Fragrance Sample Lab and Shipping Manager

Bell Flavors & Fragrances, Inc. is seeking a hands-on, highly organized Fragrance Sample Lab & Shipping Manager to lead the daily operations of our Sample Laboratory and sample shipping functions in Northbrook. This position combines people leadership, laboratory operations, quality oversight, safety coordination, and customer-focused execution.

You will guide a team of Laboratory Technicians, balance competing priorities, and ensure samples are compounded, evaluated, packaged, and shipped accurately and on time. The ideal candidate is equally comfortable coaching employees, improving processes, investigating quality concerns, collaborating across departments, and stepping in to support laboratory work when business needs require it.

What you will own:

• Daily laboratory workflow, project prioritization, and on-time execution of sample requests.
• Leadership, training, coaching, performance management, and development of assigned Laboratory Technicians.
• Accurate preparation, packaging, coordination, and shipment of fragrance samples.
• Laboratory quality, formula confidentiality, data security, equipment readiness, and supply availability.
• Departmental safety leadership as Safety Coordinator and Fire Captain.
• Continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen quality, efficiency, service, and operational continuity.

Key Responsibilities

• Plan, assign, and prioritize daily work across the Technician team to meet project deadlines and customer commitments.
• Provide hands-on support with sample compounding and other laboratory activities as needed.
• Coordinate the preparation, packaging, and shipment of outgoing samples, securing additional resources when required.
• Build cross-training programs and backup coverage plans to maintain continuity across essential team functions.
• Train, mentor, and supervise Laboratory Technicians on procedures, quality expectations, safety requirements, and best practices.
• Monitor team performance and reinforce standards for productivity, accuracy, quality, service, and safety.
• Partner with Sales and other internal stakeholders to establish realistic, customer-focused timelines for sample requests.
• Develop, implement, and maintain standard operating procedures while leading process-improvement and efficiency initiatives.
• Oversee specification development and validation activities that support commercialization while protecting confidential formulas and laboratory data.
• Manage laboratory supplies and equipment-maintenance programs and help ensure the quality of raw materials, intermediate products, and finished fragrances.
• Investigate quality issues, determine root causes, and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Coordinate assigned stability-testing programs and evaluate fragrance samples across multiple applications.
• Lead departmental safety compliance, training, and emergency-preparedness activities.
• Set goals, provide continuous feedback, support professional development, and manage the performance of assigned direct reports.

Required Qualifications

• Associate or bachelor’s degree in chemistry, chemical science, or a related scientific discipline.
• At least three years of laboratory experience; an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience will be considered.
• Working knowledge of laboratory safety practices and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, projects, and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, sound judgment, and effective problem-solving ability.
• Ability to collaborate across organizational levels while maintaining accuracy, quality, confidentiality, and customer focus.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience leading, training, mentoring, or supervising laboratory personnel.
• Experience developing SOPs, improving laboratory processes, or supporting quality investigations.
• High proficiency with Microsoft Office and portfolio or project management systems.

What Success Looks Like

You are a visible, hands-on leader who creates structure without losing speed. You communicate expectations clearly, build trust across teams, protect product and formula integrity, and respond to changing priorities with sound judgment. You bring technical credibility, ethical conduct, initiative, business awareness, and a consistent focus on results.

 Why Join Bell?

• You will join a collaborative environment to work across teams
• Make a visible impact by improving laboratory operations, quality, safety, and customer service.
• Develop your leadership skills while coaching and supporting a talented laboratory team.
• Gain broad exposure by partnering with Sales, R&D, Quality, Operations, and other departments.
• Receive a competitive salary of $42,500–$80,000 per year, based on qualifications and experience.
• Access competitive benefits available to eligible regular full-time employees.

Ready to make an Impact?

If you are a laboratory professional who enjoys developing people, improving operations, and delivering accurate, high-quality work in a fast-moving environment, we invite you to apply for the Fragrance Sample Lab & Shipping Manager position.

Salary : $42,500 - $80,000