Lab Manager Jobs in Reading, PA (NOW HIRING)

Position: Lab Manager

Location: Morgantown, PA
Department: Quality
Reports To: Quality Assurance Manager
Classification: Exempt
Shift: Day Shift with flexibility to support all three shifts as needed
Compensation: $92,000–$126,700 annually + 2% quarterly earning opportunity
Supervisory Responsibility: Approximately 18 Lead Lab Technicians and Lab Technicians across three shifts

Now Hiring: Lab Manager (Morgantown, PA)

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A confidential metals manufacturing company is seeking an experienced Lab Manager with a strong chemical, laboratory, quality, or engineering background to lead a 24-hour Chemistry Laboratory operation. This position oversees approximately 18 laboratory employees across three shifts and is responsible for laboratory performance, analytical testing, quality systems, equipment, personnel development, and achievement of key operational metrics.

1. Job Summary

The Lab Manager provides hands-on leadership and technical oversight for Chemistry Laboratory operations supporting raw material and finished product testing. This individual will lead approximately 18 laboratory technicians across three shifts, ensuring testing is completed safely, accurately, efficiently, and in accordance with applicable quality and customer requirements.

This is a leadership role for someone who is comfortable being visible on the laboratory floor, developing employees, monitoring performance metrics, and addressing operational challenges directly. While primarily a day-shift position, the laboratory operates 24 hours a day, and the Lab Manager must be willing to provide support and maintain a leadership presence across all shifts when business needs require.

2. Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Laboratory Leadership & Operations

• Lead approximately 18 Lead Lab Technicians and Lab Technicians operating across three shifts.
• Provide hands-on leadership, coaching, technical guidance, and performance feedback to laboratory personnel.
• Plan laboratory workloads and allocate personnel, equipment, and resources to meet production and testing requirements.
• Maintain visibility across all three shifts and provide off-shift support when operational needs require.
• Ensure laboratory employees consistently meet established safety, quality, productivity, and turnaround expectations.
• Monitor laboratory performance against established goals, metrics, and key performance indicators.
• Identify performance gaps and implement corrective actions to ensure operational targets are achieved.

Analytical Chemistry & Laboratory Testing

• Manage Chemistry Laboratory operations to ensure accurate and timely analysis of raw materials and finished products.
• Develop, validate, and refine analytical methods for routine testing.
• Provide technical expertise related to analytical chemistry and spectrochemical testing of metals.
• Evaluate analytical results and assist laboratory personnel with complex testing or technical issues.
• Monitor advancements in analytical technology and recommend new equipment, methods, or modifications as appropriate.

Laboratory Equipment & Calibration

• Oversee calibration, operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of laboratory instruments and equipment.
• Ensure laboratory equipment remains properly maintained and capable of producing accurate, repeatable results.
• Support technicians with equipment troubleshooting and technical issues.
• Develop and maintain certified and secondary reference material libraries.

Quality Systems & Compliance

• Develop and maintain laboratory quality systems and procedures.
• Maintain the laboratory's NADCAP accreditation and applicable compliance requirements.
• Participate in and support internal, customer, and external audits.
• Implement Management of Change (MOC) and Manufacturing Process Experiments (MPE) as applicable.
• Maintain accurate laboratory procedures, records, testing documentation, and quality data.

Continuous Improvement & Performance

• Establish, track, and improve laboratory performance metrics related to quality, productivity, turnaround time, and operational effectiveness.
• Lead continuous improvement projects to increase laboratory efficiency and testing reliability.
• Partner with suppliers and internal teams to identify cost-reduction opportunities.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, equipment utilization, workflow, and laboratory capacity.
• Support product development and manufacturing improvement initiatives.

Cross-Functional Support

• Partner closely with Manufacturing, Purchasing, Quality Control, Engineering, suppliers, and customers.
• Provide technical laboratory expertise when addressing manufacturing or customer quality concerns.
• Communicate laboratory performance, risks, priorities, and improvement initiatives to leadership.
• Travel as required for customer meetings, audits, conferences, or other business needs.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

3. Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Physical Science, Quality, or a related technical discipline.
• Strong chemical, analytical laboratory, quality, or engineering background.
• Previous experience leading employees within a laboratory, quality, manufacturing, or technical environment.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and develop teams working across multiple shifts.
• Strong knowledge of analytical chemistry and laboratory testing methods.
• Experience with laboratory instrumentation, calibration, maintenance, and troubleshooting.
• Knowledge of laboratory quality systems and compliance requirements.
• Demonstrated experience establishing, monitoring, and achieving operational metrics and performance targets.
• Strong computer proficiency, including Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to provide hands-on leadership and support a 24-hour operation outside normal day-shift hours when necessary.
• Must meet applicable U.S. export and import control requirements.

Preferred

• Experience managing a chemistry or materials testing laboratory.
• Metals manufacturing or materials testing experience.
• Experience supervising a larger technical team in a multi-shift environment.
• Experience with analytical spectrochemical methods for metals.
• NADCAP accreditation experience.
• Experience supporting internal, customer, and regulatory audits.
• Experience with continuous improvement and cost-reduction initiatives.
• Experience with Management of Change (MOC) and Manufacturing Process Experiments (MPE).

Key Technical Skills

• Laboratory Management
• Analytical Chemistry
• Quality Systems
• Laboratory Instrumentation & Calibration
• Spectrochemical Analysis
• NADCAP Accreditation
• Metals / Materials Testing
• KPI & Performance Metrics
• Continuous Improvement

4. Physical Requirements

• Frequent standing, walking, and sitting throughout laboratory and manufacturing environments.
• Frequent use of hands for laboratory equipment, documentation, and computer-related activities.
• Occasional stooping, kneeling, crouching, or reaching.
• Ability to occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Visual ability including close, distance, color, peripheral, and depth perception.

5. Working Conditions

• Combination of laboratory, office, and industrial manufacturing environments.
• Laboratory operations run 24 hours per day across three shifts.
• Primary schedule is expected to be day shift; however, flexibility is required to support employees and operations across all shifts as needed.
• Direct supervisory responsibility for approximately 18 laboratory employees.
• Regular interaction with Manufacturing, Quality, Engineering, Purchasing, customers, and suppliers.
• Required adherence to laboratory safety, environmental, quality, and PPE requirements.