Lab Leader

Michigan Sugar•Bay City, MI

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Lab Leader provides comprehensive oversight of daily laboratory functions and staff during factory shifts. This role serves as the primary technical lead for shift, ensuring the accuracy of chemical analyses and the integrity of process data. The Lab Leader maintains versatility to perform all laboratory duties (sample carrier, bench chemist, and desugar bench chemist) and provides critical support for factory operations through advanced troubleshooting and data trend reporting.

Requirements

Must be able to operate sensitive laboratory instrumentation.
Needs to have the ability to perform calculations related to the required analyses.
Use of computers and calculators is necessary.
Be able to traverse the factory, grounds and/or climb up various tanks as necessary to perform duties.
Be able to lift and move totes or sugar bundles of up to 50 lbs. as necessary.
An ability to perform a wide variety of laboratory techniques in a consistent, accurate, and timely fashion.
A working knowledge of the use of personal computers, especially typical spreadsheet and database applications.
A basic knowledge of chemistry and quality control methods is a job requirement, and the employee must either have that knowledge or be able to gain it through training.
High School diploma or GED equivalent.
Technical Training: One year of general college chemistry is required.
This position requires repetitive lifting of samples up to 1L (<10lbs) in size.
An ability to stand for long periods is required as there are multiple samples to test every hour.
The ability to walk around the plant, in a hot or cold environment, to obtain needed samples.
General factory safety requirements (Right to Know)
Food-related Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), SQF, and HACCP
All SOP’s for Sample Carrier, Sugar Bench, Beet Bench, Desugar Bench, and Environmental Bench.
ICUMSA methods
Equipment usage
Familiar with all Quality Standards, Calibration and Verification, and retest Procedures

Responsibilities

Oversees all lab stations to ensure testing is completed per SOPs and scheduled timelines.
Reviews and trends lab sheets per shift, investigating any unusual patterns, missing data, or abnormalities.
Acts as the second layer of troubleshooting for lab data. Reports irregularities to shift supervisors, management, and the Factory Chemist.
Measures and maintains accurate inventories of sugar silos, pellet silos, molasses tanks, and juice tanks.
Manages the inventory of all chemicals, glassware, and standards; submits orders to Senior Chemist to maintain necessary stock levels.
Manages the QA/QC program for all laboratory and plant instrumentation to ensure they function within tolerances.
Performs and tracks routine maintenance, such as cleaning cells and changing bulbs, to ensure optimal instrument performance.
Acts as the first layer of support for all laboratory equipment.
Periodically monitors lab personnel to ensure test methods are accurately followed.
Assist with the training of new laboratory personnel on the proper laboratory techniques, reporting formats, and PPE.
Ensure effective communication between the sugar bench and sample carriers to ensure all required samples are obtained, processed and correctly reported.
Communicate all required information and process anomalies with supervision, lab leader and factory chemist.
Ensure retain samples are appropriately stored, labeled and rotated, as required, per retain policy.
Assist with periodic sanitation inspections.
Ensure the lab is kept in a clean and sanitary condition.
Perform special projects and any other required analysis of process steps against known target ranges. Report irregularities.
Use proper precautions and personal protective equipment (PPE) while performing all laboratory analyses.
Must adhere to factory PPE requirements.
Maintain a clean, safe, and organized work environment.
Read and understand appropriate SDS’s for the job station.
Understand OSHA regulations for the lab and help to maintain an adequate level of lab safety.
Must be or become proficient in the RAPID, DataParc, and labsheets applications.
All other duties as assigned