Logistics Planner

Job description

More than one million people in the United States today are fighting blood cancer. While a traditional allogeneic stem cell transplant has been the best hope for many, the transplant itself can prove fatal or lead to serious conditions, such as graft vs. host disease. Orca Bio is a commercial-stage biotechnology company redefining the transplant process by developing next-generation cell therapies with the goal of providing significantly better survival rates with dramatically fewer risks.With our purified, high-precision investigational cell therapies we hope to not only replace patients' blood and immune systems with healthy ones, but also restore their lives. We have built a state-of-the-art, 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Sacramento, CA (7910 Metro Air Pkwy) to ensure the consistent and reliable delivery of our high-precision cell therapy products. This site is essential to advancing our clinical pipeline and supporting future commercial availability of our life-saving therapies. **The Logistics Planner** is the administrative and coordination backbone of Orca Bio's vein-to-vein logistics operation. Working alongside the Logistics Program Manager and site-based OrcaPorter teams, this role keeps the daily machinery of patient-connected transport running: scheduling and adjusting runs, coordinating porters and third-party couriers, preparing time-critical batch paperwork, and maintaining the calendars, trackers, and communications that keep production planning and field teams aligned. This is a role with real operational responsibility — and an excellent launch point for a career in cell therapy supply chain and logistics operations. The core of the role is administrative coordination, but the Planner also cross-trains to serve as the designated backup for the Specialist, Logistics, independently managing live run operations, courier escalations, and time-critical decisions during Specialist absences and peak coverage periods. Every run this role touches is connected to a patient, so precision and follow-through matter from day one. No prior biopharma experience is required — comprehensive training is provided on all internal systems, courier protocols, and documentation requirements. The schedule for this position is as follows: Monday - Friday (onsite) 8:00am - 5:00pm ### Physical Demands - *Production Associate Roles*: Must have visual acuity of 20/20 (corrected or uncorrected) and normal color vision to safely perform critical tasks such as visual inspection of materials, equipment, and labeling, including distinguishing color-coded components in a GMP environment. - *Most roles* must be able to meet cleanroom gowning requirements, including wearing full gowning (face coverings, gloves, hoods, goggles) for extended periods, as needed. Use of cosmetics (makeup, painted nails), jewelry, or facial piercings is not permitted in the cleanroom, and any skin conditions that cause shedding must be disclosed. ### Work Conditions - *Many roles* must be able to work at either Orca Bio Sacramento location (3400 Business Dr. or 7910 Metro Air Pkwy) based on operational needs, as well as regularly participate in video-based meetings. Also, may be required to work scheduled overtime, weekends, or holidays based on business needs. ### Essential Duties & Key Responsibilities: **Run Scheduling & Coordination:** • Reschedule, cancel, or delay runs in response to clinical, manufacturing, or transport changes, ensuring all downstream stakeholders are notified promptly. • Prepare and send porter availability requests ahead of each scheduling cycle; consolidate responses to support run assignments. • Schedule OrcaPorters against confirmed runs, balancing coverage, qualifications, and site-specific requirements. • Complete OrcaLink entries for scheduled runs, ensuring records are accurate, current, and audit ready. • Manage sample loop scheduling, including verifying bookings and handling ad hoc vendor communication to resolve gaps or conflicts. **Third-Party Courier (3PC) Coordination:** • Submit 3PC requests for runs requiring third-party courier support, providing complete and accurate shipment details. • Follow up on outstanding 3PC requests and confirm assignment of Orca Identifiers, escalating unresolved requests before they become time critical. • Review NMDP itineraries for accuracy, feasibility, and alignment with batch timelines, flagging discrepancies for correction. **Batch Documentation & Production Planning Support:** • Prepare and submit batch paperwork, including itineraries and TSA letters, ensuring documents are complete, compliant, and delivered ahead of transport windows. • Create calendar tracking events for each batch to give production planning clear visibility into upcoming logistics activity. • Track weather for the upcoming week across relevant routes and sites, surfacing risks that may require contingency planning or run adjustments. **Program Communications:** • Draft and send weekly OrcaPort email program updates covering training announcements, operational reminders, and personnel updates. • Serve as a reliable communication point between porters, vendors, and internal teams for routine scheduling and administrative matters. **Financial Administration:** • Reconcile receipts across Brex, Concur, and OrcaPorter expense submissions, resolving discrepancies and keeping expense records current. • Process credit card pre-authorizations for hotel bookings supporting porter and courier travel. **Specialist Coverage (Cross-Trained Backup):** Following structured cross-training, the Planner serves as the designated backup for the Specialist, Logistics during PTO, illness, and peak-volume periods, exercising independent judgment on time- sensitive logistics matters: • Provide live run-day oversight: monitor active shipments against V2V milestones, verify courier check-ins, and confirm chain-of-custody handoffs in real time. • Serve as first responder for courier and OrcaPorter incidents (flight delays, weather disruptions, vehicle issues), executing incident response worksheets and independently initiating rerouting or contingency plans within established playbooks. • Make same-day scheduling and routing decisions when disruptions occur, weighing patient timelines, courier availability, and site constraints — escalating to the Logistics Program Manager only for out-of-playbook scenarios. • Act as the primary logistics point of contact for treatment centers, manufacturing, and 3PC vendors during active runs, resolving discrepancies without routine supervision. • Coordinate cold chain requirements during coverage periods, including dry shipper determinations and shipper readiness verification. • Support treatment center onboarding logistics tasks and courier communications as assigned. ### Minimum Experience, Education, Certifications, Licenses: • 0–2 years of professional experience; internships, part-time work, or coursework in logistics, operations, business administration, or a related field are a plus but not required. • Strong organizational skills and attention to detail; able to learn to manage multiple concurrent tasks with competing deadlines. • Clear, professional written communication skills for courier-facing and internal correspondence. • Comfort with everyday productivity tools (calendars, email, spreadsheets) and a demonstrated ability to pick up new software quickly; training provided on expense platforms (Brex, Concur) and all internal systems. • Dependable and comfortable with time-sensitive work, including occasional off-hours flexibility when patient-connected shipments require it. • Sound judgment under time pressure and willingness to own decisions during coverage periods once trained. • A proactive, ask-questions-early mindset and genuine interest in building a career in logistics or biopharma operations. ### Preferred Experience: • Logistics or courier coordination in fast-paced, time-sensitive industries (e.g., healthcare, biotech, Exposure to biopharma, healthcare, cold chain, courier, hospitality, or other fast-paced scheduling or customer-facing environments. • Any familiarity with regulated documentation, chain-of-custody concepts, or quality-driven environments (GxP a plus, not expected). • Experience coordinating vendors, schedules, or events in any prior role, job, or student organization. ### Personal Qualities: • Highly detail-oriented, with an unwavering commitment to quality, safety, and compliance. • Takes ownership and drives forward without waiting for instruction. • Is naturally curious, eager to learn, and energized by solving problems. • Brings creative solutions to unexpected challenges. • Is comfortable juggling multiple priorities in a fast-paced, startup environment. • Communicates clearly and professionally with internal and external stakeholders. • Works both independently and collaboratively with a team-first mindset. • Stays calm under pressure and adapts quickly to change. • Embraces a positive attitude, a collaborative spirit, and a good sense of humor. • Can work flexible or off-shift hours to support urgent logistics needs. ### Travel Requirements: • Domestic and international travel will be required from time to time as needed (approximately [10-25]%).