JOB SUMMARYThe Technical Director serves as a key technical leader and subject matter expert for microbiology and testing performed in the Merrillville Laboratory. This role provides technical guidance to internal laboratory teams, supports client-facing scientific discussions, assists with method selection and data interpretation, and helps ensure that testing programs are scientifically sound, operationally practical, and aligned with applicable regulatory, accreditation, and customer requirements.
This position acts as a primary technical contact for clients and internal stakeholders, supporting routine and complex technical inquiries related to food safety, method applicability, result interpretation, and testing strategy. When contracted, this role may also provide on-site consultation at customer production facilities to support investigations, environmental monitoring programs, validation activities, corrective actions, and broader food safety initiatives.
Essential Functions:Technical Leadership and Subject Matter Expertise- Serve as a primary corporate technical resource for microbiology and chemistry testing.
- Provide technical guidance on method selection, method applicability, sample preparation, testing limitations, and result interpretation.
- Support laboratories with complex technical questions related to matrices, product types, samples, and customer-specific testing needs.
- Provide subject matter expertise for pathogen testing, indicator organisms, spoilage organisms, shelf-life studies, challenge studies, nutritional analysis, chemistry testing, contaminants, allergens, and other testing services.
- Assist with technical review of unusual, unexpected, out-of-specification, or out-of-trend results.
- Partner with laboratory leadership, quality, operations, sales, and client service teams to ensure technically accurate and consistent communication.
Client Support and Consultation- Act as a technical point of contact for clients regarding methodology, data interpretation, testing strategy, and regulatory or industry expectations.
- Participate in client meetings, technical calls, proposal discussions, and project planning conversations.
- Assist clients in selecting appropriate testing programs based on product type, risk profile, intended use, production process, regulatory expectations, and business needs.
- Provide clear, scientifically sound explanations of test results, method limitations, and recommended next steps.
- When contracted, provide on-site consultation at customer production facilities to support food safety programs, environmental monitoring, root cause investigations, corrective actions, sanitation verification, process assessments, or other technical needs.
- Support the development of client-facing technical documents, white papers, presentations, reports, webinars and recommendations.
Methodology, Data, and Scientific Support- Advise on traditional, rapid, molecular, and alternative methods used in Food & Nutrition testing.
- Support evaluation and implementation of new methods, technologies, and service offerings.
- Assist with method verification, validation support, troubleshooting, and technical justification as needed.
- Provide technical input for new business opportunities, customized testing programs, and complex client requests.
- Review testing trends and client data, when appropriate, to support interpretation, investigations, and risk-based recommendations.
- Help ensure technical consistency across Food & Nutrition laboratories.
Minimum Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Microbiology, Food Science, Chemistry, Biology, Biochemistry, or a related scientific discipline.
- Preferred Advanced degree in Microbiology, Food Science, Chemistry or related field
- Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in testing, safety, microbiology, chemistry, laboratory operations, technical consulting, or related industry experience.
- Strong technical understanding of laboratory testing, including both microbiological and chemical analyses.
- Demonstrated experience interpreting laboratory data and explaining technical results to clients and internal stakeholders.
- Experience with food manufacturing environments, sanitation programs, environmental monitoring, root cause analysis, corrective actions, or food safety systems.
- Working knowledge of applicable food safety regulations, industry guidance, accreditation requirements, and laboratory quality systems.
- Ability to communicate complex scientific information in a clear, practical, and client-appropriate manner.
- Strong problem-solving, critical thinking, and decision-making skills.
- Ability to travel 50% of the time to laboratory locations and customer production facilities as needed.
- Experience in a third-party testing laboratory environment.
- Experience with ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratory operations.
- Experience with FDA, USDA, AOAC, BAM, MLG, USP, ISO, or other recognized food testing methods.
- Experience supporting shelf-life studies, challenge studies, validation projects, or environmental monitoring program design.
- Experience presenting technical information to customers, auditors, regulators, or industry groups.
- Familiarity with nutritional panel development and label claim verification, including how analytical results support Nutrition Facts panels, ingredient claims, "free-from" claims, fortification, and product specification compliance.
- Experience in Pathogens by BIORad IQ Check Prep and CRX Opus Deep well. 3M Petrifilm testing of multiple types of organisms using a colony counter.
- Experience in Yeast and Mold, APC, and EB by Pour Plate.
- Understanding of shelf-life chemistry indicators, such as peroxide value, p-anisidine value, free fatty acids, rancidity, oxidation, moisture migration, water activity, pH changes, color, texture, and other quality-related chemistry trends.
- Experience supporting method validation, verification, and troubleshooting for chemistry methods, including accuracy, precision, linearity, recovery, ruggedness, matrix effects, calibration, and quality control acceptance criteria.
- Knowledge of instrumental chemistry platforms commonly used in food laboratories, such as HPLC, GC, GC-MS, LC-MS/MS, ICP-MS, ICP-OES, FTIR/NIR, titration systems, and automated wet chemistry instrumentation.
- HACCP, PCQI, GFSI, SQF, BRCGS, or similar food safety training/certification preferred.
WORKING CONDITIONS AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTSThe physical demands and working conditions described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Physical Requirements:
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools; talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and sit.
- The employee must occassionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include color vision and depth perception.
Working Conditions:
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be in a general office environment.
- The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
- This job may require travel less than 20%
OTHER:This job description is not an exhaustive list of all duties an employee may be required to perform. Microbac reserves the right to revise the job description at any time.
Employment is at-will. Microbac, promotes a drug-free, alcohol-free workplace. Applicants considered for hire must pass a drug test before beginning work. Refusal to submit to testing will result in disqualification of further employment consideration.
