://scismic.com/?hsLang=en) – Company homepage and ecosystem overview
2. [scismic.com](https://scismic.com/about) – About page, founders, mission, team
3. [scismic.com](https://scismic.com/employers) – Employer solutions and metrics
4. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/scismic-llc) – LinkedIn company page, employee count, followers, reviews
5. [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/scismic) – Built In profile, description

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