Microbiology Technician

To apply for the Microbiology Lab Technician role at Light Labs, please complete the following four-step assessment. We value precision, rigorous thinking, clear communication, and a strong drive to build the modern platform for lab testing. This assessment is designed to reflect the actual work you will do here and the mindset required to succeed.

Step 1: The Contamination Scenario

You are processing a batch of 50 consumer goods samples for total aerobic count. After 48 hours of incubation, you observe that your negative control plate has 3 distinct colonies. The sample plates show varying levels of growth, some within acceptable limits and some exceeding them.

In 200 words or less, outline your immediate next steps and your systematic approach to identifying the root cause of this contamination.

Step 2: Protocol Review

Below is an excerpt from a draft Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for preparing a 1:10 serial dilution.

Draft SOP Excerpt:

1.Take 10g of sample and add it to a container.

2.Pour in 90mL of diluent.

3.Shake the container to mix.

4.Take 1mL of the mixture and add it to 9mL of diluent for the next dilution.

5.Plate 1mL of the final dilution.

Identify at least three critical flaws or missing details in this SOP excerpt that could compromise aseptic technique or result accuracy. For each flaw, provide a one-sentence correction.

Step 3: Gate Check

Instructions: Answer all three questions below. Keep each response to 1–3 sentences. Do not exceed three sentences on any single question.

• Describe the single most important thing you do before beginning any plating work to prevent contamination. Be specific about the action, not the category.
• You notice a set of TSA plates in the incubator were loaded at 37°C instead of the validated 35°C ± 1°C. The plates have been incubating for 18 hours. What do you do first, and why?

Step 4: Mission and Ambition

Microbiology technician work is often highly repetitive, requiring intense focus and strict adherence to protocols day in and day out. At Light Labs, we operate with high ownership, low ego, and a demand for operational excellence because the speed and accuracy of our testing directly impact consumer safety.

In 150 words or less, tell us: Why do you want to do this specific, repetitive work at Light Labs, and what drives you to maintain a high standard of excellence when no one is watching?

Role Overview

We’re hiring a Microbiology Technician to support active microbiology testing and test development within Light Labs. This role is central to our testing capabilities: you’ll be responsible for performing plating and other critical microbiology lab procedures, ensuring that our testing workflows operate smoothly and accurately. You’ll play a vital role in supporting microbiological testing workflows, maintaining strict aseptic technique, and upholding strong documentation practices. In addition to routine testing, you’ll assist with method development, optimization, and validation, helping us expand and refine our testing menu.

This role is ideal for someone who has a strong foundation in microbiology and is eager to contribute to both routine testing and the development of new methods. You care deeply about scientific rigor, interpret results with precision, and want to collaborate with lab leadership to continuously improve testing processes. This is a full time, in person role based in Ann Arbor. It comes with top decile pay and a high impact seat at the table.

Responsibilities

• Perform plating, enumeration, and other standard microbiology lab procedures to support active testing workflows.
• Support daily microbiological testing operations, ensuring samples are processed accurately and efficiently.
• Assist with method development, optimization, and validation for new and existing microbiological tests.
• Maintain strict aseptic technique to prevent contamination and ensure the integrity of all testing procedures.
• Interpret and record microbiological results accurately, maintaining strong documentation practices in accordance with lab standards.
• Collaborate with lab leadership and cross-functional teams to identify opportunities to improve testing processes and workflows.
• Ensure all testing holds up under regulatory scrutiny by adhering to established SOPs and quality guidelines.
• Participate in routine equipment maintenance, calibration, and the general upkeep of the microbiology laboratory.

Qualifications

• College experience in Microbiology, Biology, or a closely related field.
• Hands-on experience performing plating and other microbiology lab procedures, preferably in a high-throughput testing environment.
• Demonstrated experience supporting microbiological testing workflows and maintaining aseptic technique.
• Familiarity with microbiology method development, optimization, and validation processes.
• Strong ability to interpret and record microbiological results accurately, with excellent documentation practices.
• Collaborative mindset with the ability to work effectively with lab leadership to improve testing processes.
• Strong understanding of relevant quality management frameworks and regulatory standards as applied to microbiological testing.
• Comfortable in a fast paced, startup environment with shifting priorities and high standards.

Benefits and Compensation

• Top decile salary
• Equity in the business
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid time off and holidays
• A “promote from within” approach with numerous career growth opportunities

We’re also setting the new standard for compensation and equity in lab testing. Every employee gets skin in the game with equity, plus a competitive salary. Our goal is to have a small team of founder-minded professionals aligned with our mission to bring transparency to our food system. We offer excellent full-time employee benefits including health, dental, and vision insurance, paid holidays and vacation, and professional development opportunities.

About Us

Light Labs is building the modern lab testing platform — faster, cheaper, and built for transparency. We help brands test for purity, safety, and accuracy, then turn that data into a competitive edge. Our lab is fully integrated with software that streamlines everything from sample intake to result sharing, so brands can not only meet regulatory requirements, but also show their customers what’s in their product — and what’s not.

Who We Are

Light Labs is building the modern platform for lab testing, starting with consumer goods brands. We help companies test more cheaply, quickly, and enable them to use lab results to automate regulatory compliance and grow revenue.

We believe consumers deserve to know the purity and accuracy of every product that affects their families’ health. Improving our food system starts with increasing transparency and creating a more informed customer. Not only are we building a lab that makes testing faster, cheaper, and easier, but also the infrastructure that allows brands to:

• Market and highlight their lab results by making it easy to push lab data directly to product display pages. Here, brands will highlight what’s in their product (active ingredients they meet their claims) and what’s not in their product (heavy metals, environmental toxins, PFAs, etc)
• Automatically comply with regulations like Prop 65, CA AB 899, Amazon testing requirements, etc.

By integrating the full experience – from testing to the data sharing with customers – we’re building a more efficient and streamlined process. Brands can now differentiate themselves and become the no-brainer choice in their category through testing and great transparency.

We’re a team of experienced founders that have raised $32M from top VCs (8VC and Valor), with top CPG founders and strategics also coming into the round. Whether you’re lab tech, engineer, sales, marketing, or customer support, you’ll have a seat at the table as we work to increase transparency in the food system

Pay: From $55,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person

Salary : $55,000