Microbiology Lab Supervisor: Lead, Improve Quality

Eurofins UK Food Testing; Linlithgow; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company Pension Plan

Life Assurance Scheme

Healthcare Cash Plan

Enhanced Maternity, Adoption and Pater

Employee Assistance Programme

Health and Wellbeing Programmes

Free parking

Worldwide career opportunities

Job summary

Eurofins UK Food Testing in Linlithgow is seeking a Laboratory Team Leader to support daily microbiology operations, lead a 5–15 person team and drive quality and safety standards. You will help with staffing, training and investigations into non-conformances, ensuring timely and effective corrective actions.

The role requires a science-based qualification, strong communication skills and experience coordinating workloads in a lab setting.

Qualifications

• Science qualification, relevant laboratory experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Understanding of laboratory operations, quality systems, investigation techniques, root cause analysis and Health & Safety requirements.
• Laboratory experience with workload coordination, training and/or coaching colleagues.
• MS Office and laboratory system.
• Excellent communication skills both written and spoken.
• Organisation and problem solving skills.
• Commitment to continuous improvement.
• Knowledge of ISO 17025, UKAS requirements and food microbiology testing.
• Previous Team/Line Leader or Supervisor experience; experience conducting investigations into non-conforming work, customer complaints or quality incidents.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day leadership and supervision to defined area(s) of the laboratory and lead a team of approximately 5-15 laboratory personnel.
• Support Laboratory Managers with operational planning, resource allocation and workload management.
• Investigate non-conformances, customer complaints, quality issues and operational incidents, identifying root causes and implementing corrective and preventative actions.
• Coordinate staffing, work rota, holidays and workload allocation.
• Conduct probation reviews, performance reviews and return-to-work meetings.
• Support recruitment, interviewing, onboarding and induction activities.
• Ensure staff training, competency assessments and e-learning requirements are maintained.
• Work collaboratively with other Team Leaders, Supervisors and Managers to ensure productivity and quality targets are met.
• Ensure compliance with quality, customer, UKAS and regulatory requirements.
• Participate in audits and support corrective and preventative actions.
• Support the management of non-conforming work, ensuring appropriate containment, documentation, escalation and follow-up actions are completed.
• Lead or support investigations into laboratory errors, deviations, out-of-specification results and process failures.
• Monitor trends in non-conformances, customer complaints and quality indicators to identify improvement opportunities.
• Ensure investigation records, corrective actions and associated documentation are completed accurately and within required timescales.
• Support customer query and complaint investigations and liaise directly with customers where required regarding quality incidents, service issues, investigations and corrective actions.
• Work closely with Customer Services, Quality and Laboratory Management teams to ensure customer concerns are appropriately addressed.
• Produce and review KPI and operational reporting.
• Promote and maintain the highest standards of Health & Safety.
• Deputise for Laboratory Managers when appropriate.
• Undertake any other reasonable dutieswithin the role.

Skills

Lab leadership

Communication

Problem solving

MS Office

Education

Science qualification or equivalent

Tools

Laboratory systems

Job description

Eurofins UK Food Testing in Linlithgow is seeking a Laboratory Team Leader to support daily microbiology operations, lead a 5–15 person team and drive quality and safety standards. You will help with staffing, training and investigations into non-conformances, ensuring timely and effective corrective actions.

The role requires a science-based qualification, strong communication skills and experience coordinating workloads in a lab setting.