Laboratory Director

Certified Group; Carrollton (TX); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A personal care and cosmetics laboratory is seeking an experienced Lab Director to lead the Chemistry and Microbiology teams in Carrollton, TX. The successful candidate will be responsible for driving operational excellence and ensuring high-quality analytical results. With at least 10 years of experience in analytical chemistry and proven leadership skills, the Lab Director will manage daily laboratory operations and maintain compliance with industry standards. This role offers an opportunity to mentor teams while contributing to the lab's success in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of hands-on analytical chemistry experience.
• Experience with method development, optimization, validation, and troubleshooting.
• Strong leadership experience in a high-throughput laboratory.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Chemistry and Microbiology teams to ensure high-quality operations.
• Oversee method development, optimization, and regulatory compliance.
• Manage laboratory operations, including staffing and performance metrics.

Skills

Analytical chemistry

Method development

Leadership

Communication skills

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Chemistry

Tools

HPLC

LC-MS

GC

GC-MS

Job description

We are a growing personal care and cosmetics laboratory based in Carrollton, TX, supporting product development, testing, and quality for a wide range of beauty and personal care products. Our team of approximately 40–50 scientists and technicians operates in a fast-paced, high-throughput environment focused on scientific rigor, regulatory compliance, and exceptional client service.

We are seeking an experienced Lab Director to lead our Chemistry and Microbiology teams, drive operational excellence, and continue strengthening the technical capabilities of our laboratory.

Position Overview

The Lab Director will provide strategic and operational leadership for the Chemistry and Microbiology departments while maintaining full operational and financial ownership of the Carrollton laboratory site. This role is responsible for ensuring high-quality analytical results, efficient laboratory operations, regulatory compliance, and strong financial performance.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on technical leader with deep expertise in analytical chemistry, method development, and laboratory operations who can mentor teams, guide complex analytical problem-solving, and manage the business performance of the site.

Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Analytical Expertise

• Provide technical leadership across analytical chemistry operations, including method principles, sample preparation, trace analysis, and troubleshooting.
• Serve as a subject matter expert for analytical techniques including HPLC, LC-MS, GC, and GC-MS.
• Support complex investigations and analytical challenges across chemistry and microbiology teams.

Method Development & Validation

• Lead the development, optimization, validation, and troubleshooting of analytical methods.
• Oversee method transfers and ensure robustness and reproducibility of analytical procedures.
• Ensure methods support product development, quality testing, and regulatory requirements.

Laboratory Operations

• Direct daily laboratory operations for both Chemistry and Microbiology teams.
• Manage staffing, scheduling, workload prioritization, and performance metrics.
• Drive operational efficiency, on-time project delivery, backlog reduction, and high-quality results.
• Maintain P&L ownership for the Carrollton laboratory, including revenue performance, operational costs, and profitability.
• Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency, expand service capabilities, and support business growth.
• Partner with commercial and leadership teams to align laboratory capacity with client demand and growth initiatives.

Quality & Regulatory Compliance

• Maintain strong adherence to quality systems including ISO 17025, GMP, and GLP standards.
• Ensure SOP compliance and oversee deviation investigations and CAPA processes.
• Partner closely with Quality Assurance to maintain regulatory readiness and continuous improvement.
• Lead, mentor, and develop chemists, microbiologists, and supervisors.
• Build technical depth through coaching, cross-training, and structured development plans.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performance laboratory culture focused on scientific excellence.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, or a closely related field (advanced degrees preferred).
• 10+ years of hands-on analytical chemistry experience.
• Demonstrated expertise with HPLC, LC-MS, GC, and GC-MS.
• Proven experience in method development, optimization, validation, and troubleshooting.
• Strong leadership experience managing teams in a high-throughput laboratory environment.
• Experience with P&L responsibility, budgeting, and financial oversight for laboratory operations.
• In-depth knowledge of ISO 17025, GMP/GLP, and laboratory quality systems.
• Experience mentoring and developing technical staff.
• Excellent analytical problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate across teams.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic, fast-paced laboratory.