Lab Leader-Lake Huron

Great Lakes Water Authority; United States; On-site; USD 113,000 - 132,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Retirement plan

Team member discount programs

Job summary

Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) seeks a Lab Supervisor to lead and train laboratory staff across a GLWA facility. The role involves directing projects, prioritizing tasks, and ensuring compliance with drinking water regulations and related permits.

You will mentor team leaders, manage safety programs, and drive documentation and reporting for regulatory readiness. Requires a chemistry-related bachelor’s degree and 1–3 years of supervisory experience; Michigan water certifications are

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry or related field from an accredited college.
• 1–3 years of supervisory or leadership experience.
• Michigan F1 Certification (Drinking Water) or Michigan D Certification (Wastewater).

Responsibilities

• Supervise laboratory staff and provide mentoring to team leaders.
• Manage annual budget items as assigned.
• Coordinate work assignments for teams and prioritize projects.
• Monitor work orders, KPIs, and performance metrics; analyze data and trends.
• Organize records for compliance and prepare analyses or reports.
• Assist in staff training and maintain a safe work environment.
• Lead safety and injury prevention programs; participate in meetings.
• Develop and maintain standard processes, procedures, and training.
• Prepare performance evaluations and plan career progression.
• Plan staffing availability and coordinate scheduling for the unit.
• Perform shift work including nights, weekends, and holidays with PPE.

Skills

Supervisory experience

Leadership

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree in chemistry or related science

Job description

Compensation $54.32 - $63.26 (Based on Experience) Summary Supervise, direct, guide, and train laboratory staff, team, and team leaders within a Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) facility or functional unit. Manage work on projects and assign and prioritize tasks. Ensure compliance with drinking water regulations, any other facility air quality, water quality or other permits and the National Pollutant discharge elimination system (NPDES). Ensure code compliance and enforcements, and preparation of all local, State, Federal and GLWA required reports. Communicate with various departments in varying levels of technicality to ensure clear and concise communication of issues, challenges and system configurations associated with water systems. Provide mentoring to new team leaders and team members regarding GLWA, water and carry out advanced administrative duties associated with data analysis, technical reporting, troubleshooting, diagnostic, work order completion and execution of administrative functions of leading a team.

Job Responsibilities

• Supervise laboratory staff within the facility or functional unit and provide supervision mentoring to other team leaders
• Manage annual budget items as assigned
• Coordinate and plan the work assignments of assigned teams, team members and team leaders (i.e., manage projects, manage teams, prioritize work, organize crews)
• Monitor and control work orders (WO), key performance indicators (KPI), performance maintenance (PM) completion, estimated time, overtime backlog, etc. Analyze data, create spreadsheets, trends and KPIs and make decisions consistent with experience in regulatory compliance and organizational policy
• Organize digital and paper information for proper record keeping for retrieval, compliance and use in preparation of analyses and/or reports
• Assist in the training of staff and maintain a harmonious work environment
• Provide and optimize ongoing safety and injury prevention program
• Participate in and lead meetings, and provide feedback as needed
• Lead the development, maintenance and ownership of standard business and laboratory processes, operating procedures, and training sessions for the assigned Area, Group or Team
• Prepare baseline expectations and performance evaluations for team members and plan job progression of assigned team members
• Provide and maintain documentation pertaining to availability of staff for functional unit and/or department as assigned. Utilize this information when planning, scheduling, and performing work in the functional unit
• Perform shift work assignments which may include any of the following: days, afternoons, nights, weekends, and holidays. Wear personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Follow security and safety policies and procedures in carrying out work duties
• Provide advanced concepts on the job training using on the job experience
• Provide on the job training
• Perform quality assurance (QA), quality control (QC) and equipment hand-off of any laboratory projects as assigned
• Execute audit programs of maintenance or operations or other areas as assigned.
• Recommend, establish, track training benchmarks, and KPIs strategies
• Function as an operations and maintenance (O&M) lead or subject matter expert in engineering led projects
• Function as a liaison between the cross functional units
• Prepare, document, and assist in shutdown planning and implementation for capital, maintenance, and/or operations projects
• Perform procurement of goods and services necessary to perform job functions or to perform needed operations or maintenance of functional area. Train other team leaders or team members on procurement process
• Assist in developing training materials such as 360Water, review, and provide feedback on such training materials
• Implement new programs, tests, methods, and instrumentation as required
• Assist in developing operations and maintenance performance reports such as PowerBI dashboards

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry or related field of science, such as Biology, Engineering, etc. from an accredited college or university
• A minimum of one (1) to three (3) years of supervisory or leadership experience
• Michigan F1 Certification (Drinking Water) or Michigan D Certification (Wastewater)

Other Requirements

• Valid Driver’s License
• Ability to work irregular hours, to commute to GLWA facilities and work sites, and respond to after-hour emergencies and on-call responses

Essential Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential duties of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties. This position requires the ability to climb ladders, scaffolding, work in confined spaces, elevated locations and descend underground, lift a minimum of 50 pounds, walk, stand, or work for long periods of time, demonstrate normal color perception, hear audible alarms and detect abnormal equipment sounds; visually inspect equipment and processes at any time of the day or night, pass vision, biomechanical and baseline physical and annual fit tests, wear respiratory protection and other personal protective equipment; at specific job sites may require the ability to carry, stack, dig, shovel, hit, push, pull and other efforts that require considerable physical strength.

Environmental Working Requirements

This position requires the ability to work in all conditions involving exposure to outside elements and seasonal weather. Work will be in an office or field environment, at remote sites or locations within the GLWA Service Area.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package effective the first of the month following 30 days of employment. Includes health, dental, vision, tuition reimbursement, and team member discount programs.
• Retirement and Retirement Health Savings effective the first day of employment.
• Part-Time employment is not eligible for health benefits, however, is eligible to participate in the 457 Retirement Plan.

GLWA is an equal opportunity employer.

One Water, One Team

When you work at Great Lakes Water Authority, you help make a difference in the environment and in your local community. “One water, one team” is more than just a phrase, it’s a way of doing business. Here, you don’t work for GLWA, you work with GLWA. And together, we’re racing toward a shared goal to become the region’s most-trusted, high-quality water and wastewater resource. We are all strategic partners on the path to becoming a Utility of the Future, and GLWA prioritizes the recruitment and selection of highly talented, well-qualified individuals to help us get there.