Our client is a growing business within the food ingredients and nutraceutical sector, seeking a technically strong professional to lead analytical testing activities and play a key role in ensuring product quality, food safety and regulatory compliance.
Role Overview
This is a hands-on laboratory position with full responsibility for the end-to-end testing and technical assessment of incoming raw materials and ingredients. You'll manage the complete analytical process, from sample receipt through to interpretation, reporting and communication of results, ensuring all materials meet approved specifications, quality standards and relevant legislation. The role offers a unique opportunity to become the technical owner of laboratory data and analytical decision-making within a fast-paced and growing organisation.
Key Accountabilities
- Conduct chemical and physical testing of incoming raw materials, including identity, potency, purity, contaminant and specification testing.
- Take full ownership of the analytical testing lifecycle from sample receipt, preparation and analysis through to reporting and archival of results.
- Assess results against approved specifications and regulatory requirements, providing clear technical interpretation to stakeholders.
- Select, verify, validate and transfer test methods where required.
- Operate, maintain and troubleshoot analytical instrumentation including HPLC and ICP-OES systems.
- Ensure the highest standards of data integrity, traceability and laboratory record keeping.
- Review and approve analytical results, issuing Certificates of Analysis and technical reports.
- Lead investigations into out-of-specification, out-of-trend and atypical results, identifying root causes and corrective actions.
- Support supplier qualification activities through review of Certificates of Analysis and technical documentation.
- Maintain laboratory quality systems, SOPs, specifications, calibration programmes and audit readiness.
- Promote safe laboratory practices and ensure compliance with health, safety and environmental requirements.
People Profile
- Degree qualified in Analytical Chemistry, Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Science, Food Science or a related scientific discipline. A postgraduate qualification would be advantageous.
- Minimum three years' analytical laboratory experience within the food, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical or another highly regulated environment.
- Demonstrable hands-on experience operating HPLC and ICP-OES instrumentation, with the ability to confidently interpret analytical results.
- Strong understanding of raw material testing, specifications and supplier analytical documentation.
- Knowledge of UK/EU food or food supplement legislation, particularly around ingredient safety, contaminants and traceability.
- Experience in method validation, instrument qualification, calibration and laboratory investigations.
- Familiarity with quality systems, GMP principles and ISO/IEC 17025 laboratory standards would be highly beneficial.
- Strong analytical judgement, excellent attention to detail and a proactive approach to problem-solving.
- Confident communicator, capable of presenting complex technical information to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Competent user of Microsoft Office and laboratory data management systems, with LIMS experience desirable.
We regret we can not offer visa sponsorship and can only consider candidates who hold right to work in the UK.
To apply, please e-mail in strict confidence, with a comprehensive CV, including salary details, quoting the above reference and for the attention of James Constable.
Due to a high volume of responses, we cannot reply to each application individually. If you have not had a response within one week, we are sorry to say your application has not been successful on this occasion.
