Laboratory Supervisor

A subsidiary of Veolia group, Veolia North America (VNA) is the top-ranked environmental company in the United States for three consecutive years, and the country’s largest private water operator and technology provider as well as hazardous waste and pollution treatment leader. It offers a full spectrum of water, waste, and energy management services, including water and wastewater treatment, commercial and hazardous waste collection and disposal, energy consulting and resource recovery. VNA helps commercial, industrial, healthcare, higher education, and municipality customers throughout North America. Headquartered in Boston, Mass., Veolia North America has more than 10,000 employees working at more than 350 locations across the continent.

Please visit our website for more information - www.veolianorthamerica.com

Position Purpose: 

Supervises two or more full time employees in an assigned plant or laboratory. Plans and coordinates the analytical laboratory work including physical, bacteriological, microscopic, organic and inorganic chemical analysis of raw, plant and finished waters to accurately determine their content and assure compliance with company, regulatory and permit requirements.

Primary Duties/Responsibilities: 

• Plans daily schedules and monitors workload, volume and status of work progress and ensures that lab resources are being utilized to achieve business objectives. Coordinates the analysis and reporting of Proficiency Testing Samples.
• Recommends and provides input for salary and job change actions.
• Works with EHS&S and training team to ensure that all personnel receive safety, quality and process training and testing per QA manual.
• Coaches and counsels team to improve technical skills and interpersonal and problem resolution skills. Works to identify and provide opportunities for team to learn new skills and techniques.
• Administers the Laboratory Quality Assurance Program. Ensures that consistent quality control and lab procedures are followed.
• Oversees the quality control program from collection through analysis and validates chain of custody and sample handling procedures.
• Ensures that uniform monitoring and recordkeeping (chain of custody, analytical SOP’s, sample preservation and data validation) are performed.
• Measures and verifies laboratory performance and ensures the integrity of the data presented to management.
• Reports non-conformance events to Project Manager, Lab QA Coordinator and EHS&S QA Manager. Initiates corrective action immediately to avoid adverse effect on quality.
• Supports plant operations by developing methods of analysis of samples whose content is unknown and by evaluating alternate treatment techniques and chemicals and effectiveness.
• Supervises metallurgical and corrosion studies and the analysis of lubricants.
• Supervises the analysis of treatment chemicals and other purchased substances to ensure that specifications are met.
• Reviews data prior to reporting to a regulatory agency. Updates quality control charts and graphs on a regular basis. Prepares reports, publications and presentations concerned with chemical and bacteriological analyses of water for internal purposes, client and regulatory agencies.
• Provides leadership in achieving safety goals. Proactively manage safety and environmental issues and ensures compliance with Federal and State standards including Hazardous Waste Disposal and Air Quality Standards in lab and in field testing assignments. Ensures that issues are identified, addressed, and elevated, if necessary, in a timely manner. Ensures that current Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) documentation is maintained.
• Establishes maintenance and calibration schedules and ensures that lab equipment, instrumentation and other accessories are properly maintained and in top working condition and proper records are kept. Assists in diagnosing and evaluating complex issues and coordinates outside maintenance when necessary.
• May occasionally be called upon to fill in or help handle excess workload demands.
• Coordinates the emergency sample plan involving possible contamination events to the source water supplies.

Work Environment:

• Typically spends 75% of time in operations environment and 25% of time in an office environment.
• May need to work outside in inclement weather conditions and drive company vehicle to perform duties.
• May serve rotational 24-hour emergency on-call.
• Possible Work Hazards: May be exposed to possible operations hazards including dust, fumes, toxic and caustic chemicals, rotating machinery, high pressure, hot or cold work temperatures, slippery surfaces, water and electrical hazards.

Education/Experience/Background: 

• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry or microbiology. (Must meet minimum education and experience qualifications established by regulatory agencies if working in a NELAC or State Certified Lab).
• Five to seven years of experience in laboratory analysis work in a water or wastewater treatment environment.
• Lead experience or supervisory training required with understanding of human relations, training, performance evaluation and health and safety.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities: 

• Ability to apply advanced mathematical concepts such as exponents, logarithms, quadratic equations and permutations. Ability to apply mathematical operations to such tasks as frequency distribution, determination of test reliability and validity, analysis of variance, correlation techniques, sampling theory and factor analysis.
• Demonstrates ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to a wide range of intellectual and practical problems. Ability to deal with nonverbal symbolism (formulas, scientific equations, graphs, etc) in its most difficult phases. Ability to deal with a variety of abstract and concrete variables.
• Must demonstrate comprehensive technical and practical knowledge of procedures for tests and analysis.
• Must have an understanding of water /wastewater treatment process engineering, water quality assurance, maintenance strategy and laboratory procedures.
• Must demonstrate effective skills in troubleshooting, problem solving and team building.
• Ingenuity and initiative are required to coordinate problem resolution and to execute the schedule requirements within a team environment.
• Must have a general knowledge of budget preparation and understanding of cost control.
• Demonstrated excellent verbal communications and interpersonal skills in order to interface with and motivate all levels of personnel.
• Demonstrated ability to prepare accurate, timely, effective, complete and easily understood written communications and reports for customers, top management, public groups and regulatory agencies.
• Proficiency in the care and use of all site specific, facility required PPE (Personal Protection Equipment).
• Must be available to serve rotational 24 hour on-call emergency if required by site.
• PC skills and knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software for preparing work related reports, charts, graphs and data submittal requirements. Demonstrates proficiency using computerized laboratory equipment.
• Demonstrated commitment to compliance with applicable laws and regulations, the Company’s Code of Business Conduct, confidentiality and other Company policies and procedures.

Required Certification/Licenses/Training: 

• Highest level of Water / Wastewater Certification and highest level of Water Treatment Certification if required at site, with knowledge of current and pending water treatment standards, regulations and federal, state and local laws and codes.
• Valid Driver’s license and safe driving record if required to use company vehicles.

Physical Requirements:

• Amount of time spent – Standing 50%, Sitting 25%, Walking 25%.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.
• The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, or crouch and enter confined spaces.
• May be required to use ladders or stairs.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus. Requires close visual observation to detect process non-conformance and machine malfunction.

Veolia's comprehensive benefits package includes paid time off policies, as well as health, dental and vision insurance. In addition, employees are also entitled to participate in an employer sponsored 401(k) plan, to save for retirement. Pay and benefits for employees represented by a union are outlined in their collective bargaining agreement.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer! All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

Disclaimer: The salary, other compensation, and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this posting. The Company reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.