Laboratory Head

Barry Callebaut Manufacturing Malaysia Sdn Bhd; Pasir Gudang; On-site; MYR 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Barry Callebaut Manufacturing Malaysia Sdn Bhd is seeking a Laboratory Head to lead day-to-day operations in the Microbiology and Physical & Chemical laboratories. You will supervise staff, manage resources, ensure safety compliance, and uphold GLP and ISO standards while aligning with BC requirements.

You will partner with QA, Production, and Engineering to ensure accurate testing, continuous improvement, and robust laboratory governance, driving product safety and regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Chemistry, Biology, or Microbiology or equivalent.
• Minimum 5+ years experience in managing foods or pharma laboratory.
• Strong knowledge of Microbiology and analytical testing.
• Fluent in local language + English.
• Knowledgeable in GLP, GMP, HACCP, ISO, FSSC/BRC.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the laboratory organization across Microbiology and Physical & Chemical laboratories.
• Oversee GLP, GMP, HACCP, ISO compliance and testing accuracy.
• Develop, implement, and improve SOPs and testing protocols.
• Define and monitor KPIs and data-driven decision making.
• Manage laboratory resources including budget, consumables, equipment, and calibration.
• Coordinate with Production, QA, Engineering and CI/TS to drive improvements.
• Lead microbiology activities including finished goods, raw materials, and environmental testing.
• Investigate microbiological deviations and drive corrective actions.
• Support audits, inspections, and customer requirements with accurate documentation.

Skills

Leadership

Organizational skills

Communication

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Multitasking

Time management

MS Office Suite

SAP Systems

CMMS

MES

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Chemistry, Biology, or Microbiology or equivalent

Tools

MS Office Suite

SAP Systems

CMMS

MES

Job description

The Laboratory Head will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the laboratory, including supervising staff, managing resources, ensuring compliance with safety regulations, and overseeing experimental protocols. This role requires strong leadership, organizational skills, and a deep understanding of laboratory practices and procedures.

This role has full operational leadership of the Microbiology Laboratory, ensuring accurate testing, microbiological risk control, environmental monitoring effectiveness, and continuous improvement in line with Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), food safety standards, and BC requirements. In addition, the role provides governance, alignment, and oversight to the Physical & Chemical Laboratory, ensuring alignment in testing accuracy, laboratory governance, equipment calibration, and performance, while daily operations remain under the responsibility of the Physical & Chemical Lab Head.

The Laboratory Head acts as the key interface between laboratory functions and QA, Production, Engineering, and other stakeholders, ensuring laboratory outputs support product safety, regulatory compliance, customer requirements, and continuous improvement initiatives. The Lab Manager should work well in a team and have strong communication skills to interact effectively with others to achieve organizational objectives.

Key responsibilities

Lead and manage the laboratory organization, including staffing, performance management, and capability development across Microbiology and Physical & Chemical laboratories

Oversee laboratory operations to ensure compliance with Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), HACCP, ISO standards, and BC requirements, ensuring reliability, accuracy, and integrity of testing results

Develop, implement, and continuously improve laboratory procedures, SOPs, and testing protocols aligned with regulatory requirements and BC standards

Define and monitor laboratory KPIs, including testing accuracy, turnaround time, FTQ, and trend performance, ensuring timely reporting and data-driven decision-making

Manage laboratory resources including budget, consumables, equipment, and calibration programs, ensuring operational efficiency and cost control

Analyze testing results, process deviations, and quality issues to identify root causes and drive corrective and preventive actions in collaboration with Production, Engineering, QA, and CI&TS

Act as key interface between laboratory and cross-functional teams, ensuring laboratory outputs support process improvement, product quality, and compliance objectives

Lead all Microbiology Laboratory activities including finished goods, raw materials, and environmental testing

Lead investigation of microbiological deviations and ensure effective resolution

Support audits, inspections, and customer requirements by ensuring laboratory readiness, compliance, and accurate documentation

About you

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Chemistry, Biology, or Microbiology or equivalent

Minimum 5+ years experience in managing foods or pharma laboratory

Strong knowledge of Microbiology and analytical testing

Strong knowledge of GLP, GMP, HACCP, ISO, FSSC/BRC

Fluent in local language + English

Knowledgeable in MS Office Suite, SAP Systems and other applications used in manufacturing e.g. scheduling, CMMS, MES, etc.

Excellent communication (written and verbal) skills both upward and downward

Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities

Self-starter and results driven mind set and discipline to sustain results

Multitasking and time-management skills