Job Description

TITLE: Laboratory Manager

REPORTS TO: Senior Plant Quality Manager

LOCATION: Tulare, CA

Lactalis Heritage Dairy is currently seeking candidates to join our team in Tulare, CA.

Lactalis Group, the world leader in dairy, is a family-owned business with more than 85,000 pragmatic and ambitious professionals worldwide, committed to providing healthy and delicious dairy products that bring people together every day. At Lactalis, our core values of AMBITION, ENGAGEMENT, and SIMPLICITY are at the heart of everything we do.

If you’re looking for a unique experience with a company that offers strong brands, professional expertise, and a dynamic work environment that champions entrepreneurial spirit, hands-on responsibility, and real opportunity for career development, we want to hear from you!

Lactalis Heritage Dairy: inviting you to share with us your STORY, your PASSION, and your EXPERTISE.

From your PASSION to ours

The Laboratory Manager duties will include, but are not limited to, responsibility for all analytical procedures and tests run in the plant lab. Further, the Lab Manager will be responsible for ensuring that the department is functioning in a manner that both satisfies the scientific and business needs of Lactalis Quality Management, Manufacturing (Plant), Marketing and Research and Development, and complies with applicable regulatory requirements and department policies.

From your EXPERTISE to ours

Key responsibilities for this position include:

• Oversees the laboratory, equipment, and all tests run at the plant. Reviews, implements, and monitors Lactalis laboratory practices. Identifies the appropriate laboratory KPIs, implements, and tracks them.
• Manages new equipment qualification, new product qualification on equipment, calibration, maintenance, and repairs.
• Manages the laboratory supplies including new equipment purchasing.
• Works cross-functionally to recommend, initiate, and complete all capital expenditures and POs for new equipment and coordinate installations.
• Develops, approves, and maintains SOPs and protocols. Manages and documents all associated training.
• Owner of the lab calibration program; ensures all calibrations are in place and performed correctly and in a timely manner. Helps the team resolve problems that may arise during testing.
• Maintains strong knowledge of the implemented analytical and micro methods and procedures.
• Routinely tracks laboratory performance. Conducts periodic lab internal audits. Alerts Senior Plant Quality Manager of findings.
• Responsible for managing the laboratory budget.
• Maintains periodic meetings with lab suppliers to hold the suppliers accountable to the service provided.
• Leads and reviews laboratory investigations regarding abnormal and out of spec results.
• Works closely with the Corporate LAB Relay and the plant QC to understand and maintain the proficiency and SRM Program(s).
• Collaborates with the central lab during troubleshooting, sample design, testing, result interpretations, equipment purchase, and any follow-up required to resolve issues.
• Oversees the factory shelf-life program. Ensures the program is properly executed and data is readily available for reporting.
• Participates in Food Safety Audits as it pertains to the functions performed in the lab.
• Responsible for providing daily, monthly, quarterly or annual reports as needed.
• Serves as the primary point of contact for all lab inquiries.
• Support the factory training program on analytical testing as needed.
• Partners closely with Corporate Lab relay in the development of KPI’s and scorecard.
• Attend necessary courses and seminars to maintain technical knowledge at the level requested by evolution of the Company needs, and technology of analysis
• Structure and organize the efforts of the department staff in all areas related to testing such as scheduling and assigning staff time to meet needs, providing guidance in the conduct of sample preparations and sample analyses, schedule use of limited resources, coordinating timely completion of testing and reporting needs.
• Manage, train and develop lab team members through mentoring, coaching, training and coordination and assignment of goals and individual development plans. Provide performance feedback on an ongoing basis. Address concerns effectively. Partner with HR on employee relations issues.

From your STORY to ours

Qualified applicants will contribute the following:

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, Food Science, or a related field is required
• 5+ years of experience in laboratory, or similar setting; dairy experience strongly preferred.
• 5+ years of experience managing direct reporting team members is required.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong basic laboratory skills (Chemistry and Microbiology)
• Strong mathematics knowledge including stoichiometry and statistics.
• Strong communication skills both written and verbal.
• Strong ability to communicate across all levels of an organization.
• Ability to effectively train diverse groups on methodologies and procedures.
• Strong computer skills with a working knowledge of Word, Excel, SAP, and PowerPoint for report writing and presentations.
• Ability to prioritize and manage projects in a changing, complex environment.
• Strong knowledge of GMP/GLP and ISO requirements.
• Strong knowledge of Milk-specific equipment such as MilkoScan, NIR, etc.
• Knowledge of cheese manufacturing to understand the implications of lab results
• Ability to travel and/or extended/off-work hours.

Lactalis Heritage Dairy is an equal employment opportunity employer. We will not discriminate against applicants with regard to any legally-recognized basis including, but not limited to: veteran status, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, and physical or mental disabilities.

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