Superviseur(e), Laboratoire de Virologie / Supervisor, Virology Laboratory

Nature's Touch Inc. • Montreal, QC

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Reporting directly to the VP of Corporate Food Safety, Suppliers & Virology, you will lead our Virology Lab at our Ville Saint-Laurent location. This is a unique opportunity to own both the science and the operations of a specialized in-house lab focused on viral detection and inactivation in the fruits we source from our suppliers worldwide. You will drive the validation of our fruit testing scope, contribute to an ongoing patent development and laboratory accreditation process, and play a key role in mitigating contamination risks across our supply chain.

Requirements

• Master's degree in Biotechnology, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in a virology laboratory, including experience in a supervisory or mentorship capacity.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and AI tools.
• Bilingual in French and English - English is required for communication with teams across North America and globally; French is essential for internal communication, in accordance with the Charte de la langue française (Bill 96).
• Experience in frozen fruit, fresh produce, or IQF environments.
• Experience in water analysis and treatment.
• Knowledge of HACCP, SQF, or equivalent food safety management systems.
• Experience with laboratory accreditation processes.

Nice To Haves

• Spanish language skills.

Responsibilities

• Supervise the Virology Laboratory, including ensuring adequate internal and external maintenance of Molecular Biology PCR equipment and all related lab infrastructure.
• Maintaining and improving the biosafety and biosecurity system to ensure compliance with applicable regulations.
• Managing supply inventory of reactants and everything necessary for the proper functioning of the laboratory.
• Creating, updating, optimizing, and maintaining documentation - procedures, processes, and records - to operate all biological equipment, test for viruses, and comply with Good Laboratory Practices and related audit requirements.
• Planning and organizing the execution of analyses.
• Identifying, developing, and managing KPIs.
• Coaching, training, and managing a small team, currently one biological technologist based in Ville Saint-Laurent.
• Preparing detailed reports, manuscripts, and presentations for internal and external stakeholders.
• Contributing to grant writing and funding applications.
• Managing the validation and accreditation process for the Molecular Biology detection method.
• Contributing to the development of the patent for the new Molecular Biology detection method.
• Developing, implementing, validating, and optimizing laboratory protocols for the detection and inactivation of viral pathogens, with consideration of ongoing improvements to the Molecular Biology method.
• Continuing and expanding the validation of the fruit testing scope to ensure accuracy and reliability of results.
• Performing molecular and cellular assays, including PCR, infectivity, and bacteriology techniques.
• Continuously improving the virus detection method to enhance accuracy, including reducing the interaction with inhibitors.
• Identifying pathogenic and viral hazards associated with the supply chain environment - such as irrigation water and water used for pesticide application.
• Developing sampling and testing protocols to investigate potential hazards that may affect fruit commodity contamination and food safety for human consumption.
• Proposing measures to mitigate and control identified risks, such as sampling plan and frequency, localization, and country-specific controls.
• Implementing identified measures to ensure food safety for human consumption.
• Bringing scientific knowledge and contributing actively to decision-making with the food safety team during investigations when a pathogen is detected.
• Researching emerging scientific developments to improve the efficiency of viral detection and interventions such as disinfection of commodities.
• Participating and collaborating with cross-functional teams in food safety investigations, root cause analysis, and corrective and preventative actions taken by suppliers.

Benefits

• Collaborative and inclusive culture
• Contribute to sustainable and healthy products
• Lead a one-of-a-kind in-house virology lab with direct impact on food safety worldwide
• Contribute to a patent in development and a lab accreditation process
• Work in a diverse, multilingual environment headquartered in Montréal

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager