LIMS Specialist
About the Company
My client is a leading brand who deliver infrastructure and utility services for Ireland to support economic development.
About the Position
The client’s Environmental Regulation function provides regulatory expertise to the business, including the Senior Leadership Team, in all aspects of environmental regulation. The team provides support on legislative and regulatory changes that will affect company policies in the future.
The Scientific Services functional area is responsible for the national provision of operational support services to include sampling and laboratory analytics, ensuring that activities are performed in accordance with regulatory obligations to protect public health and the environment. The Laboratory sub area is responsible for providing chemical and microbiological analytical services in support of the regulatory sampling programs, operational monitoring. capital investment and customer complaint.
Reporting directly to the Scientific Services Quality Manager, the LIMS Specialist will be responsible for the management of a laboratory information management system. The purpose is to provide an analytical and technical advisory service to the internal and external customers, ensuring that all technical, regulatory, quality and system interfaces meet the needs of the company
Key Responsibilities
• Oversee and direct operations of the LIMS system in the laboratory and all computer applications that interface and interact with the LIMS system.
• Responsible for ensuring that the LIMS system is correctly used by the Laboratory personnel.
• Responsible for coordinating with Application Management personnel as they perform programming in LIMS in response to the requirements of the lab and QC program.
• Formulate and define scope of work for major upgrades to LIMS through research and fact finding combined with an understanding of applicable systems and laboratory requirements.
• Initiate, monitor and oversee contracts for LIMS programming or upgrades.
• Responsible for working with outside contract laboratories providing data to the laboratory to assure all required quality control reporting criteria are met about electronic deliverables from the contract labs.
• Ensure that employees follow all QA/QC procedures with regard to data analysis, data evaluation, data transfer, and LIMS operations.
• Responsible for keeping up to date with advances in the data processing field, LIMS enhancements, various sample collection and laboratory procedures and environmental regulations.
• Responsible for developing initiatives and programming needs to IT staff and other division personnel.
• Managing the on-going performance of the LIMS team, setting objectives for the LIMS Administrators identifying training needs, developing staff, etc.
• Monitor the turnaround of operational fixes to the LIMS system to meet internal and external requirements and provide ongoing maintenance of the LIMS system.
• Provide expert technical support, advice and guidance in the configuration and development of LIMS application to meet the changing business requirements.
• Co-ordinate and liaise between the laboratory and the sampling teams to ensure a consistent LEAN workplace is maintained in the laboratory.
• Maintain strong relationships with customers internally and externally to ensure the team delivers solutions that meet the end users requirements e.g. business planning, compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Maintain strong relationships with IT to ensure that any issues are resolved immediately, where applicable.
• Responsible for liaising with the finance team to ensure timely and accurate invoicing.
• Maintain a close relationship with other departmental team leads to ensure training and documentation are fit for purpose and effective to ensure the smooth running of the LIMS software throughout the business.
• Responsible for the control of local budget, licenses and revisions to support manager in achieving OPEX targets
• Responsible for implementation of corporate Health and Safety at a local level by developing appropriate safe working procedures.
• Responsible for ensuring that all processes, supported by and driven through the LIMS system, comply with the requirements of the Quality System to meet ISO17025, and impact analysis is undertaken before developments move to the live production system.
• Provide advice and guidance across the function and to customers including relevant information on audits.
• Facilitate customer requests and enquiries regarding sampling and analysis and assess if work can be accommodated by the Scientific department.
• Maintain an awareness of best practice by reference to industry journals attendance at technical seminars, in order to provide an efficient service whilst complying with legislation, H&S procedures, INAB processes, etc.
• Ensure all information is accurately reported and promptly recorded for audit purposes using the quality systems provided
• Responsible for monitoring and reporting KPIs over which they have ownership
• In the initial project phase of the role, manage development of best practices and implementation of standard operating procedures for the provision of laboratory services that maximise quality of output, efficiency and support the adoption of consistent processes.
• Responsible for carrying out any other duties which the Scientific Services Quality Manager may reasonably request
• Responsible for adhering to all HSQE plans, policies and procedures
Experience/Requirements
• Relevant third level qualification, e.g. Biology, Chemistry or Environmental
• Minimum of 5 years technical knowledge of LIMS application programming language, database structures and design, structured query language, business objects, Crystal reports and Parsing scripts.
• Extensive knowledge of the LIMS application and a thorough understanding of LIMS architecture gained through at least 5 years’ experience of LIMS system configuration and support.
• Extensive knowledge of how LIMS exchange data with other internal and external databases/data repertories. Experience in the integration of LIMS systems with data enterprise data-warehouses would be advantageous.
• An advanced understanding of labs and sampling procedures and quality systems is essential.
• People management skills.
• An advanced knowledge of the underlying accreditation scheme requirements to enable continuation of INAB accreditation, which is essential for the functioning of the labs. Knowledge of ISO 17025, ISO 9001 or similar quality standards
• Advanced skill in writing reports summarizing data quality and data trends for environmental projects
• Advanced skill in writing SOP’s for laboratory computer and LIMS applications
• The ability to prepare and deliver presentations and training to a range of audiences, including employees, managers, external consultants and external customers.
• The role holder must be able to produce system and process documentation, user documentation, procedural manuals and training manuals.
• Interpretation and analysis skills are required to enable the role holder to determine client specifications and provide feedback of requirements to ensure fitness for purpose.
• Prioritise work but can also re-prioritise work to mitigate laboratory analysis downtime, work with schedules and manage resources while remaining focused on team goals
• Develop relationships to accomplish team goals
• Clearly convey information through a variety of media to individuals across the organization
• Highlights areas for improvement to optimise analytical service
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong problem solving skills
• Experience in forecasting
Remuneration Package
€55k - €70k in line with experience and overall suitability.
Contact
Please contact Charlie Bigger on 01 5927861 or email or simply click the apply button.
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