Sagar Vitaceuticals Nigeria Limited formerly known as Strides Vital Nigeria Limited was a strategic partnership comprising Vital Pharmaceuticals Ltd and India’s Strides Arcolabs Ltd,a NSE listed company. In 2017, Management of Sagar Overseas Limited, acquired 100% shares in Strides Vital Nigeria Limited and the company was re-named to Sagar Vitaceuticals N...
We are recruiting to fill the position below:
Job Title: Senior Microbiologist
Location: Ikeja, Lagos Employment Type: Full-time Company Context: Pharmaceutical Manufacturing / Quality Control
Job Summary
The Senior Microbiologist will lead the microbiology laboratory section within the Quality Control (QC) department.
The role is responsible for ensuring that all pharmaceutical raw materials, water systems, in-process samples, and finished products (such as oral liquids, syrups, tablets, and capsules) comply with stringent microbiological purity standards, Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), and statutory guidelines (NAFDAC / pharmacopoeial standards).
Key Responsibilities
Microbiological Testing & Analysis: Oversee and perform complex microbiological testing, including sterility testing, microbial limit tests (MLT), antimicrobial effectiveness testing, and bioburden assays.
Environmental Monitoring: Manage the comprehensive environmental monitoring program for cleanrooms, production floors, and sterile/non-sterile manufacturing areas (air sampling, surface swabbing, and personnel monitoring).
Water System Validation & Testing: Monitor and test purified water systems (PW) and water for injection (WFI) systems routinely to ensure compliance with pharmacopoeia water quality specifications.
Media Preparation & Culture Maintenance: Supervise the preparation of culture media, maintenance of microbial cultures/strains, and qualification of laboratory reagents and equipment (e.g., autoclaves, incubators, laminar flow hoods).
Investigation & CAPA: Lead investigations into out-of-specification (OOS) or out-of-trend (OOT) microbiological results, conduct root-cause analyses, and implement robust Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA).
Regulatory Audit Readiness: Prepare the microbiology laboratory for internal audits, external quality inspections, and regulatory visits (e.g., NAFDAC, PCN).
Team Leadership & SOP Management: Author, review, and update Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the laboratory, and provide technical training, supervision, and mentorship to junior QC analysts and microbiologists.
Key Requirements & Qualifications
Education: Minimum of a Bachelor's Degree (B.Sc.) or Higher National Diploma (HND) in Microbiology, Industrial Microbiology, or a closely related biological science.
Experience: 4 to 7 years of hands-on working experience in a microbiological laboratory within a regulated pharmaceutical manufacturing or healthcare product environment.
Technical Competencies:
In-depth knowledge of Pharmacopoeial standards (USP, BP, Ph. Eur.).
Proven expertise in environmental monitoring, sterility testing, and water system validation in pharmaceutical plants.
Strong familiarity with cGMP guidelines and NAFDAC regulatory frameworks.
Soft Skills: Excellent analytical thinking, strong technical documentation/report writing abilities, problem-solving skills, and effective leadership capabilities.