Director of Quality - Laboratory Services

At Niagara, we're looking for Team Members who want to be part of achieving our mission to provide our customers the highest quality most affordable bottled water.

Consider applying here, if you want to:

• Work in an entrepreneurial and dynamic environment with a chance to make an impact.
• Develop lasting relationships with great people.
• Have the opportunity to build a satisfying career.

We offer competitive compensation and benefits packages for our Team Members.

The Director of Quality - Laboratory Services is responsible for providing strategic leadership and operational oversight of all Corporate Quality Assurance Laboratory services and activities. This role ensures compliance with regulatory standards, maintains quality systems, and drives continuous improvement in testing methodologies and laboratory performance.

Reports directly to the Vice President of Quality and Food Safety, operates independently, and directly supervises Laboratory Managers and Technical Staff.

Essential Functions

• Oversees daily corporate laboratory operations, including scheduling, workflow, and resource allocation
• Develops and implements strategic plans that align laboratory teams with corporate quality objectives
• Ensures compliance with federal, state, and industry regulations and maintains accreditation and certification requirements
• Manages laboratory quality systems, approves test methods, and oversees audits and corrective actions
• Maintains regulatory testing policies and programs to proactively protect the company, customers, and consumers from product-related risks
• Provides technical oversight for analytical methods, instrumentation, and proficiency assessments of laboratory staff
• Ensures the accuracy, reliability, and security of laboratory data and oversees laboratory information management systems
• Manages laboratory budgets, capital expenditures, and equipment procurement and maintenance
• Oversees laboratory documentation, reporting, and compliance records
• Leads development and improvement of laboratory safety programs and ensures compliance with safety regulations
• Recruits, trains, coaches, and evaluates laboratory staff, fostering a culture of safety, compliance, and continuous improvement

• This position requires up to approximately 25% percentage of time:
  • 25% - on average travels 1 week out of the month

• "Please note this job description is not designed to contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without prior notice."

Qualifications

• Minimum Qualifications:
  • 10+ Years - Experience in analytical chemistry, food/beverage analysis, drinking water analysis, or QA in food/beverage manufacturing
  • 6 Years - Laboratory Management Experience in Position
  • 6 Years - Experience managing people/projects

*experience may include a combination of work experience and education

• Preferred Qualifications:
  • 10+ Years - Experience in analytical Chemistry, Food/Beverage analysis, and Drinking Water analysis
  • 10+ Years - Laboratory Management Experience in Position
  • 10+ Years - Experience managing people/projects

*experience may include a combination of work experience and education

Competencies

• Strong knowledge of CLIA, NELAC, ISO 17025, and other relevant laboratory standards
• Demonstrates advanced technical proficiency in analytical chemistry and foundational microbiological testing
• Exhibits strong leadership capabilities and expertise in laboratory team development
• Possesses excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills for effective communication of technical information with executive leadership
• Proficient in data analysis, technical project management and complex problem resolution
• Capable of managing multiple projects within fast-paced, high-pressure environments
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and LIMS

This position embodies the values of Niagara's LIFE competency model, focusing on the following key drivers of success:

• Lead Like an Owner
  • Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.
  • Seeing ahead to future possibilities and translating them to breakthrough strategies
  • Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments.
  • Building strong -identity team that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals.
• InnovACT
  • Actively learning through experimentation when tackling new problems, using both success and failures as learning fodder.
  • Knowing the most effective and efficient process to get things done, with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Find a Way
  • Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
  • Taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.
  • Making sense of complex, high quality, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems.
  • Operating effectively, even when thing are not certain or the way forward is not clear.
• Empowered to be Great
  • Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
  • Actively seeking new ways to grow and be challenged using both formal and informal development channels.
  • Developing people to meet both their career goals and the organization's goals.

Education

• Minimum Required:
  • Master's Degree in Chemistry, Microbiology, Biology, Food Science or other related fields

• Preferred:
  • Ph.D in Chemistry, Microbiology, Biology, Food Science or other related fields

Certification/License:

• Required: N/A
• Preferred: N/A

Foreign Language

• Required: None Required
• Preferred: None Required

Typical Compensation Range

Benefits

Our Total Rewards package is thoughtfully designed to support both you and your family:

Regular full-time team members are offered a comprehensive benefits package, while part-time, intern, and seasonal team members are offered a limited benefits package.

• Paid Time Off for holidays, sick time, and vacation time
• Paid parental and caregiver leaves
• Medical, including virtual care options
• Dental
• Vision
• 401(k) with company match
• Health Savings Account with company match
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Expanded mental wellbeing benefits including free counseling sessions for all team members and household family members
• Family Building Benefits including enhanced fertilitybenefits for IVF and fertility preservation plus adoption, surrogacy, and Doula reimbursements
• Income protection including Life and AD&D, short and long-term disability, critical illness and an accident plan
• Special discount programs including pet plans, pre-paid legal services, identity theft, car rental, airport parking, etc.
• Tuition reimbursement, college savings plan and scholarship opportunities
• And more!

https://careers.niagarawater.com/us/en/benefits

* *Los Angeles County applicants only** Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, the California Fair Chance Act, and any other applicable local and state laws.

Any employment agency, person or entity that submits a resume into this career site or to a hiring manager does so with the understanding that the applicant's resume will become the property of Niagara Bottling, LLC. Niagara Bottling, LLC will have the right to hire that applicant at its discretion without any fee owed to the submitting employment agency, person or entity.

Employment agencies that have fee agreements with Niagara Bottling, LLC and have been engaged on a search shall submit resume to the designated Niagara Bottling, LLC recruiter or, upon authorization, submit resume into this career site to be eligible for placement fees.