Supervisor / Team Lead - Fixed Term Contract

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. The purpose of this role is to support the Laboratory Managers in the day-to-day operation of the Microbiology Laboratory, ensuring testing activities are delivered safely, efficiently and in line with quality and customer requirements This is a fixed term contract role, ending 31/12/27. This is a full time role working 40 hours per week, working a four week rotational shift pattern on 08:30-17:00 & 11:00-19:30 shift patterns. This role will involve working one weekend in every four on a 08:30 - 17:00 shift. - Provide day-to-day leadership and supervision to defined area(s) of the laboratory and lead a team of approximately 5-15 laboratory personnel. - Support Laboratory Managers with operational planning, resource allocation and workload management. - Investigate non-conformances, customer complaints, quality issues and operational incidents, identifying root causes and implementing corrective and preventative actions. - Coordinate staffing, work rota, holidays and workload allocation. - Conduct probation reviews, performance reviews and return-to-work meetings. - Support recruitment, interviewing, onboarding and induction activities. - Ensure staff training, competency assessments and e-learning requirements are maintained. - Work collaboratively with other Team Leaders, Supervisors and Managers to ensure productivity and quality targets are met. - Ensure compliance with quality, customer, UKAS and regulatory requirements. - Participate in audits and support corrective and preventative actions. - Support the management of non-conforming work, ensuring appropriate containment, documentation, escalation and follow-up actions are completed. - Lead or support investigations into laboratory errors, deviations, out-of-specification results and process failures. - Monitor trends in non-conformances, customer complaints and quality indicators to identify improvement opportunities. - Ensure investigation records, corrective actions and associated documentation are completed accurately and within required timescales. - Support customer query and complaint investigations and liaise directly with customers where required regarding quality incidents, service issues, investigations and corrective actions. - Work closely with Customer Services, Quality and Laboratory Management teams to ensure customer concerns are appropriately addressed. - Produce and review KPI and operational reporting. - Promote and maintain the highest standards of Health & Safety. - Deputise for Laboratory Managers when appropriate. - Undertake any other reasonable duties within the role. - Science qualification, relevant laboratory experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience. - Understanding of laboratory operations, quality systems, investigation techniques, root cause analysis and Health & Safety requirements. - Laboratory experience with workload coordination, training and/or coaching colleagues. - Good computer skills and confident use of MS Office. - Positive attitude. - Excellent communication skills both written and spoken., - Organisation and problem solving skills. - Commitment to continuous improvement. Desirable - Knowledge of ISO 17025, UKAS requirements and food microbiology testing. - Previous Team/Line Leader or Supervisor experience; experience conducting investigations into non-conforming work, customer complaints or quality incidents. - Use of ELIMS-FGS.