Associate - Biomanufacturing, Upstream
About Site
Catalent’s Madison, Wisconsin site is a state‑of‑the‑art biologics development and manufacturing facility supporting customers from research through early‑ and mid‑stage clinical production. Located at 726 Heartland Trail in Madison, the approximately 102,700‑square‑foot GMP facility specializes in mammalian cell line engineering, drug substance biomanufacturing, and biopharmaceutical development, utilizing flexible single‑use systems to enable rapid scale‑up and customization. The site is home to Catalent’s proprietary GPEx® and GPEx® Lightning technologies, which are used to generate high‑yielding mammalian cell lines for biologic therapies, and supports production scales ranging from 50 to 4,000 liters for clinical manufacturing. Following a $45 million expansion announced in 2025, the Madison site has significantly increased capacity, added new equipment, and created approximately 200 highly skilled biohealth jobs, further strengthening its role within Catalent’s global biologics network and Wisconsin’s growing life sciences ecosystem.
Position Summary
We have an opportunity for an Associate - Biomanufacturing, Upstream to join our team. In this role, you will perform upstream cell culture activities and basic troubleshooting in a controlled environment. You will follow established procedures and documentation standards to ensure compliance and quality. This position offers the chance to contribute to continuous improvement initiatives and support the production of biologic therapies in a collaborative, growth‑oriented environment.
Shift: Sunday through Wednesday OR Wednesday through Saturday, 6am to 4pm
Location: Madison, WI
100% Onsite
The Role
Perform basic troubleshooting and upstream cell culture activities, including aseptic manipulation within a Grade A environment, large‑scale culture in single‑use bioreactors, clarification of bulk harvest product, and cell bank vialing.
Follow manufacturing Batch Production Records and Standard Operating Procedures in accordance with current Good Manufacturing Practices, focusing on right‑first‑time execution.
Document all activities in compliance with Good Documentation Practices in Batch Production Records, forms, and other quality documentation.
Recognize deviations from intended procedures and raise awareness through the Rapid Response process; identify safety, quality, and efficiency improvements.
Participate in the Catalent Way continuous improvement culture, lead “Just Do It” activities, and engage in continuous improvement projects.
Coach junior team members on basic execution activities and act as an onboarding buddy for new hires.
May become a Certified Trainer and take responsibility for final sign‑off of training completion for basic execution activities.
Interact with clients during Person In Plant or virtual observations to provide updates on batch schedule and status.
Participate in daily shift huddles and lead shift exchange activities.
Perform general cleanroom housekeeping, including room and equipment cleaning, waste disposal, and maintenance of 5S standards.
Other duties as assigned.
The Candidate
Minimum Requirements
High School Diploma or equivalent plus at least four years of relevant experience, or a Bachelor’s or Associate Degree in a scientific, engineering, or biomanufacturing discipline with one or more years of experience, or a Master’s in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics without formal experience.
Ability to use Microsoft Word, Excel, and other Office systems.
This position requires frequent sitting, standing, walking, reading of written documents, and use of a computer monitor screen, reaching with hands and arms, talking, writing, and listening. Occasional stooping, kneeling, crouching, bending, carrying, and grasping. Frequent lifting and/or moving up to 10 pounds and occasional lifting and/or moving up to 50 pounds. Must comply with Environmental Health and Safety responsibilities…