Job Title: Incoming & Lab Specialist - Contract Position
*No relocation available, only candidates living in Cork or have accommodation available in Cork
Main Role:
The Laboratory Specialist is responsible for overseeing the quality control of incoming raw materials, packaging, and finished products, ensuring compliance with company standards to prevent any quality issues during production. This includes supervising the execution of both physical and chemical analyses on raw materials, semi-finished, and finished goods, ensuring the products meet technological quality standards and are marketable.
Key Responsibilities:
- Supervise laboratory analysis activities, including chemical, physical, packaging, and sensory tests, following established methods defined by the central lab.
- Manage the effective operation of plant laboratories in line with central guidelines, including reagent storage, instrument calibration, safety regulation compliance, and adherence to central methods and procedures.
- Perform internal and external sampling based on SAP sampling plans, ensuring compliance with packaging, raw material specifications, food safety standards, and international production and laboratory guidelines.
- Oversee sample collection and preparation according to central team standards, ensuring proper identification and timely delivery to internal and external laboratories.
- Facilitate communication between Production and Quality teams to ensure the execution of laboratory analyses.
- Conduct appropriate laboratory analyses based on materials and products, utilizing proper instruments for qualitative assessments.
- Enter and manage data in SAP, including control calendar results, and supervise data analysis and interpretation to ensure accurate outcomes and proper IT data entry.
- Regularly analyse inbound raw materials, semi-finished products, and finished goods, identifying and addressing anomalies as needed.
- Issue non-conformity reports when parameters fall outside of acceptable standards.
- Daily use of SAP to create quality notifications for out-of-specification materials, collaborating with suppliers to resolve issues and implement corrective actions and to monitor stock movements.
- Ensure laboratory instruments are available and functioning properly, coordinating with technical teams for maintenance and calibration.
- Perform packaging material stock controls and manage offers/donations for laboratory instrument purchases.
- Support the Technical Purchasing department in negotiations for new laboratory instruments and materials and manage purchase requisitions for consumables and equipment.
- Inspect internal and external warehouses and logistics services to ensure quality compliance.
- Manage and develop subordinate staff in line with company principles, ensuring efficient organizational structure and shift management.
Qualifications & Knowledge Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in food science, Food Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, or a related field with at least 3 years of relevant experience in the food industry.
- Expertise in analytical and sensory testing methods.
- Proficiency with SAP QM.
- Strong understanding of raw materials, production processes, and quality control procedures.
- Familiarity with quality standards, sampling techniques, laboratory analysis (chemistry and microbiology), and central quality specifications.
- Knowledge of calibration procedures and ISO 9001, FSSC 22000, and food industry quality standards.
- Strong analytical skills with attention to detail and ability to gather, analyse, and report information effectively.
- Familiarity with legal and corporate requirements for ingredient/product/packaging material testing.
- Experience in internal auditing of Quality and Food Safety Management Systems.
- Proficiency in English, both written and spoken.
