Lab Manager - Food Testing

X4 Engineering; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 81,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary up to $135,000

Performance bonus

Benefits package

Career development

Leadership role in established lab

Job summary

X4 Engineering, an established international scientific testing organisation, seeks a Food Testing Laboratory Manager to oversee operations at its Pennsylvania site. You will lead daily lab efforts, drive quality, and build a high-performing team delivering accurate food testing results across the industry.

The role combines hands-on laboratory leadership with strategic growth, capital planning, and adherence to accreditation standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related scientific discipline.
• Significant experience in a food testing laboratory or regulated setting.
• Experience leading laboratory operations and technical teams.
• Strong understanding of food testing methodologies and regulatory requirements.
• Familiarity with ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation and audits.
• Proven ability to manage performance, workflow, KPIs, and turnaround times.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily laboratory operations with efficient workflows and timely testing programs.
• Manage, develop, and mentor laboratory personnel to build a high-performing team.
• Ensure adherence to quality systems, regulatory requirements, and accreditation standards.
• Oversee food testing activities to ensure accuracy and reliability of results.
• Monitor KPIs, turnaround times, capacity, and service levels; drive improvements.

Skills

Laboratory Leadership

People Management

Quality & Compliance

Operational Performance

Continuous Improvement

Strategic Development

Budgeting & Cost Management

Customer Relationships

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, Biology, or related field

Job description

An established, international scientific testing organisation is seeking an experienced Food Testing Laboratory Manager to lead laboratory operations at its Pennsylvania facility.

This is an opportunity for a hands-on laboratory leader to oversee day-to-day testing operations, drive quality and regulatory compliance, develop a high-performing technical team, and ensure the delivery of accurate, reliable results to customers across the food industry.

The successful candidate will combine strong food laboratory expertise with proven people leadership, operational management, and a continuous improvement mindset.

Key Responsibilities

• Laboratory Leadership: Lead daily laboratory operations, ensuring efficient workflows, effective resource allocation, and timely delivery of customer testing programmes.
• People Management: Manage, develop, and mentor laboratory personnel, including technical staff, supervisors, and analysts, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and technical excellence.
• Quality & Compliance: Ensure adherence to applicable regulatory requirements, laboratory quality systems, accreditation standards, and internal procedures.
• Food Testing Operations: Oversee food testing activities, ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and reliability of analytical results and associated reporting.
• Operational Performance: Monitor laboratory KPIs, turnaround times, productivity, capacity, and service levels, implementing improvements where required.
• Health & Safety: Maintain high standards of laboratory safety, risk management, and compliance with relevant environmental and workplace requirements.
• Customer Relationships: Work closely with customers and internal stakeholders to resolve technical issues, maintain service quality, and support long-term client relationships.
• Financial Management: Support budgeting, cost control, resource planning, and operational performance against business objectives.
• Continuous Improvement: Identify opportunities to improve laboratory processes, increase efficiency, reduce errors, and strengthen overall service delivery.
• Strategic Development: Collaborate with senior leadership on laboratory growth, equipment investment, technical capabilities, and future operational requirements.

Candidate Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, Biology, or a related scientific discipline.
• Significant experience working within a food testing laboratory, analytical testing environment, or a closely related regulated laboratory setting.
• Previous experience managing laboratory operations and leading technical teams.
• Strong understanding of food testing methodologies, laboratory quality systems, and relevant regulatory and accreditation requirements.
• Familiarity with recognised standards such as ISO/IEC 17025, with experience supporting laboratory accreditation, audits, and corrective actions.
• Demonstrable experience managing laboratory performance, workflow, turnaround times, and operational KPIs.
• Strong leadership and communication skills, with the ability to develop teams and maintain high technical standards.
• Commercial awareness, including experience with budgets, cost management, resource planning, and operational efficiency.
• A proactive approach to problem-solving, continuous improvement, and maintaining customer satisfaction.
• Experience in a high-throughput food testing laboratory.
• Knowledge of microbiological and/or chemical food analysis.
• Experience with food safety regulations and relevant industry requirements.
• Experience implementing process improvements, managing laboratory change, or expanding testing capabilities.
• Experience working within a multi-site laboratory or wider scientific testing organisation.
• Base salary of up to $135,000, depending on experience.
• Performance-related bonus.
• Comprehensive employee benefits package.
• Opportunity to lead an established laboratory operation within a recognised international scientific testing environment.
• Long-term career development opportunities within a growing technical organisation.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a technically credible laboratory leader who can balance scientific quality with operational performance. They will be comfortable managing people, improving laboratory efficiency, maintaining accreditation standards, and ensuring customers receive consistently high-quality testing services.

Candidates who combine food testing expertise with strong operational leadership and a track record of developing laboratory teams are particularly encouraged to apply.