Sr. Lab Technologist

Glanbia; Linden (NJ); On-site; USD 40,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Staff discounts

Generous family leave policy

Health & dental plan

401K

Job summary

Glanbia in Linden, New Jersey, seeks a Senior Lab Technologist to lead lab and pilot-scale extraction, distillation, and analytical testing for botanical products. You will drive bench-scale experiments, troubleshoot processes, and support scale-up to meet customer and regulatory requirements.

The role requires 4+ years in lab or pilot plant work, hands-on extraction/destillation experience, and proficiency with GC-FID/HPLC.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• 4+ years of laboratory or pilot plant experience, preferably in flavors, botanicals, or extraction-based processes.
• Strong hands-on expertise in extraction, distillation, and solvent-based processing.
• Proficiency in analytical testing methods and data interpretation, including operation and data analysis of GC-FID and HPLC systems.
• Experience with sensory evaluation methods.
• Solid understanding of GMP, HACCP, and laboratory quality systems.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot technical issues and improve processes.
• Strong organizational, communication, and mentoring skills.

Responsibilities

• Independently operate, optimize, and troubleshoot laboratory and pilot-scale equipment, including percolators, distillation systems, vacuum systems, rotary evaporators.
• Execute complex extractions, distillations, and formulations using natural botanicals; adjust process parameters to improve yield, quality, and consistency.
• Plan and lead sample preparation and fulfillment; manage the sample library and customer-aligned products.
• Conduct analytical and physical testing (e.g., ABV, specific gravity, refractive index, pH) to support development and quality control.
• Plan and lead sensory evaluations, including triangle and preference testing; interpret results for formulation decisions.
• Support product development by running experiments, organizing data, and providing technical input on formulations.
• Lead troubleshooting of equipment and processes; identify root causes and corrective actions.
• Assist in pilot trials and scale-up activities, ensuring transfer to production.
• Maintain GMP, HACCP, and SOP adherence; identify process and documentation improvements.
• Collaborate with Regulatory, Quality, and Operations to support scale-up and commercialization.
• Train and mentor Lab Technologist I and II; provide guidance on lab techniques and equipment.

Skills

Lab leadership

Extraction & distillation

Sensory evaluation

GMP/HACCP

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's in Food Science/Chemistry/ChE

Tools

GC-FID

HPLC

Percolators

Rotary evaporators

Job description

The Senior Lab Technologist is an advanced technical role responsible for leading and supporting product development, pilot-scale processing, and analytical evaluation of botanical extracts and related products. This position combines hands‑on operation of laboratory and pilot equipment with the execution of sensory and analytical testing. As a key technical resource within the R&D team, the Senior Lab Technologist leads and executes bench‑scale experiments, troubleshoot processes, and supports scale‑up to ensure products meet customer expectations and regulatory requirements. The role requires close collaboration with cross‑functional teams, including Production, Quality, and Engineering, to optimize processes and enable successful commercialization.

What You'll Do

• Independently operate, optimize, and troubleshoot laboratory and pilot-scale equipment, including percolators, distillation systems, vacuum systems, rotary evaporators.
• Execute complex extractions, distillations, and formulations using natural botanicals; adjust process parameters to improve yield, quality, and consistency.
• Lead the preparation and timely fulfillment of sample requests, ensuring accuracy and efficiency; maintain familiarity with the sample library to recommend products aligned with customer needs.
• Conduct analytical and physical testing (e.g., ABV, specific gravity, refractive index, pH, and other physical properties) to support both new product development and quality control of existing products; analyze data and communicate findings effectively.
• Plan and lead sensory evaluations, including triangle and preference testing; interpret results to guide formulation and process decisions.
• Support product development by running experiments, organizing data, and providing technical input on formulations and processes.
• Take a lead role in troubleshooting equipment and process issues; identify root causes and recommend corrective actions.
• Assist in pilot trials and scale‑up activities, ensuring processes are transferable to production.
• Maintain strict adherence to GMP, HACCP, and SOPs; identify opportunities for process and documentation improvements.
• Collaborate closely with Regulatory, Quality, and Operations teams to support the successful scale‑up and commercialization of new products.
• Train and mentor Lab Technologist I and II team members; provide guidance on lab techniques, equipment use, and best practices.
• Support documentation efforts, including batch records, SOP updates, and technical reports.

The Skills You Will Bring To The Team

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• 4+ years of laboratory or pilot plant experience, preferably in flavors, botanicals, or extraction-based processes.
• Strong hands‑on expertise in extraction, distillation, and solvent‑based processing.
• Proficiency in analytical testing methods and data interpretation, including operation and data analysis of GC-FID and HPLC systems.
• Experience with sensory evaluation methods.
• Solid understanding of GMP, HACCP, and laboratory quality systems.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot technical issues and improve processes.
• Strong organizational, communication, and mentoring skills.

Where And How You Will Work

The opportunity will be based onsite in Linden, New Jersey.

What we would like to offer you!

• staff discounts
• generous family leave policy
• health & dental plan
• competitive salary
• 401K
• Glanbia provides a reasonable range of compensation for roles; the salary range for this role is $28.85-37.50/hour.
• This range may not be applicable to other locations and targeted salary is midpoint of range.
• Factors that could be used to determine your actual salary may include your specific skills, years of experience and comparison to current employees already in this role.

Glanbia has a unique portfolio of better nutrition brands and ingredients, addressing growing consumer demand in major health and nutrition categories. We play into the growing market trends of active lifestyles and, health and wellness.

At Glanbia, we celebrate diversity, because we know that our individual strengths make us stronger together. We welcome and encourage interest from a wide variety of candidates, and we will give your application consideration, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, or disability status.

At Glanbia, our culture celebrates individuality, knowing that together we are more.