Laboratory Manager

Position Summary

The Lab Manager leads and develops the analytical and physical testing laboratory supporting flexible packaging across both plastic films and paper substrates. This role ensures technical excellence, method reliability, safety, and data integrity while fostering a collaborative, high-performance environment for analytical scientists and laboratory technicians.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead and mentor a multidisciplinary team, providing coaching, performance management, and training.
• Cultivate a team-oriented, collaborative environment aligned with Novolex values.
• Set team priorities and balance workloads.

Laboratory Operations Management

• Oversee day-to-day laboratory operations, including scheduling, safety, and resource allocation.
• Establish and track laboratory KPIs.
• Manage laboratory budgeting and equipment planning.

Technical Oversight

• Provide direction and oversight for testing including chemical, thermal, rheological, optical, and physical property testing.
• Demonstrated proficiency with mechanical, thermal, and spectroscopic techniques is required. Expertise with TGA, DSC, FTIR, GC-MS, mechanical load frame testing, and optical microscopy is preferred. Both academic and job-related experience is acceptable.
• Expertise in the assessment of the fundamental properties of polymers and materials is required along with an understanding of secondary and tertiary packaging test methods is ideal as well.
• Knowledge of polymer and materials processing techniques commonly used within the packaging industry is preferred.
• Experience in the identification and quantification of the materials and additives utilize to manufacture plastic and paper-based packaging. Knowledge of analytical methods used to quantify materials, additives, and coatings at the molecular level is required.
• Record of successful new analytical testing method development and scientific report writing.
• Lead method development, validation, and ensure SOP adherence.

Quality, Compliance & Data Integrity

• Lead root-cause analysis for customer complaints and out-of-spec results

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Operations, R&D, Quality, and Commercial teams.

Continuous Improvement

• Drive improvements in automation, data systems, and statistical rigor.
• Ability to collaborate on multidisciplinary teams as required to reach research and business goals.
• Flexibility and the ability to manage and prioritize test requests from multiple business units and stakeholders.
• Ability to set goals and tasks to effectively manage and execute multiple projects with competing deadlines.