Soil & Tissue Quality Manager

Lab Soil and Tissue Manager

Full Time/Exempt

Pay: $95,000.00 - $125,000.00 per year

Summary:

Well established laboratory with over 40 years of serving CA agricultural clients is seeking an experienced Lab Manager as an addition to our staff. We are seeking to inject fresh perspectives and insight to complement our time proven means and methods. This position will be responsible for supervising all laboratory activities and processes. The position will use quality control processes and resources associated with analysis, sampling, and operational support. The Lab Manager will be responsible for the Laboratory and Quality Assurance plans, organization, coordinating, schedules, and monitors the safety, performance, training, schedules, and work activities of the laboratory technicians. This role ensures lab equipment and processes conform to established safety, quality, and quantity parameters. The type of work will include monitoring operations, discipline, mapping key processes and establish key performance metrics and includes performing problem resolution across all processes. The position is also responsible for overseeing quality assurance and quality control. S/he will work with corporate QA and site management to identify areas of deficiency and drive quality improvement.

Essential Job Functions: Include but are not limited to the following:

(Management reserves the right to add or modify the duties and responsibilities at any time.)

• Provides overall leadership in soils and tissues department and quality through effective oversight of laboratory personnel, QC personnel, and field evaluation of various QC tests to ensure established product specifications are maintained.
• Ensures quick resolution to customer concerns through prompt communication and/or follow-up.
• Works closely with Operations and Functional Teams to identify process bottlenecks, conducts root cause analysis and implements process improvements across the business or organization.
• Oversees training and coordination of lab resources to ensure customer expectations related to analytical techniques and turnaround of times 3-5 days of submitted samples are achieved.
• Participate in analysis and reporting of in process and finished samples.
• Provide Lab Director, Operations Manager and customer service personnel with timely and accurate feedback to analytical inquiries and concerns over sample irregularities and quality.
• Organizing and tracking of repair, preventive maintenance, and calibration of instruments and equipment.
• Review and improve analytical procedures and methods utilized in the lab.
• Supervision of lab personnel, including hiring, scheduling, timekeeping, mentoring and discipline.
• Develops and implements metrics that show performance to the current, backlog, and key process effectiveness, cost, and capacity.
• Remains current on, and serves as site expert in, pertinent product quality regulatory requirements. (A2LA/NAPT/ALP)
• Maintains communication and consults with applicable product regulatory agencies.
• Identifies deficiencies with quality SOPs and makes appropriate corrections. Instructs and assisst with the development, documentation, and control of SOP’s.
• Participates with corporate quality to brainstorm, promote, and drive continuous improvement in quality systems.
• Work to develop concise, encompassing metrics that effectively communicate quality performance at Laboratory.
• Develops, plans, and performs routine quality audits of Dellavalle Laboratory.
• Must be able to develop processes to ensure quality is met throughout the facility in multiple analysis.
• Support Laboratory operations during key staff vacations.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Education and/or Experience:

· A Bachelor's degree in chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, or related discipline in science preferred.

· Minimum five years of demonstrated experience in quality systems and tools (statistical methods, (NAPT, ALP) is preferred.

· Minimum five years previous Lab Manager experience required.

· Experience with (preferred):

· ICP/LECOS 828

· Instrument Calibration

· Basic Chemistry Calculations

· Lab Safety Protocols

· Proper Chemical Disposal

· Method Development

· Have experience in the operation of Sophisticated Technology in the analysis of environmental samples preferred.

· Shall not be the Technical Manager or Laboratory Director of more than one accredited environmental laboratory.

· Prefer direct experience in, or administration of, quality systems (ISO 9000), and production and laboratory procedures.

· Excel/Word experience

· Experience working in LIMS system preferred.

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands and fingers, handle, or feel and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.

Dellavalle Laboratory is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. We are firmly committed to making all employment-related decisions without regard to race, ancestry, ethnicity, color, religious creed or belief, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, and pregnancy and breastfeeding), age, military or veteran status, status as a qualified individual with a disability, genetic information, and any other characteristic protected by law.

Benefits:

· 401(k)

· Dental insurance

· Flexible spending account

· Health insurance

· Health savings account

· Life insurance

· Parental leave

· Vision insurance

· Vacation/Sick 40 hrs annual

· Bonus