Laboratory Production Team Lead

**Laboratory Production Team Lead**

**Position**: Laboratory Production Team Lead (Full-Time)

**Location**: Kitchener, Ontario

**Department**:Production

**Experience**: 5+ years of lab experience & 2+ supervisor, team lead or manager experience

**Education**: post-secondary education in Biotechnology, Biochemistry, or related field.

**About Nicoya**:
Nicoya’s mission is to improve human life by helping scientists succeed. We are a fast-paced, rapidly growing company with a worldwide presence based in Kitchener, Ontario - Canada's Silicon Valley. We have a team of world-class engineers, scientists, and designers building disruptive products to help researchers make their next big discovery. Our newest product, Alto, is a scientific instrument for the biotechnology research and drug discovery industry. It provides detailed information on molecular interactions using optical nanosensor technology known as localized surface plasmon resonance (SPR). It is the first SPR instrument on the market to incorporate Digital Microfluidics technology which has disrupted an industry that has been primarily dominated by highly expensive and complex instrumentation. We recently raised a $20 million Series A Extension to boost development, sales and marketing initiatives for Alto.

**About the Role**:
You will be responsible for leading, training, and developing a team of talented laboratory production technicians across both established and new product lines. You will also contribute to daily laboratory production outputs. The role will collaborate with quality, NPI, production planning, procurement, R&D, and hardware production leads for product/process updates, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement. The primary goals of the role will be to ensure laboratory protocols and new changes are executed according to our QMS, production targets are hit, issues are resolved or escalated, and the team stays motivated through coaching, skills development, and career progression.

**What you will do**:

- Hire, train, and coach a team of biotechnology laboratory production and quality control technicians
- Contribute to the development of a team growth vision and strategy that aligns with the company strategy
- Provide career progression and skill development guidance
- Work with production planning to manage technician and equipment schedules
- Responsible for executing daily production tasks while leading the team
- Responsible for training staff on new lab production process and procedures
- Operate, maintain, and provide training for a wide range of laboratory equipment
- Accountable for hitting production targets for both customer and internal demand needs
- Responsible for ensuring the team executes the processes in accordance with our QMS
- Initiate continuous improvements to increase quality and productivity
- Accountable for ensuring all production data is tracked, accurate and entered in a timely manner
- Accountable for ensuring the team maintains an organized and GLP-compliant workspace
- Ensure the team operates in a safe manner and wears the proper PPE.
- Be the go-to expert for all released lab production processes
- Other tasks as required

**About You**:

- Experience with leading and coaching a lab-based production team
- Comfortable in a rapidly changing environment
- High attention to detail
- Experience with GLP
- Effective at troubleshooting issues
- Understanding of lean manufacturing
- A diploma or degree in biotechnology, science, chemistry, or related field

**Bonus if you have experience with**:

- Experience in both high-volume and low-volume high-mix production
- Six Sigma
- Working with tight mechanical tolerances
- ISO 13485 environment
- Cleanrooms

**Important note**:
Nicoya is an inclusive and equal opportunity employer. If you require an accommodation to participate in the recruitment process, please let us know. We will accommodate your needs as required under applicable legislation. Information related to accommodation requirements will be addressed confidentially.