Manager, Laboratory Governance & Operations

Milliken & Company; Hilltop (SC); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Milliken & Company is seeking a Manager, Laboratory Governance & Operations to own the governance system, standards, and operating mechanisms for safe and compliant R&D laboratories. The role focuses on dashboards, procedures, assessments, data analysis, remediation plans, and practical solutions to improve safety, compliance, and efficiency.

The successful candidate will influence governance across R&D, Safety, Facilities, Finance, and Quality, driving continuous improvement through disciplined

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline.
• 7+ years in a lab or manufacturing environment.
• Experience managing complex safety, quality, or R&D standards.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and leadership skills.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement strategies that achieve business objectives.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain laboratory governance documents, standards, templates, SOPs, and policy materials.
• Review laboratory procedures and compare them against established standards to identify gaps.
• Facilitate governance reviews, document findings, and track completion of corrective actions.
• Create decision matrices, risk assessments, laboratory operating guidelines, and governance documentation used by laboratory teams.
• Conduct compliance reviews and track remediation activities resulting from audits and inspections.
• Collect evidence required for internal and external audits.
• Analyze recurring compliance issues and recommend practical solutions.
• Maintain compliance records, dashboards, and audit tracking systems.
• Maintain laboratory operating systems, governance processes, and performance tracking tools.
• Evaluate laboratory workflows and identify opportunities for standardization and simplification.
• Coordinate implementation of laboratory process improvements.
• Monitor adherence to SOPs and governance requirements.
• Maintain laboratory infrastructure inventories, equipment lifecycle plans, and capital project records.
• Analyze laboratory facility needs and prioritize improvement opportunities.
• Prepare recommendations and supporting business cases for infrastructure investments.
• Collect, validate, analyze, and report laboratory performance data.
• Develop dashboards and scorecards that provide visibility into operational performance.
• Identify trends and root causes behind safety, compliance, and operational issues.
• Coordinate activities across R&D, Safety, Facilities, Finance, and Quality functions.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on laboratory governance processes and requirements.
• Facilitate problem-solving discussions and support implementation of agreed actions.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Strategic Planning

Governance

Education

Bachelor's degree in STEM

Job description

Milliken & Company is a global manufacturing leaderwhose focus on materials science delivers tomorrow's breakthroughs today. Fromindustry-leading molecules to sustainable innovations, Milliken creates products thatenhance people's lives and deliver solutions for its customers and communities. Drawing on thousands of patents and a portfolio with applications across the textile, flooring, chemical and healthcare businesses, the company harnesses a shared sense of integrity and excellence to positively impact the world for generations. Discover more about Milliken's curious minds and inspired solutions at Milliken.com and on Facebook, Instagramand LinkedIn.

POSITION TITLE

Manager, Laboratory Governance & Operations

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Manager, Laboratory Governance and Operations own the laboratory governance system, standards, and operating mechanisms that enable safe, compliant, efficient, and innovation-ready R&D laboratories. The successful candidate is a builder and problem solver who enjoys working directly in systems, data, processes, and operational issues. They are comfortable creating dashboards, writing procedures, conducting assessments, analyzing data, managing remediation plans, reviewing laboratory practices, and developing practical solutions that improve safety, compliance, and operational effectiveness. Rather than directing large teams, they achieve results through personal ownership, technical expertise, collaboration, and disciplined execution.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Governance & Standards

• Develop and maintain laboratory governance documents, standards, templates, SOPs, and policy materials.
• Review laboratory procedures and compare them against established standards to identify gaps.
• Facilitate governance reviews, document findings, and track completion of corrective actions.
• Create decision matrices, risk assessments, laboratory operating guidelines, and governance documentation used by laboratory teams.

Audit & Compliance

• Conduct compliance reviews and track remediation activities resulting from audits and inspections.
• Collect evidence required for internal and external audits.
• Analyze recurring compliance issues and recommend practical solutions.
• Maintain compliance records, dashboards, and audit tracking systems.

Laboratory Operations Excellence

• Maintain laboratory operating systems, governance processes, and performance tracking tools.
• Evaluate laboratory workflows and identify opportunities for standardization and simplification.
• Coordinate implementation of laboratory process improvements.
• Monitor adherence to SOPs and governance requirements.

Infrastructure & Capital Stewardship

• Maintain laboratory infrastructure inventories, equipment lifecycle plans, and capital project records.
• Analyze laboratory facility needs and prioritize improvement opportunities.
• Prepare recommendations and supporting business cases for infrastructure investments.

Data, Metrics & Reporting

• Collect, validate, analyze, and report laboratory performance data.
• Develop dashboards and scorecards that provide visibility into operational performance.
• Identify trends and root causes behind safety, compliance, and operational issues.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Coordinate activities across R&D, Safety, Facilities, Finance, and Quality functions.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on laboratory governance processes and requirements.
• Facilitate problem-solving discussions and support implementation of agreed actions.

QUALIFICATIONS - REQUIRED

• Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline (e.g., chemistry, materials science, chemical engineering, biology, mechanical engineering, data science, computer science).
• 7+ years in a lab or manufacturing environment
• Proven experience in managing complex standards for safety, quality, or R&D processes.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and leadership skills.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement strategies that achieve business objectives.

QUALIFICATIONS - PREFERRED

• Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in a scientific, engineering, or data-focused field.

Milliken is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition, including but not limited to lactation), sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression (including transgender status), ancestry, national origin, citizenship, age physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran or military status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

To request a reasonable accommodation to complete a job application, pre-employment testing, a job interview, or to otherwise participate in the hiring process, please contact [e-mail].