Laboratory & Quality Assurance Manager

**Snapshot of a Day-in-the-Life**:

- Supervision: Manage staff performance through communication of responsibilities and expectations, coaching, rewards and recognition, documenting and evaluating performance while providing support to reach staff’s objectives.
- Microbiology Skills: Maintain in-depth functional knowledge and capability to perform the test methods currently in scope and in use in the laboratory. This may include proficiency testing.
- Communication: Act as a point of contact between the laboratory and its stakeholders, including sample submitters, veterinarians, other laboratories, and management team. Provide stakeholders with accurate, consistent and timely information, consulting with appropriate resources when required.
- Equipment Maintenance: Schedule equipment maintenance, preventative maintenance, calibration and verification. Maintain the equipment files/records of all laboratory equipment. Prepare Capital Expenditure Requests (CER) as required.
- Documentation: Adapt and/or improve existing laboratory techniques and methods; write, update and review analytical procedure protocols (SOPs), validations, verifications, measurement of uncertainty reports, project reports.
- Housekeeping: Manage laboratory housekeeping schedule and standards, including environmental monitoring program.
- Training: Gathering and analyzing information to design, develop, and deliver new training programs that are efficient, and effective. Performing training needs analysis by assessing the skill level, performance, and competence of each trainee.
- Proficiency testing: Conduct validation activities such as parallel testing, quizzes and ensuring competency through demonstration. Actively participate in the scheduling, performance and technical proficiency reviews of the laboratory technical staff.
- Analysis: Analyze test results, interpret scientific data and provide an assessment of any potential risks/impact to the organization.
- Scheduling: Organizing the daily workflow of the lab through the prioritization of analysis, project work and proficiency testing and adjusting the schedule for any staffing issues. Perform technical staff duties during high volume work periods and/or during staff shortages.
- Auditor: Conduct and/or participate in internal and external audits. Identify non-conformances, perform and/or assign investigations using root cause analysis ensuring the implementation of audit recommendations and staff compliance.
- Performance management: Aid in the data collection for key performance indicators (KPIs) and in establishing performance improvement initiatives, including quality and sanitation performance, laboratory performance, and pathogen results.
- Quality programs: Oversee hatchery regulatory and quality assurance programs such as HACCP/PCP protocols, poultry pathogen monitoring, and sanitation monitoring.
- Quality investigation: Oversee QA team in investigating issues related to incubation and hatch to continuously improve chick quality. Support veterinarians in investigating bird health and quality issues.
- Safety: Ensure employee, customer, and visitor safety and overall compliance with the Occupational Health & Safety Act. This includes participating in and/or reviewing all safety audits and ensuring the implementation of audit recommendations and staff compliance.
- Compliance: Provide ongoing management support for regulatory and compliance programs, including leading internal and external audits for the laboratory (ISO 9001) and hatcheries (HACCP/PCP; animal welfare). Ensure timely resolution of necessary corrective action items associated with all audits or CFIA concerns.
- Team development: Ability to foster a developing a constructive and positive work environment through excellent interpersonal, team building skills, open communications, encouraging input and constructive performance management
- Continuous improvement: Use fact-based analysis, provide recommendations to continuously improve the facility quality and food safety systems.
- Change management: Support or lead change management activities related to existing and new processes, programs and/or systems.
- Financial performance: Prepare the annual budget and ensure ongoing budgetary adherence.

**What You’ll Bring**: Along with a B.Sc. or Technical Diploma (minimum) in relevant sciences; Microbiology (preferred) or Biology/Food Science with emphasis on food/environmental biology, and four (4) years of work experience in a microbiology laboratory or food industry, we are looking for people who are passionate about coaching and inspiring others and have experience leading teams to deliver winning results. With strong adherence to our Company values, you will be able to develop, foster, and influence relationships within a diverse workforce. You’re invested in the development of each of your team members and willing to jump in to support as needed. You are passionate about safety and promote a culture where sa