Plant Technical Superintendent

Purpose of the job:

To provide technical and operational leadership to the laboratory function within the manufacturing facility, ensuring that analytical services are accurate, reliable, timely and fit for purpose to support safe and efficient manufacturing operations. The Laboratory Technical Superintendent is accountable for the technical integrity of laboratory methods, analytical equipment, quality systems, laboratory performance and technical competence of laboratory personnel. The role provides specialist analytical support to Production, Quality, Process Engineering, Maintenance, SHEQ, Research & Development and Supply Chain.

Required outputs: Functional

Laboratory Technical Leadership

•    Provide technical leadership and direction to the laboratory team.
•    Ensure the laboratory has the analytical capability required to support current and future manufacturing processes.
•    Establish and maintain appropriate analytical methods, specifications, sampling plans and testing frequencies.
•    Review and approve analytical methods, method changes and technical procedures within delegated authority.
•    Ensure analytical methods are validated, verified and fit for their intended purpose.
•    Provide technical interpretation of laboratory results and identify trends, anomalies and potential process issues.
•    Act as the laboratory's technical interface with Production, Process Engineering, Quality and other technical functions.
•    Provide expert technical support during process deviations, investigations, customer complaints and product-quality issues.
•    Lead root-cause investigations where laboratory or analytical performance contributes to a process or quality deviation.

Laboratory Operations

•    Ensure effective day-to-day operation of the laboratory to meet production and quality requirements.
•    Establish priorities based on production requirements, critical analyses and business needs.
•    Ensure laboratory turnaround times meet agreed service levels.
•    Monitor laboratory workload, capacity and resource requirements.
•    Ensure effective sample management, identification, preparation, testing and disposal.
•    Ensure laboratory housekeeping and 5S standards are maintained.
•    Ensure appropriate segregation and handling of chemicals, samples and hazardous materials.
•    Ensure laboratory activities do not compromise manufacturing continuity or SHEQ requirements

Management and Compliance

•    Maintain and continuously improve the laboratory quality management system.
•    Ensure compliance with applicable legislation, company standards, customer requirements and relevant laboratory standards.
•    Maintain appropriate laboratory documentation, procedures, work instructions and records.
•    Ensure analytical results are traceable, accurate and defensible.
•    Monitor and manage non-conforming analytical results.
•    Lead investigations into out-of-specification (OOS), out-of-trend (OOT) and questionable results.
•    Ensure appropriate corrective and preventive actions are implemented.
•    Participate in internal and external audits and ensure laboratory findings are effectively closed out.
•    Maintain laboratory readiness for customer, regulatory and accreditation audits where applicable.
•    Ensure appropriate control of laboratory chemicals, standards, reagents and reference materials.

Analytical Equipment and Asset Management
•    Ensure laboratory equipment is fit for purpose, available and maintained to required standards.
•    Establish and manage calibration, verification and preventive-maintenance programmes.
•    Ensure equipment failures are investigated and resolved promptly.
•    Manage equipment lifecycle requirements, including replacement and obsolescence planning.
•    Develop technical specifications for new laboratory equipment.
•    Participate in equipment procurement, commissioning, qualification and acceptance.
•    Ensure critical laboratory equipment has appropriate contingency arrangements.
•    Monitor equipment reliability and identify opportunities to improve laboratory uptime.

People Leadership and Competence
•    Lead, coach and develop laboratory personnel to achieve high levels of technical competence and performance.
•    Establish competency requirements for laboratory roles.
•    Develop and maintain laboratory competency matrices.
•    Ensure employees are trained and assessed as competent before performing critical analytical activities independently.
•    Identify technical skills gaps and implement appropriate development plans.
•    Conduct performance management in accordance with company requirements.
•    Build a culture of technical excellence, accountability, safety and continuous improvement.
•    Develop succession plans for critical laboratory capabilities.
•    Promote effective communication between the laboratory and manufacturing teams.

Manufacturing and Process Support
•    Provide analytical support to Production for process control and troubleshooting.
•    Identify analytical trends that may indicate developing process problems.
•    Support process optimisation and continuous improvement initiatives.
•    Participate in plant investigations, HAZOPs, risk assessments and process improvement projects where laboratory expertise is required.
•    Support commissioning and start-up of new processes and equipment.
•    Assist Process Engineering in establishing appropriate process-control parameters and analytical requirements.
•    Provide rapid technical support during process upsets and abnormal operating conditions.
•    Support product development, scale-up and process changes from an analytical perspective.

Safety, Health and Environmental
•    Ensure all laboratory activities are conducted in accordance with company SHEQ standards.
•    Maintain appropriate controls for laboratory chemicals, hazardous substances and waste.
•    Ensure appropriate risk assessments, SOPs and safe-work procedures are in place.
•    Promote a proactive safety culture within the laboratory.
•    Investigate laboratory incidents and implement corrective actions.
•    Ensure appropriate management of laboratory waste and environmentally sensitive materials.
•    Participate in facility SHEQ initiatives and audits.

 Budget and Cost Management
•    Develop and manage the laboratory operating budget.
•    Control expenditure on laboratory consumables, reagents, standards, equipment and services.
•    Identify cost-reduction opportunities without compromising analytical integrity or product quality.
•    Manage external laboratory testing and specialist analytical services where required.
•    Develop capital expenditure proposals for laboratory equipment and infrastructure.
•    Monitor laboratory costs and identify opportunities to improve cost efficiency.

Continuous Improvement
•    Drive continuous improvement in laboratory efficiency, quality and reliability.
•    Identify opportunities to automate, digitise and simplify laboratory processes.
•    Improve laboratory turnaround times and analytical productivity.
•    Reduce repeat analyses, errors, rework and unnecessary testing.
•    Develop and monitor laboratory KPIs.
•    Benchmark laboratory practices against relevant industry standards.
•    Lead improvement projects using appropriate problem-solving methodologies.

Requirements: Qualifications and Experience

Essential:
•    BSc / BTech / National Diploma in Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or related scientific/technical discipline.
•    Relevant laboratory and analytical experience within a manufacturing, chemical, mining, pharmaceutical, food, petrochemical or related industrial environment.
•    Demonstrated experience in laboratory quality systems and analytical methodology.

Advantageous:
•    Honours or postgraduate qualification in a relevant scientific/technical discipline.
•    Formal quality-management or laboratory accreditation training.
•    Six Sigma / Lean / continuous-improvement qualification.
•    Project management qualification

Experience

•    Typically 8–10+ years' relevant laboratory/analytical experience, preferably in an industrial manufacturing environment.
•    At least 3–5 years in a supervisory, senior technical or laboratory leadership role.
•    Experience managing laboratory personnel and technical competence.
•    Experience with analytical method development, validation and troubleshooting.
•    Experience with laboratory equipment, calibration and maintenance.
•    Experience with investigations, deviations, OOS/OOT and root-cause analysis.
•    Experience supporting manufacturing process control.
•    Experience working within a formal quality-management system.
•    Experience managing laboratory budgets and external service providers is advantageous