Material Science Lab Manager - Lead Testing & Innovation

Elchemie; Durban; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits

Job summary

Elchemie in Durban, South Africa, seeks a senior Laboratory Manager to lead a dedicated Material Science Laboratory. You will supervise analytical and physical testing, drive method development, and ensure ISO 9001 quality compliance across global product testing and certifications.

The role requires a BSc Honours in a relevant field, 5+ years of management experience, and strong problem-solving skills to support development, manufacturing and customer applications.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science Honours in Analytical Chemistry or related field.
• NQF Level 8 qualification.
• Minimum 5 years' experience in a technical or laboratory management role.
• At least 2 years in technical customer service or product development environment.
• Experience with ISO 9001 quality management systems.
• Experience supervising technical personnel and laboratory operations.
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage the Material Science Laboratory.
• Perform, interpret and validate analytical and physical analyses with technical support for development, manufacturing, QA, procurement and customer applications.
• Maintain laboratory capability and independence in testing.
• Provide technical leadership and data-driven decisions without intervention by subordinates.
• Oversee daily operations of analytical and physical property testing lab.
• Lead and develop laboratory personnel to maximise productivity and capability.
• Support Technical Services with investigations, formulation support and benchmarking.
• Manage product testing, approvals and certifications nationally and internationally.
• Maintain raw material and supplier qualification systems.
• Develop and validate new analytical and physical testing methods.
• Ensure ISO 9001 compliance and lab best practices.
• Manage lab budgets, consumables and equipment.
• Drive continuous improvement to boost efficiency and turnaround times.

Skills

Analytical chemistry

Laboratory management

Polymer science

Materials science

Quality systems (ISO 9001)

Analytical problem-solving

Team leadership

Data interpretation

Education

BSc Honours in Analytical Chemistry / related

NQF Level 8 qualification

Tools

Laboratory instrumentation

Job description

Elchemie in Durban, South Africa, seeks a senior Laboratory Manager to lead a dedicated Material Science Laboratory. You will supervise analytical and physical testing, drive method development, and ensure ISO 9001 quality compliance across global product testing and certifications.

The role requires a BSc Honours in a relevant field, 5+ years of management experience, and strong problem-solving skills to support development, manufacturing and customer applications.