Product Safety Lab Manager

DS Smith; Almusafes; Presencial; EUR 60.000 - 90.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

DS Smith in Valencia, Spain seeks a Product Safety Laboratory Manager to lead the new product safety laboratory. You will provide analytical testing, design experiments, and interpret results for R&D and strategic initiatives while managing the lab budget and team.

You will serve as the technical face to customers, presenting results in commercial terms and coordinating with internal stakeholders. Strong leadership, data analysis, and knowledge of food contact regulations are essential.

Formación

• MSc in Analytical Chemistry or related; a PhD is advantageous.
• Experience with analytical instrumentation in industrial/R&D/testing.
• Knowledge of food contact materials and regulatory compliance.
• Strong data analysis, problem solving, and communication skills.
• Experience managing projects, laboratory operations, and quality systems.
• Spanish and English written and spoken at high level (B2/C1).

Responsabilidades

• Lead the laboratory and team, overseeing daily operations and budgeting.
• Act as primary technical contact for customers, presenting results with commercial context.
• Represent the lab in customer visits, audits, and technical reviews.
• Support R&D projects through experimental design, testing and reporting.
• Drive continuous improvement of methods, processes and equipment.
• Ensure health, safety, quality and regulatory compliance across activities.

Conocimientos

Analytical thinking

Project management

Regulatory compliance

Communication

Educación

MSc in Analytical Chemistry

PhD advantageous

Herramientas

HPLC

GC

ICP

Method development

Validation

Troubleshooting

Descripción del empleo

Location: Valencia, Spain (onsite) About the Role: DS Smith has an exciting new opportunity for a Product Safety Laboratory Manager to lead our new Product Safety laboratory based in Valencia, Spain. You will provide analytical chemistry testing and technical expertise for R&D, strategic innovation projects, and major business initiatives. The role combines hands‑on technical leadership - designing, executing, and interpreting experiments in line with agreed milestones - with management skills: leading a team, running the laboratory as a well‑governed operation, and owning its budget and performance. Beyond laboratory and people management, you will act as the technical face of the laboratory to DS Smith's customers and internal stakeholders - presenting results, explaining technical findings in commercial terms, and building trust directly with clients. The successful candidate will bring seniority and confidence operating at manager and customer level, alongside strong analytical and laboratory management credentials.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the laboratory and team, managing daily operations, workflows, and resource allocation
• Serve as the primary technical contact for customers, presenting results and providing commercially relevant recommendations
• Represent the laboratory during customer visits, audits, and technical reviews
• Support R&D projects through experimental design, testing, data interpretation, and technical reporting
• Manage the laboratory budget, purchasing, inventory, and cost control
• Drive continuous improvement of laboratory methods, processes, and equipment
• Maintain knowledge of food contact regulations and testing methodologies
• Collaborate with R&D teams to ensure consistent quality, productivity, and best practices
• Ensure compliance with health, safety, quality, and maintenance standards
• Prepare and review scientific reports, maintaining confidentiality and professional standards.

About You:

• MSc (or equivalent) in Analytical Chemistry, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Food Chemistry, Materials Chemistry, or a related discipline.
• A PhD is advantageous
• Previous experience using analytical instrumentation within an industrial, R&D, testing, or CRO environment
• Experience assessing food contact materials and regulatory compliance
• Strong practical experience with HPLC, GC, ICP, method development, validation, and troubleshooting
• Sound understanding of food contact regulations and packaging materials, particularly paper, board, and cellulose-based products
• Proven ability to analyse data, solve technical problems, and communicate findings to technical and non-technical audiences
• Experience managing projects, laboratory operations, quality systems, and regulatory compliance activities
• Previous experience with paper, board, or packaging materials is an advantage
• Very good written and spoken Spanish and English - level B2/ C1

Travel: Occasional travel within the UK and Europe to support R&D trials and business activities.

We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria.

To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce.

Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.

Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges.

We are DS Smith, together with International Paper, we are a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions and other fibre-based products.We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change.

We employ more than 60,000 colleagues in North America and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), who are experts in innovation,manufacturing, design, sales, sustainability, supply chain, and much more. Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time.

Become part of a world-leading organisation and do your best work with us! As the journey continues of bringing together the strengths of both organisations, during your candidate experience you may engage with our colleagues from International Paper!

You could visit an International Paper or DS Smith site or office.