Machine Operator – Freeze Drying (Lyophilisation)

Summary

Looking for a Machine operator with ITI background and responsible for setting up, operating, and maintaining industrial freeze-drying machinery. The operator should ensure moisture is precisely removed from temperature-sensitive biological, pharmaceutical, or food products through the sublimation process while maintaining strict quality, safety, and regulatory compliance.

Key Responsibilities

Machine Operation \& Process Control

• Set up and operate commercial freeze dryers and lyophilisation units according to specific recipe profiles.
• Monitor critical cycle parameters including shelf temperature, condenser temperature, chamber pressure (vacuum levels), and primary/secondary drying times.
• Initiate and execute computer-driven freeze-drying and terminal sterilization programs (PLC/SCADA systems).
• Perform aseptic loading and unloading of product vials, trays, or bulk material within controlled cleanroom environments while strictly adhering to gowning protocols.

Quality Assurance \& Compliance

• Maintain strict adherence to current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Complete comprehensive batch documentation, logs, and chart recordings accurately to ensure complete process traceability.
• Conduct regular inspections and product sampling to verify moisture content, stability, and uniform drying.

Equipment Maintenance \& Sanitation

• Perform routine preventive maintenance and baseline troubleshooting for common mechanical faults (e.g., vacuum leaks, door seal degradation, valve failures).
• Oversee automated cleaning cycles such as Clean-in-Place (CIP) and Sterilisation-in-Place (SIP) systems to keep equipment sterile.
• Decontaminate and sanitize work areas, loading equipment, and the freeze-drying chamber before and after production cycles

Technical Skills Required

• Diploma, ITI or a vocational/technical degree in mechanical/Electrical engineering
• Minimum 1–3 years operating industrial freeze-drying/lyophilisation machinery, preferably in a sterile injectable pharmaceutical or specialized food manufacturing environment.
• Familiarity with refrigeration principles, industrial vacuum pumps, PLC control interfaces, and cleanroom gowning operations.

Core Competencies \& Soft Skills

• Precision \& Attention to Detail: Essential for monitoring minute fluctuations in chamber pressure or temperature profiles to avoid batch collapse.
• Problem-Solving: Capability to identify equipment malfunctions quickly, mitigate downtime, and report deviations immediately to engineering or supervisor teams.
• Strong Communication: Needed to coordinate product movement seamlessly between upstream processing (formulation/filling) and downstream packaging lines.

Job Types

Full-time, Permanent

Pay

₹240,000.00 - ₹300,000.00 per year

Benefits

• Cell phone reimbursement
• Paid time off
• Provident Fund

Education

• Bachelor's (Preferred)

Experience

• Maintenance in Refrigeration and Lyophilization : 3 years (Preferred)

Location

• Hyderabad, Telangana (Required)

Work Location

In person