Lab Operations Manager

Key Responsibilities

Laboratory Operations Management

• Ability to set up the new laboratories and lead them
• Manage end-to-end laboratory operations for food quality and food safety testing.
• Develop standardized testing protocols for:
• Incoming materials
• In-process materials
• Finished goods
• Packaging materials
• Ensure proper calibration, maintenance, and validation of laboratory equipment.
• Drive laboratory discipline, documentation, and GLP (Good Laboratory Practices).

Sensory Evaluation Systems

• Develop structured sensory evaluation programs for:
• Taste
• Aroma
• Texture
• Appearance
• Cooking performance
• Create sensory scorecards and benchmarking standards.
• Conduct panel training and calibration for sensory teams.
• Support product approval and vendor qualification through sensory analysis.

Vendor & Factory Quality Support

• Support procurement and operations teams through scientific quality validation.
• Define sampling protocols and inspection methodologies.
• Drive incoming material quality assurance systems.
• Support vendor audits and CAPA closures through laboratory data analysis.

Lab Infrastructure & Technology

• Identify and implement suitable laboratory technologies and instruments.
• Ensure effective utilization of:
• Moisture analysers
• Colour sort validation tools
• Weighing systems
• Microbiology testing equipment
• Sieve analysis systems
• Rapid adulteration kits
• Drive digitization of laboratory records and reporting systems.

Data Management & Reporting

• Publish laboratory MIS and trend analysis reports.
• Track:
• Product deviations
• Vendor quality trends
• Batch failures
• Complaint analysis
• Shelf-life observations

Support RCA (Root Cause Analysis) and CAPA implementation.

NABL & Compliance Systems

• Lead implementation and sustenance of systems aligned with:
• NABL accreditation requirements
• ISO/IEC 17025: 2017 standards
• FSSAI testing norms
• Internal QA standards
• Prepare laboratories for internal and external audits.
• Ensure method validation, traceability, documentation control, and record integrity.
• Coordinate proficiency testing and inter-lab comparison programs.

Quality Testing & Analytical Controls

• Establish testing standards for staples categories including:

• Cereals, Breakfast cereals and Grains

• Pulses and Dals

• Sugar and Sweeteners

• Floors and Milling Products

• Dry fruits and Nuts

• Spices and Masalas/Branded Masalas

• Powder Spices

• Salt and Seasonings

• Regional Staple

• Packaged grocery categories

• Monitor critical quality parameters such as:

• Moisture

• Foreign matter

• Adulteration

• Grain size

• Broken percentage

• Ash content

• Gluten

• Microbial parameters

• Aflatoxins & contaminants

• Pesticide residues (through external labs where applicable)