Senior Microbiologist & Lab Lead - Environmental Testing

Placements24; Rustenburg; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 1,100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Professional development

Modern facilities

Job summary

Placements24 in Rustenburg is seeking a Senior Microbiologist to lead the microbiology laboratory operations, ensuring the accuracy and integrity of analyses for a diverse client base including water utilities, industry, and food producers.

You will develop and implement new testing methodologies, uphold QA/QC standards (ISO 17025), mentor staff, and provide clients with expert technical support, while contributing to continuous improvement in a state‑of‑the‑art facility.

Qualifications

• MSc or PhD in Microbiology, Environmental Science, or related field.
• Minimum 7 years in clinical/environmental/industrial microbiology.
• Expertise in broad microbiological techniques incl. culturing, identification, enumeration, and molecular methods.
• Knowledge of ISO 17025 and QA/QC.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all laboratory operations from receipt to analysis.
• Perform advanced microbiological testing including culturing, microscopy, and PCR.
• Develop and validate new testing methodologies.
• Ensure QA/QC compliance with ISO 17025.
• Interpret and report results accurately.
• Train and supervise junior staff.
• Manage inventory, equipment, and consumables.
• Provide technical guidance and liaise with clients.
• Support process improvement initiatives.
• Lead in maintaining accreditation standards.

Skills

MALDI-TOF

API systems

Bacterial culturing

PCR techniques

LIMS

Education

MSc or PhD in Microbiology

Tools

MALDI-TOF instrument

PCR equipment

Job description

Placements24 in Rustenburg is seeking a Senior Microbiologist to lead the microbiology laboratory operations, ensuring the accuracy and integrity of analyses for a diverse client base including water utilities, industry, and food producers.

You will develop and implement new testing methodologies, uphold QA/QC standards (ISO 17025), mentor staff, and provide clients with expert technical support, while contributing to continuous improvement in a state‑of‑the‑art facility.