Quality Associate III at Baxter International in Round Lake, IL

Quality Associate III Location: Round Lake, Illinois This is where your work makes a difference. At Baxter, we believe every person—regardless of who they are or where they are from—deserves a chance to live a healthy life. It was our founding belief in 1931 and continues to be our guiding principle. We are redefining healthcare delivery to make a greater impact today, tomorrow, and beyond. Our Baxter colleagues are united by our Mission to Save and Sustain Lives. Together, our community is driven by a culture of courage, trust, and collaboration. Every individual is empowered to take ownership and make a meaningful impact. We strive for efficient and effective operations, and we hold each other accountable for delivering exceptional results. Here, you will find more than just a job—you will find purpose and pride. Your Role at Baxter As a Quality Associate III – QC Microbiology, you will support microbiological quality at Round Lake Drug Delivery through technical expertise, collaboration, and continuous improvement. In this role, you will help ensure reliable testing, effective environmental monitoring, and strong contamination control practices. You will contribute to maintaining inspection readiness, addressing quality risks, and enhancing laboratory processes and systems. What you'll be doing Support and guide QC Microbiology activities at RLDD, including environmental monitoring, contamination control, and laboratory operations. Contribute to validation and lifecycle activities for microbiological methods, instruments, and laboratory systems, including qualifications, method transfers, and change assessments. Partner with cross-functional teams to evaluate microbiological risks, support issue resolution, and inform product quality decisions. Lead and support investigations (e.g., deviations, atypical results, EM excursions) using structured, science-based approaches to determine root cause and implement effective corrective actions. Prepare and maintain microbiology documentation such as SOPs, test methods, protocols, and contamination control strategy content, ensuring clarity and compliance with regulatory expectations. Perform laboratory assessments and data reviews to identify improvement opportunities and sustain a state of inspection readiness. Support adoption and continuous improvement of laboratory tools and systems (e.g., LIMS, EM systems, data trending tools) to strengthen efficiency and data integrity. Share knowledge and provide guidance to colleagues; contribute to audits and inspections by preparing documentation and responding to microbiology-related inquiries. What you'll bring Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology, Biology, Chemistry, or a related scientific field with8+ yearsof experience in a regulated pharmaceutical or medical device environment, OR Master’s degree in a related field with5+ yearsof relevant experience. Experience with microbiological testing and environmental monitoring, particularly in regulated settings. Familiarity with investigation processes (e.g., OOS, OOT, or atypical results) and structured problem-solving approaches. Ability to develop and maintain GMP-compliant documentation (e.g., SOPs, test methods, protocols). Working knowledge of cGMP and regulatory expectations, including data integrity principles. Experience using laboratory systems (e.g., LIMS or similar tools). Clear communication skills with the ability to present technical information in an understandable way. Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple responsibilities effectively. Experience in sterile manufacturing or contamination control environments. Exposure to regulatory inspections or audits within a microbiology function. Experience supporting implementation of new laboratory systems, tools, or process improvements. Interest in mentoring or sharing knowledge with team members. Familiarity with data analysis, trending tools, or digital laboratory solutions. We understand compensation is an important factor as you consider the next step in your career. At Baxter, we are committed to equitable pay for all employees, and we strive to be more transparent with our pay practices. The estimated base salary for this position is $96,000 - $132,000 annually. The estimated range is meant to reflect an anticipated salary range for the position. We may pay more or less than of the anticipated range based upon market data and other factors, all of which are subject to change. Individual pay is based on upon location, skills and expertise, experience, and other relevant factors. This position may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses.  For questions about this, our pay philosophy, and available benefits, please speak to the recruiter if you decide to apply and are selected for an interview. Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time. #LI-RS1 US Benefits at Baxter (except for Puerto Rico) This is where your well-being matters. Baxter offers comprehensive compensation and benefits packages for eligible roles. Our health and well-being benefits include medical and dental coverage that start on day one, as well as insurance coverage for basic life, accident, short-term and long-term disability, and business travel accident insurance. Financial and retirement benefits include the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), with the ability to purchase company stock at a discount, and the 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan (RSP), with options for employee contributions and company matching. We also offer Flexible Spending Accounts, educational assistance programs, and time-off benefits such as paid holidays, paid time off ranging from 20 to 35 days based on length of service, family and medical leaves of absence, and paid parental leave. Additional benefits include commuting benefits, the Employee Discount Program, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and childcare benefits. Join us and enjoy the competitive compensation and benefits we offer to our employees. For additional information regarding Baxter US Benefits, please speak with your recruiter or visit our Benefits site: Benefits | Baxter Equal Employment Opportunity Baxter is an equal opportunity employer. Baxter evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, disability/handicap status or any other legally protected characteristic. Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal Reasonable Accommodations Baxter is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities globally. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or interview process, please click on the link here and let us know the nature of your request along with your contact information. Recruitment Fraud Notice Baxter has discovered incidents of employment scams, where fraudulent parties pose as Baxter employees, recruiters, or other agents, and engage with online job seekers in an attempt to steal personal and/or financial information. To learn how you can protect yourself, review our Recruitment Fraud Notice.