Laboratory Officer to join a quality and food safety team in Dubai, UAE. The successful Food Science candidate will play a critical role in ensuring product quality, food safety, regulatory compliance, and laboratory excellence within a fast-paced food manufacturing environment.
As a Laboratory Officer, you will be responsible for conducting microbiological, chemical, and quality control testing of raw materials, in-process products, finished goods, water samples, and environmental swabs. You will support the Quality Assurance team by maintaining laboratory standards, ensuring accurate documentation, operating laboratory equipment, and contributing to continuous improvement initiatives.
This position is ideal for professionals with experience in food testing laboratories, quality control laboratories, dairy processing, beverage manufacturing, or food production facilities.
Job Responsibilities
Laboratory Testing and Analysis
- Perform microbiological, chemical, and physical testing of raw materials, packaging materials, work-in-progress products, and finished products.
- Conduct routine food safety testing to verify product compliance with company quality standards and regulatory requirements.
- Analyze water samples, environmental monitoring swabs, sanitation verification samples, and production line samples.
- Ensure all testing procedures are conducted according to approved laboratory methods and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
- Identify and report any non-conforming results, deviations, trends, or abnormalities to the Quality Assurance team for further investigation.
Sample Collection and Quality Monitoring
- Coordinate with production, processing, and quality teams to collect representative samples from various stages of production.
- Monitor product quality parameters and verify compliance with established specifications.
- Support shelf-life studies, product validation activities, and quality improvement projects.
- Assist in product release decisions by providing accurate and timely laboratory results.
Laboratory Equipment Management
- Set up, calibrate, operate, and maintain laboratory instruments and testing equipment.
- Perform routine verification and calibration checks to ensure equipment accuracy and reliability.
- Troubleshoot minor equipment issues and coordinate repairs with maintenance teams or external service providers when necessary.
- Maintain calibration records, maintenance logs, and equipment validation documentation.
Documentation and Record Keeping
- Accurately document laboratory results, observations, and analytical findings in laboratory records, databases, and ERP systems.
- Maintain complete traceability records for all samples tested.
- Generate laboratory reports and communicate results to management and relevant departments.
- Ensure documentation complies with internal quality management systems, food safety standards, and audit requirements.
- Support data analysis and trend monitoring to identify recurring quality issues.
Food Safety and Regulatory Compliance
- Ensure compliance with HACCP, GMP, GHP, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, and applicable food safety regulations.
- Monitor laboratory hygiene, environmental conditions, and sanitation practices.
- Handle chemicals, reagents, microbiological cultures, and laboratory waste according to safety regulations.
- Participate in internal audits, external audits, customer audits, and regulatory inspections.
- Assist in implementing corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) following quality incidents or audit findings.
Continuous Improvement and Team Support
- Contribute to improving laboratory workflows, testing efficiency, and analytical accuracy.
- Assist in updating laboratory procedures, testing protocols, and quality documentation.
- Support training activities for laboratory personnel and quality team members.
- Collaborate with production, research and development, operations, and quality teams to provide reliable data for business decision-making.
- Participate in root cause analysis investigations related to product quality, food safety incidents, customer complaints, and process deviations.
Job Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Microbiology, Chemistry, Biotechnology, Dairy Technology, or a related scientific discipline.
- Minimum 3–4 years of laboratory experience, preferably within the food manufacturing, dairy, beverage, FMCG, or food processing industry.
- Hands-on experience in food safety testing, microbiological analysis, quality control, and quality assurance activities.
- Strong understanding of laboratory testing methods, sample handling procedures, and analytical techniques.
- Experience operating laboratory instruments and performing routine calibration and maintenance activities.
- Familiarity with food safety management systems including HACCP, GMP, GHP, ISO 22000, and FSSC 22000.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, laboratory information management systems (LIMS), and ERP platforms such as SAP.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and documentation skills.
- Excellent communication and teamwork abilities.
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