Lab Manager

Lab Manager
- Start Up

The Lab Manager oversees day-to-day laboratory operations, ensuring that all equipment, materials, and processes support high-quality pilot-scale batch production in a fast-paced, high-growth environment. This role owns lab equipment, ingredient inventory, and pilot manufacturing workflows while serving as a critical quality bridge between internal R&D and co-manufacturing partners. The Lab Manager plays a hands-on role on the lab floor and at co-manufacturing sites to ensure every pouch meets rigorous quality standards and to help shape quality systems at a brand that is redefining the pouch industry.

Responsibilities

+ Own the daily operation, maintenance, calibration, and troubleshooting of all lab equipment, including mixers, balances, moisture analyzers, particle size analyzers, and related instrumentation.

+ Build, implement, and maintain equipment maintenance schedules, calibration logs, and service records in compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) requirements.

+ Maintain an accurate and up-to-date inventory of raw materials, ingredients, and lab consumables to support ongoing R&D and pilot production.

+ Coordinate and submit purchasing requests for lab-scale raw materials in partnership with the procurement function to ensure timely availability of supplies.

+ Execute pilot-scale batch manufacturing according to established formulas, batch records, and standard operating procedures (SOPs).

+ Document all batch production activities, including process steps, deviations, and observations, in batch records with a high degree of accuracy and completeness.

+ Manage and optimize day-to-day laboratory activities to ensure safe, efficient, and compliant operations.

+ Perform and oversee analytical testing and quality control activities to verify that products meet defined specifications and quality standards.

+ Operate and support pouch machinery and related equipment to drive product development and pilot-scale production.

+ Act as a quality liaison between internal R&D teams and co-manufacturing partners, helping to establish and maintain strong co-man relationships.

+ Support the development, refinement, and implementation of lab systems, quality processes, and documentation aligned with GMP and quality system requirements.

+ Travel as needed to co-manufacturing sites to oversee pilot production, troubleshoot issues, and ensure consistent quality standards (estimated 10-25% travel).

+ Contribute to a high-performance, results-driven culture by proactively identifying process improvements and ensuring that lab operations support timely, high-quality product launches.

Essential Skills

+ Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a related technical field.

+ 3-5 years of experience in a laboratory, quality, or manufacturing environment within consumer packaged goods (CPG), nutraceutical, tobacco/nicotine, or pharmaceutical industries.

+ Demonstrated hands-on experience operating and troubleshooting manufacturing or lab-scale equipment.

+ Fluency in Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and quality systems documentation.

+ Strong knowledge of chemistry, microbiology, and analytical testing in a laboratory environment.

+ Experience in lab management and managing day-to-day laboratory activities.

+ Experience running pilot-scale batch production and working with batch records and SOPs.

+ Ability to perform quality control and analytical chemistry testing relevant to product development.

+ Excellent organizational, record-keeping, and documentation skills with strong attention to detail.

+ Ability and willingness to travel to co-manufacturing sites approximately 10-25% of the time.

+ Comfort working in a fast-paced, hands-on environment with shifting priorities.

+ Strong communication skills to collaborate effectively with internal R&D teams and external co-manufacturing partners.

Additional

Skills & Qualifications

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Experience with the full product development life cycle in a laboratory or manufacturing setting.

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Experience with oral pouch, nicotine pouch, smokeless tobacco, or similar oral product manufacturing.

+ Familiarity with pouch filling and…