Microbiologist

**Job Summary**:
**Key roles and responsibilities of this position**

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Microbiologist to join our team in Coca-Cola manufacturing Plant.

This individual will play a crucial role in ensuring the quality of our products by overseeing microbiological testing and quality assurance processes in a newly constructed green field plant laboratory.

**Micro Testing and Execution - 45%**

**Quality Assurance - 40%**
- Evaluate data to determine compliance with regulations and specifications.
- Communicate technical information clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Troubleshoot and resolve microbiological issues by providing effective solutions. Participate in root cause analysis and implement corrective actions.
- Maintain and update SAP for material control and release.
- Validate and verify cleaning and sanitation practices through microbiological testing.
- Train laboratory and production team members on microbiological techniques.
- Manage document control processes and compliance to KORE requirements.
- Participate in team projects and company-wide initiatives to share information and best practices

**Cross functional support - 15%**
- Perform chemical analysis, sensory analysis and other duties assigned by lab manager
- Raising Purchase orders, talking to suppliers vendors, sending samples to IQD, External labs or R&D or else, maintaining contracts, support in asset verification, analyzing OPEX/CAPEX w.r.t. Micro lab.
- Participate in GLP maintenance, SLE, Block stock monitoring, internal audits, Value creation projects

**Organization Impact/Influence**:
This position works with Laboratory Manager and QSE Head and provides support for testing and release of ingredients and finished products and to comply the Laboratory operation requirements as per TCCC, legal and ISO/IEC 17025 Accreditation requirements.

The job scope will also involve the interactions with internal and external stake holders as below.

**Internal interactions**:

- Leadership team, all QA ,Manufacturing and warehouse staff to communicate the decisions related to Quality matters, Material disposition and reporting.
- Process control and manufacturing team on initiatives to create and achieve Zero defect product quality mind-set.
- Involve with Laboratory and Quality team to conduct Analytical test method validation and implementation of quality control test procedures.
- Warehouse and logistics team on incoming ingredient and packaging material identification and disposition activities

**External interactions**:

- Global CPS Lab community for Laboratory initiatives, receive analytical testing support, problem solving, sharing and implementing of best practises as per company requirements.
- IQD/APTC/EASC and third party laboratories to coordinate for testing and release.
- Supplier and vendors: Calibration & Maintenance and Third party service support.

**Supervisory Responsibilities**:

- Coordinate with admin and plant associates to monitor and implement GLP and GMP activities.
- Coordinate and Supervise Visitor /contractor activities related activities to ensure compliance as per Company requirement.

**Related Job Requirements/Qualifications**:

- Experience: 5-7 years in a laboratory within the food, pharmaceutical, or chemical industry. Experience in beverage technology and microbiology preferred.
- Education: M.Sc. in Microbiology, Food Science, or equivalent.
- Technical Skills: Proficiency in microbiological testing, molecular biological techniques, advanced analytical processes, and laboratory instrumentation (e.g., PCR, GC, LC, IC, AA, FTNIR, etc.).
- Certifications: ISO 17025, GLP, FSSC 22000 preferred.
- Software Proficiency: LIMS, SAP, Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word), Power BI.
- Language: Fluent in English, both written and spoken. Ability to interact in local language is a plus.
- Personal Skills: Strong communication, problem-solving, decision-making, and systematic thinking abilities. Ability to train and guide team members.

**Cultural Diversity**:

- Able to interact in English and local language internally and externally.
- No ethnic or cultural differences faced in this job

**Judgment and Decision Making**:

- Key decision maker in determining whether actions are necessary to address micro and thereby quality issues identified as part of analytical monitoring program.

**Working Conditions**:

- Laboratory environment. Use of chemicals and standards under good laboratory practices, Microbiology testing as per microbiology standard requirement & GLP norms.

**Travel Requirements**:

- This position will be primarily based in Gujrat, India with minimum travelling (maximum 5% of work time under normal conditions). Trips include occasional visits or training at other concentrate plants, bottling operations and training centres.

**Skills**

Data Compilation; Quality Control (QC); Testing Methods (Inactive); Data Entry; Communication; Laboratory