Lab Technician

Location: Kendallville

Job Title:

Lab Technician

Job Description

This Lab Technician role supports laboratory operations by contributing to product development, color formulation, and production quality control in a quality-compliant manufacturing environment. You will perform hands-on testing, operate a variety of laboratory instruments, and help ensure that products meet strict performance and quality standards. This position offers cross-training on multiple instruments, exposure to research and development activities, and opportunities for growth within laboratory and quality functions.

Responsibilities

* Support laboratory operations by assisting with product development, color formulation, and production quality control within a quality-compliant environment.

* Perform color evaluation using spectrophotometers, light booths, and visual inspection techniques under both supervised and independent conditions.

* Conduct color matching and formulation, including pigment dilutions and both supervised and unsupervised match development.

* Execute laboratory trials such as milling, molding, weighing, and drying of materials to evaluate product performance.

* Operate laboratory equipment including convection drying ovens, roll mills, presses, injection molding machines, mixers, viscometers, and other processing tools.

* Utilize measurement and analytical tools such as spectrophotometers, moisture analyzers, bulk density testers, melt flow indexers, and specific gravity equipment.

* Perform physical and analytical testing including bulk density, melt flow rate, ash testing, moisture analysis, and specific gravity testing.

* Support liquid color operations by performing liquid color matching, viscosity testing, grind gauge testing, weight-per-gallon measurements, and mixing processes.

* Analyze and approve color and product quality using instrumental and visual methods, including final product certification when criteria are met.

* Enter and maintain product formulas, codes, and related data within internal systems and manufacturing software.

* Prepare and maintain documentation such as quality assurance records, test results, safety data sheet (SDS) documentation, and production paperwork.

* Review and adjust product formulations as needed to meet established quality standards and production requirements.

* Identify and evaluate alternative raw materials while ensuring that product quality and performance are not compromised.

* Monitor and manage non-conforming materials, ensuring proper documentation, investigation, and resolution.

* Collaborate cross-functionally with production and laboratory teams to troubleshoot issues and support manufacturing needs.

* Follow all safety protocols and operational procedures, including equipment-specific requirements for drying systems, testing instruments, and laboratory tools.

* Perform quality control and quality assurance activities such as inspections, sample preparation, and wet chemistry tests, including titration and viscosity measurements.

* Contribute to continuous improvement of laboratory and quality processes by providing feedback and supporting best practices.

Additional

Skills & Qualifications

* Associate's or Bachelor's degree in a scientific discipline preferred.

* Experience in chemistry, laboratory science, or related scientific fields.

* Familiarity with quality assurance documentation, including SDS and other regulatory or safety records.

* Experience with inspection activities and sample handling in a laboratory or manufacturing environment.

* Comfort working with color science concepts and instrumentation for color evaluation and matching.

* Interest in cross-training on multiple instruments and laboratory techniques.

* Desire for growth opportunities within laboratory, quality, and R&D-related functions.

* Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.

* Effective communication skills for collaborating with production, quality, and laboratory teams.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Kendallville, IN.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $23.00 - $24.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to…