Laboratory Manager

SGS; Brits; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,400,000; Full time

Job summary

SGS is seeking a Laboratory Manager to oversee the operation and quality of the laboratory in a mining environment. Responsibilities include health and safety oversight, ensuring ISO/IEC 17025 compliance, and delivering reliable results for customers and regulators.

The role requires strong management, communication skills, and the ability to coordinate a team while maintaining high standards of quality and safety in a fast-paced laboratory setting.

Qualifications

• BSc Chemistry or equivalent is required.
• Extensive laboratory experience in a mining environment is required.
• Strong organisational, verbal and written communication skills are required.

Responsibilities

• Promotes and monitors Health and Safety in the workplace.
• Ensures quality through the QMS and compliance with ISO/IEC 17025.
• Provides technical support and direction for customer services and external clients.
• Ensures compliance to all analysis standards and SGS policies.
• Oversees budgeting for specific projects and new service development.
• Leads laboratory staff and program activities with independent decision-making.

Education

BSc Chemistry or equivalent

Job description

We are SGS – the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company. We are recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. Our 97,000 employees operate a network of 2,600 offices and laboratories, working together to enable a better, safer and more interconnected world.

Job Description

The Laboratory Manager has overall responsibility for the operation and all the functions associated with the Laboratory. Accountabilities include the effectiveness and efficiencies of the laboratory and overall quality. The Laboratory Manager has overall accountability for maintaining laboratory compliance to ISO/IEC 17025 and delivers results to meet both the customers and the regulatory requirements.

• RESPONSIBILITIES
  • Promotes and monitors all aspects of Health and Safety in the workplace.
  • Promotes the highest level of quality and ensures that the QMS is part of the day to day operation with all policies and procedures followed as documented.
  • Communication with all staff and other management.
  • Responsible to provide technical support or direction for customer services and external clients.
  • Ensure compliance to all analysis standards.
  • Adhere to all aspects of SGS policies, procedures and Management and Quality Management system.
  • Assisting in budgeting process for specific projects and new service development.
  • Development and implementation of operational tools and guidelines.
  • Methodology/Procedures.
  • In-house Laboratory Training.
  • Liability protection (e.g. integrity of all correspondence and reports).
  • Ensure effective use of communication tools.
  • Assist in resolving technical situations of unusual complexity or sensitivity and quick action taken to resolve such issues.
  • Ensures consistency and accuracy of policies, quotations and procedures and strategic planning; evaluating activities to recommend changes in processes, regulations and other programs and procedures to improve customer service, review and edit documents to ensure compliance with regulatory and company requirements.
  • Responsible for the direction of laboratory staff and program activities.
  • Independent decision-making responsibilities regarding division.
  • Ensure Environmental policies are being kept and followed.
  • Adhere to all quality and safety requirements of the SGS management system.
  • Perform any other reasonable tasks as assigned by direct line manager.
• SPECIFIC AUTHORITIES
  • Manage and maintain the accredited Quality Managements System in accordance with ISO 17025.
  • Provides supervision and leadership to staff.
  • Authorized to evaluate and report all analytical results.
  • Any person has the right to refuse to perform work that may damage the environment in an imminent and serious way and to report such a situation. The employee has the responsibility to protect the environment as well.
  • Cease the use of any equipment that may be deemed to constitute a safety hazard or entry to hazardous environments without the necessary knowledge and protection, and take action to address the hazard.
  • Cease to carry on with work that may affect the quality (integrity) of services and take action to address the issue.
  • Initiate a formal improvement request when a deviation of the system occurs, possible improvements are identified or when nonconformity is identified.

Qualifications

Education

• BSc Chemistry or equivalent
• Extensive laboratory experience in a mining environment
• Strong organisational, verbal and written communication skills are required

Experience

• 5 Year supervision at management level in a geochemical field.
• Extensive experience with laboratory operations
• Demonstrated interpersonal and organisational skills.
• Must have a good working knowledge of ISO/IEC 17025.
• Must be self‑motivated, able to multi‑task and possesses good verbal and written communication.
• Must have previous management experience and can create a work environment that fosters a team approach
• Acts quickly and decisively; able to make tough calls
• Able to coordinate and motivate a team towards a common goal
• Able to work independently and to coordinate several activities simultaneously
• Is innovative with a systematic approach for problem solving
• Works well under pressure

Additional Information

• Compliant to all SGS QOH&S and HR policies and procedure
• Granted sufficient authority to achieve the given responsibilities as per relevant SGS Authority policies
• Responsible for daily safety and health of site employees (or those reporting to this site) on behalf of SGS upper management and for raising issues to SGS upper management where required
• Ensure all people at the site are adequately inducted in safety and health for each area they are expected to work in
• Ensuring safety and health inductions are carried out, documented and are relevant to the workplace
• Ensuring all safety and health information, materials and resources are disseminated throughout the workforce as required.
• Ensure all people at the site (or reporting to the site) have the skills, knowledge and ability required to undertake their work safely
• Ensuring the whole site is kept up to a good standard of housekeeping at all times
• Ensuring emergency plans are in place and practiced at regular intervals and that all emergency equipment is in place and is ready for use at any time
• Responsible for the site’s performance in terms of injuries, illnesses, near misses and incidents
• As far as able, prevent injury, manage injuries and facilitate early return to work programs at the workplace
• Nominated Quality Management System representative for ISO 9001 / ISO 17025 for this site