Job DescriptionThe Laboratory Manager has overall responsibility for the operation and all the functions associated with the Laboratory. Accountabilities include the effectiveness and efficiencies of the laboratory and overall quality. The Laboratory Manager has overall accountability for maintaining laboratory compliance to ISO/IEC 17025 and delivers results to meet both the customers and the regulatory requirements

Specific Responsibilities

• Promotes and Monitors all aspects of Health and Safety in the workplace.
• Promotes the highest level of quality and ensures that the QMS is part of the day to day operation with all policies and procedures followed as documented.
• Communication with all staff and other management.
• Responsible to provide technical support or direction for customer services and external clients.
• Ensure compliance to all analysis standards.
• Adhere to all aspects of SGS policies, procedures and Management and Quality Management system.
• Assisting in budgeting process for specific projects and new service development.
• Added value in developing and implementing operational tools and guidelines, and Methodology/Procedures.
• In-house Laboratory Training.
• Liability protection (e.g. integrity of all correspondence and reports).
• Ensure effective use of communication tools.
• Assist in resolving technical situations of unusual complexity or sensitivity and quick action taken to resolve such issues.
• Ensures consistency and accuracy of policies, quotations and procedures and strategic planning; evaluating activities to recommend changes in processes, regulations and other programs and procedures to improve customer service, review and edit documents to ensure compliance with regulatory and company requirements.
• Responsible for the direction of laboratory staff and program activities.
• Independent decision-making responsibilities regarding division.
• Ensure Environmental policies are being kept and followed.
• Adhere to all quality and safety requirements of the SGS management system.
• Perform any other reasonable tasks as assigned by direct line manager.

Specific Authorities

• Manage and maintain the accredited Quality Managements System in accordance with ISO 17025.
• Provides supervision and leadership to staff.
• Authorized to evaluate and report all analytical results.
• Any person has the right to refuse to perform work that may damage the environment in an imminent and serious way and to report such a situation. The employee has the responsibility to protect the environment as well.
• Cease the use of any equipment that may be deemed to constitute a safety hazard or entry to hazardous environments without the necessary knowledge and protection, and take action to address the hazard.
• Cease to carry on with work that may affect the quality (integrity) of services and take action to address the issue.
• Initiate a formal improvement request when a deviation of the system occurs, possible improvements are identified or when nonconformity is identified.

Qualifications

• BSc Chemistry or equivalent
• Extensive laboratory experience in a mining environment
• Strong organisational, verbal and written communication skills are required

Experience

• 5 Years supervision at management level in a geochemical field.
• Instrumentation skills.
• Extensive experience with laboratory operations
• Demonstrated interpersonal and organisational skills.
• must have a good working knowledge of ISO/IEC 17025.

Additional Information

• Good mathematical skills.
• Good people skills.
• Good communication skills (conduct and write e-mails, proposals and reports professionally).
• Drive projects to completion (to work fast and accurate).
• Have a sense of urgency i.e. to have good planning skills and be pro-active.
• Be willing to learn more and be relentless in your pursuit of improvement.
• Must be able to multi-task.

Compliance & Authority

• Cease the use of any equipment that may be deemed to constitute a safety hazard or enter hazardous environments without the necessary knowledge and protection and report the situation to higher authority to take action.
• Cease to carry on with work that may affect the quality (integrity) of services and report the situation to higher authority to take action.
• Initiate a formal improvement request when a deviation of the system occurs, possible improvements are identified or when nonconformity is identified.
• Assist with production coordination with specific collaboration with the AA and ICP departments.
• Assist with the training and verification of Fire-Assay staff.
• Check on daily staff attendance and address any problem timeously and pro-actively.
• Ensure that required consumables and inventory stock levels/PPE for Fire Assay are monitored and maintained for daily, night & weekend shifts.
• Ensure that pot re-cycling is performed daily, night shift and weekends.
• Ensure the maintenance of the laboratory instruments and apparatus is performed and maintain equipment records, logbooks, files and registers accordingly.
• Any person has the right to refuse to perform work that may damage the environment in an imminent and serious way and to report such a situation.