Lab Technician I - 1st Shift

Empire Candle Co., LLC

We are a candle company located in Kansas City, KS. Yes, our candles are made here LOCALLY! For 75 years, Empire Candle Co. has soared above the industry standard to deliver our high-quality Tuscany candle and fragrance innovations. As a full-service manufacturer of candles, wax melts, and home fragrance accessories, we always strive to improve our customers’ experience with our dynamic range of reliable products.

Position Overview

Provide support to the lab through basic sample preparation, burn testing, and housekeeping. Assist production by verifying samples prior to running them.

Schedule: 7:00am-3:30pm, Monday-Friday

Starting Pay Rate: $18/hour

Essential Job Functions (include, but not limited to)

• Pour candles and wax melts to fill sample requests, ensuring precision and adherence to specifications.

• Pour product development candles for burn testing, following established protocols to ensure reliable results.

• Verify issued dye and fragrance for Mix Operators to use in production, maintaining detailed records of materials issued.

• Approve production in-process batch samples, ensuring consistency and compliance with quality standards.

• Create fade testing samples.

• Perform Quality Control burn testing and accurately record data, ensuring compliance with established standards.

• Accurately follow and complete batch sheets for all wax types, ensuring thorough and precise documentation.

• Perform testing, data collection, and entry for burn testing, ensuring accurate and thorough records.

• Clean dye vessels to assist the Dye Technician, ensuring equipment is ready for use.

• Follow good laboratory practices at all times, maintaining a clean and organized work environment.

• Ensure compliance with safety regulations and best practices to promote a safe working environment.

• Perform other duties as assigned to support laboratory operations and continuous improvement.

Requirements – Education, Skills and Experiences

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to satisfactorily complete each essential duty. The requirements listed below are represent the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for the role.

• High school diploma or equivalent.

• 6 months of lab or production experience is a plus.

• Experience in candle manufacturing is a plus.

• Coursework in STEMs is a plus.

• Basic proficiency with computers, including Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel.

• Basic math proficiency and strong attention to detail.

• Good communication skills (both written and verbal) with neat handwriting.

• Ability to multitask and prioritize projects.

• Good color acuity required.

Requirements – Physical& Environmental

• Ability to stand for prolonged periods of time, walk around the plant, stoop, lift, and carry up to 35 pounds repetitively.

• Frequent bending, stooping, lifting, reaching, and handling objects requiring manual dexterity.

• Prolonged periods of working on a computer.

• Low sensitivity to a highly fragranced work environment.

• Exposure to marked changes in temperature and/or humidity.

WHAT WE OFFER:

Benefits: Health, Dental, Vision, Short Term Disability, Basic & Voluntary Life insurance

Savings Plan: 401k Plan with Strong Employer Match

Work/Life Balance: PTO+ seven (7) Paid Holidays

Education: Tuition Reimbursement Program

Health & Fitness: FREE Planet Fitness Membership

Good Smells: Largely discounted Candles + FREE candle giveaways

Diversity & Inclusion: We are candlemakers, who come from a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences. We celebrate all dimensions of diversity and currently employee nine (9) various nationalities, from twenty-two (22) countries.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Empire Candle CO., LLC provides a competitive compensation and benefits package and is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts, or working conditions associate with the job. While this list is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, the Company reserves the right to revise the functions and duties of the job or to require that additional or different tasks be performed when circumstances change (i.e., emergencies, changes in personnel, work load, rush jobs, or technological developments).