Lead Microbiology Lab Tech
About The Position
The Lab Lead coordinates daily laboratory operations and provides technical leadership for microbiological testing of food products, ingredients, and environmental samples. The role serves as a lead resource during assigned shifts for testing activities, workflow coordination, troubleshooting, quality compliance, and staff support. The Lab Lead ensures accurate, timely, and compliant testing while promoting operational efficiency, data integrity, safety, and continuous improvement in a fast-paced food testing laboratory. The position performs advanced and non-routine testing, reviews data and documentation, supports testing methods and quality systems, and trains and mentors laboratory staff. It coordinates daily workflow and sample priorities to meet turnaround commitments, supports audits and investigations, and identifies opportunities to improve laboratory processes. The role provides technical leadership without direct supervisory authority. The required background is a bachelor's degree in a relevant scientific field and at least five years of microbiology testing laboratory experience, including food and beverage testing. Compensation is listed at $23–$26 USD. Actual pay may vary based on experience, skills, qualifications, and location; additional total-rewards components may apply where applicable.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences, Microbiology, Biology, Food Science, or a related scientific field.
- At least 5 years of experience in a microbiology testing laboratory.
- Experience in a food and beverage testing laboratory.
- Experience working in a regulated laboratory environment, including ISO/IEC 17025, FDA, USDA, or equivalent quality systems.
- Demonstrated ability to lead workflow, influence peers, provide technical guidance, and train staff in a lead or senior-level capacity without direct supervisory authority.
- Strong working knowledge of food safety microbiology, pathogen testing methodologies, environmental monitoring programs, and laboratory quality systems.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS).
Responsibilities
- Perform advanced and non-routine microbiological testing of food products, ingredients, and environmental samples, including pathogen and indicator organism analyses.
- Act as the technical resource and escalation point for testing issues, method interpretation, instrumentation concerns, and troubleshooting during assigned shifts.
- Review and verify test data, calculations, and laboratory documentation for accuracy, completeness, and compliance before result release.
- Support method implementation, validation, verification, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Ensure testing follows established SOPs, regulatory requirements, and customer specifications.
- Troubleshoot instrumentation, media performance, and testing deviations to minimize operational disruptions.
- Train, mentor, and guide Microbiology Lab Technician I–III staff on procedures, methods, documentation, and quality expectations.
- Reinforce aseptic techniques, data integrity practices, and laboratory safety standards; support onboarding and cross-training.
- Coordinate daily workflow, sample prioritization, and testing schedules to meet turnaround time commitments.
- Monitor shift staffing coverage, task assignments, and operational efficiency, escalating staffing or workflow concerns as appropriate.
- Communicate workload, testing priorities, and operational updates to laboratory leadership and cross-functional departments.
- Ensure adherence to SOPs, food safety requirements, quality systems, and applicable regulatory standards, including ISO/IEC 17025, FDA, and USDA requirements.
- Lead or support investigations involving deviations, nonconformances, out-of-specification results, and corrective/preventive actions.
- Support internal and external audits through preparation, participation, documentation review, and corrective-action follow-up.
- Maintain accurate laboratory records and compliance with data integrity and documentation standards.
- Identify and recommend improvements to laboratory efficiency, error reduction, workflows, and testing consistency.
- Provide input on SOP revisions, training materials, quality initiatives, and operational process improvements.
- Partner with laboratory leadership on operational excellence, workflow optimization, continuous improvement, best practices, and standardization.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
