Microbiology Laboratory Manager

Are you a senior microbiologist/manager and love line management within a busy environment?

Have you worked within accredited microbiology labs?

Are you a people person and enjoy mentoring, training and developing teams, instilling a positive, cohesive culture?

Have you worked within manufacturing, particularly within an FMCG environment?

Then this could be the ideal opportunity to use your skillset whilst joining a highly reputable manufacturing business within FMCG.

Woodstock Recruitment is hiring for a Microbiology Manager for a close and long-standing client, who specialise within the manufacture of homecare and personal care products. With a great reputation in the industry and a very well established team, you would be joining one of the UK leaders in their niche, being responsible for maintaining 2 accredited testing labs of 8 technicians and the operational and strategic delivery of timely testing services.

What you will do:

• Be accountable for the efficient organisation, management, governance and development of 2 microbiology labs, inclusive of 8 microbiology technicians, and the delivery of testing services that meet the needs of the business to service its customer base, maintain factory hygiene compliance and product safety

• Authorise requisitions and purchases and the authorised signatory for financial payments as the budget holder for the department. Responsible for budgetary control and supports annual budget setting.

• Be a real people person, ensuring the well-being, mentorship, training and development of all staff within microbiology. Ensure work loads are organised, staff rotas are set, and regular appraisals are conducted.

• Responsible for ensuring service level agreements and other formal agreements are in place with both external suppliers to always ensure service continuity.

• Design and implement contingency plans to ensure that lab services are maintained in times of service disruption.

• Ensure health and safety standards are met, by working in close liaison with the Health and Safety manager, ensuring COSHH and risk assessments are always up to date.

• Perform horizon scanning to ensure the most up to date methodologies, risks, practices and industry requirements are known

• To devise and implement cost improvement programmes. To ensure maintenance and supply contracts are reviewed and negotiated to give value for money.

• Work closely with the wider quality team to ensure full compliance of all parts of ISO, BRC and customer specific requirements

• Act as the subject matter expert for microbiology during internal, client, and regulatory body audits (e.g. Retailer audits, ISO 22716, BRCGS).

• Lead investigations for Out-of-Specification (OOS) results, and support in conjunction with the group hygienist, investigations into environmental monitoring trending, and contamination incidents.

• Ensure that the labs continually work in accordance with and maintain lab accreditation; ISO 17025

• Write, review and revise SOP’s, change controls, procedures and technical reports to support continuous process improvement.

• Chair meetings to provide an overview to stakeholders of how the labs are performing against key performance metrics including an annual lab management review

What you will need:

• BSc or higher in Microbiology or very closely related subject

• Significant experience within the manufacturing sector, ideally Cosmetics/Homecare/Food/Pharma/Chemicals

• Experience of working within accredited lab environments

• Experience managing and mentoring a lab team

• Excellent organisational, time management, people management and communications skills

• Prior experience of managing resources including people, materials and budgets.

• Deep understanding of ISO 17025 / LabTRUST accreditation

• Experience of implementing and maintaining lab accreditation

• Experience of developing microbiological test methods

• Experience of leading lab and contamination investigations