Laboratory Manager

Our Client is a leading independent ISO 17025 accredited contract laboratory in West Africa, recognized as a regional reference center with specialization in water contamination testing and pesticide residue analysis. The laboratory supports both local and multinational companies across food, agriculture, cosmetics, environmental, and related sectors, ensuring safety, quality, and compliance with international supply chain standards. Their impartial testing, validation, and consulting services are critical to regulatory acceptance and to meeting the corporate social responsibility commitments of their clients.

Position: Laboratory Manager, Contaminants & Pesticides (Permanent Role)

Working Location: Ivory Coast (West Africa)

About the role

The Laboratory Manager will lead a multidisciplinary team dedicated to contaminant and pesticide testing, safeguard compliance with international standards, and drive operational excellence through scientific rigor, robust method validation, and consistent equipment reliability. The role combines scientific authority with hands-on formulation control and strategic resource optimization, ensuring that analytical operations remain efficient, reliable, and ISO 17025-compliant. The successful candidate will manage and inspire a high-performing team, oversee technical direction and quality assurance, and uphold the laboratory's reputation for accuracy, reliability, and customer trust across diverse industry sectors.

Must-Haves:

• Master's degree in Analytical Chemistry, Biochemistry, or a related field (equivalent to at least five years of university education).
• At least 5 years of experience leading teams (8 or more staff) in technical direction and ISO 17025 quality management, including setting KPIs, training staff, and implementing CAPA for continuous improvement.
• Experience in third-party laboratory environments will be an added advantage.
• Strong hands-on experience in pesticide residue analysis using LC and GC techniques (LC-MS/MS, GC-MS/MS, HPLC, GC-FID/ECD, Headspace GC-MS/MS) for detecting residues in food and environmental samples.
• Solid understanding of method validation including accuracy, precision, LOD/LOQ, linearity, recovery, robustness, and uncertainty estimation following GUM guidelines.
• Skilled in maintaining and troubleshooting LC/GC/MS and FT-IR/NIR systems, including preventive and corrective maintenance and requalification (IQ/OQ/PQ).
• Experience managing cost efficiency, inventory (columns, solvents, standards), and ensuring data integrity using LIMS in line with ALCOA+ and HSE standards.
• Experience testing active ingredients, impurities, solvents, and co-formulants to verify compliance with regulatory standards.
• Proficient in FT-IR and FT-NIR spectroscopy for compound identification, screening, and batch release using spectral libraries and chemometric tools.
• Exposure to testing fatty acids, vitamins, mycotoxins (LC-MS/MS), and heavy metals (ICP-OES/ICP-MS), and familiarity with Design of Experiments (DoE) and chemometric analysis (PCA/PLS).
• Experienced in client-facing roles, ensuring accuracy of reports, timely delivery (TAT compliance), and providing technical input for proposals and discussions.
• Must be wiling to relocate to Ivory Coast (West Africa).

Why You Should Join

This position is ideal for a scientifically accomplished laboratory leader with hands-on expertise in pesticide and contaminant analysis who thrives in a technically rigorous, ISO 17025-compliant environment. The role offers the opportunity to lead a high-performing analytical team, contribute to regional food and environmental safety, and engage directly with local and multinational clients committed to sustainable and compliant supply chains.

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

EA Personnel Name: Lyana Gwee

EA Personnel No: R

EA License No: 95C5411