Head of Laboratory (Executive)

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Laboratory Head will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the laboratory, including supervising staff, managing resources, ensuring compliance with safety regulations, and overseeing experimental protocols. This role requires strong leadership, organizational skills, and a deep understanding of laboratory practices and procedures.

This role has full operational leadership of the Microbiology Laboratory, ensuring accurate testing, microbiological risk control, environmental monitoring effectiveness, and continuous improvement in line with Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), food safety standards, and BC requirements

In addition, the role provides governance, alignment, and oversight to the Physical & Chemical Laboratory, ensuring alignment in testing accuracy, laboratory governance, equipment calibration, and performance, while daily operations remain under the responsibility of the Physical & Chemical Lab Head.

The Laboratory Head acts as the key interface between laboratory functions and QA, Production, Engineering, and other stakeholders, ensuring laboratory outputs support product safety, regulatory compliance, customer requirements, and continuous improvement initiatives. The Lab Manager should work well in a team and have strong communication skills to interact effectively with others to achieve organizational objectives.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES & SCOPE

1. Laboratory Leadership, Governance & Continuous Improvement

• Lead and manage the laboratory organization, including staffing, performance management, and capability development across Microbiology and Physical & Chemical laboratories.
• Oversee laboratory operations to ensure compliance with Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), HACCP, ISO standards, and BC requirements, ensuring reliability, accuracy, and integrity of testing results.
• Develop, implement, and continuously improve laboratory procedures, SOPs, and testing protocols aligned with regulatory requirements and BC standards.
• Define and monitor laboratory KPIs, including testing accuracy, turnaround time, FTQ, and trend performance, ensuring timely reporting and data-driven decision-making.
• Manage laboratory resources including budget, consumables, equipment, and calibration programs, ensuring operational efficiency and cost control.
• Ensure effective governance of laboratory systems, including:
• Calibration and equipment reliability
• Proficiency (Ring) testing
• External laboratory management and data flow coordination
• Analyze testing results, process deviations, and quality issues to identify root causes and drive corrective and preventive actions in collaboration with Production, Engineering, QA, and CI&TS.
• Act as key interface between laboratory and cross-functional teams, ensuring laboratory outputs support process improvement, product quality, and compliance objectives.
• Support audits, inspections, and customer requirements by ensuring laboratory readiness, compliance, and accurate documentation.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives, including optimization of laboratory methods, workflows, and efficiency.
• Promote strong quality culture, safety mindset, and compliance awareness across laboratory teams.
• Build and develop technical competencies within the laboratory team, ensuring adequate training, skill development, and succession readiness.

2. Micro Laboratory – Full ownership

• Lead all Microbiology Laboratory activities including finished goods, raw materials, and environmental testing.
• Own microbiological risk control including:
• Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP)
• Contamination prevention and control
• Analyze microbiological trends and drive corrective and preventive actions.
• Lead investigation of microbiological deviations and ensure effective resolution.
• Drive continuous improvement including method validation and optimization.

3. Physical & Chemical Laboratory – Oversight & Governance

• Manage Physical & Chemical Laboratory through the Lab Head ensuring alignment to BC standards.
• Review laboratory performance including:
• Testing accuracy
• FTQ and trend analysis
• Calibration and equipment reliability
• Ensure corrective actions are implemented for deviations and quality issues.
• Support strategic improvements in laboratory capability and infrastructure.

ABOUT YOU

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Chemistry, Biology, or Microbiology or equivalent
• Minimum 5+ years experience in in managing foods or pharma laboratory
• Strong knowledge of Microbiology and analytical testing
• Strong knowledge of GLP, GMP, HACCP, ISO, FSSC/BRC
• Fluent in local language + English
• Exposure to food safety, including formal HACCP training, pathogen environmental monitoring and testing is beneficial
• Exposure to or formal training in FSSC22000 or BRC is preferred
• Knowledgeable in MS Office Suite, SAP Systems and other applications used in manufacturing e.g. scheduling, CMMS, MES, etc.
• Acts as a servant leader
• Customer focused – internal and external
• Excellent communication (written and verbal) skills both upward and downward
• Works well under pressure, enabling his/her/their team to thrive under all circumstances
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities
• Self-starter and results driven mind set and discipline to sustain results
• Multitasking and time-management skills
• Change manager seeking continuous improvement through people capability development