What are the responsibilities and job description for the General Manager, Personal Care & Cosmetics Laboratory position at Certified Laboratories Inc?
Position Summary
Certified Group is seeking a General Manager to lead its Personal Care & Cosmetics laboratory operations in Burbank, CA. This executive-level role carries full responsibility for site operations, financial performance, technical execution, and regulatory compliance.
The General Manager will drive business performance within a GMP-regulated environment, lead a high-performing technical and operational team, and ensure exceptional client service. This role holds full P&L ownership and is accountable for operational excellence, quality systems, employee engagement, and long-term strategic growth.
The ideal candidate brings strong business acumen and proven site leadership, combined with deep technical expertise in analytical chemistry—particularly near-expert knowledge of chromatographic operations. This individual must confidently guide technical decision-making, assess analytical challenges, and communicate risks, root causes, and solutions effectively.
Responsibilities
Strategic & Site Leadership
- Lead overall site strategy, performance, and growth initiatives
- Develop and execute annual operating and business plans
- Drive continuous improvement across operations, quality, and technical capabilities
- Serve as the senior escalation point for operational, technical, quality, and client issues
- Align site strategy with long-term growth across personal care, cosmetics, OTC, and regulated testing
- Integrate commercial priorities with operational execution and sound scientific judgment
Financial & Business Performance
- Own full site P&L, including revenue growth, margins, and EBITDA
- Lead budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning processes
- Monitor KPIs such as utilization, turnaround time, productivity, and capacity
- Partner with commercial teams on client retention, pricing, and growth opportunities
- Support capital investments in instrumentation, automation, and infrastructure
- Evaluate financial performance in the context of laboratory operations and technical complexity
Quality & Regulatory Oversight
- Ensure compliance with GMP and applicable regulatory standards
- Maintain inspection readiness and lead audits (regulatory and client)
- Champion data integrity, documentation, and quality system effectiveness
- Ensure methods are scientifically sound and properly validated/verified
- Oversee investigations (OOS/OOT, deviations, CAPA) and technical issue resolution
- Lead in complex technical scenarios involving chromatography, method performance, and data quality
- Foster a culture of compliance, accountability, and scientific rigor
Operational Management
- Oversee laboratory functions including Chemistry, Microbiology, Stability, and Sample Management
- Align staffing and resources to meet operational and business needs
- Optimize workflows to improve efficiency, turnaround time, and quality
- Ensure proper equipment, methods, training, and controls are in place
- Drive improvements in instrument utilization, sample flow, and cross-functional coordination
- Support expansion of technical capabilities (e.g., LC, GC, wet chemistry)
- Maintain strong technical oversight of chromatography-driven operations
Leadership & Talent Development
- Lead and develop a cross-functional leadership team
- Build a high-performance, accountable, and engaged culture
- Drive succession planning and talent development initiatives
- Promote safety, collaboration, and continuous learning
- Mentor teams in technical problem-solving, troubleshooting, and decision-making
- Ensure strong competency in analytical chemistry, chromatography, and GMP practices
- Establish high standards for analytical rigor and data-driven decisions
Qualifications
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry or related scientific field (required)
- Advanced degree (M.S., Ph.D.) and/or MBA (preferred)
Experience
- 10 years of leadership experience in a GMP-regulated laboratory environment
- Experience as a General Manager, Site Leader, Laboratory Director, or similar role
- Demonstrated P&L ownership and financial management expertise
- Proven experience with regulatory inspections and client audits
- Background in personal care, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, biotech, OTC, or contract lab services (preferred)
- Strong experience leading analytical chemistry operations, including chromatography and wet chemistry
- Deep technical expertise in chromatographic systems (HPLC, UPLC, GC, GC-MS, LC-MS, LC-MS/MS)
- Proven ability to troubleshoot, interpret data, and lead root cause investigations
- Strong foundation in classical/wet chemistry techniques
Core Competencies
- Executive leadership and strategic thinking
- Financial and operational acumen
- Deep knowledge of GMP quality systems
- Advanced expertise in analytical chemistry and chromatography
- Strong technical judgment and problem-solving ability
- Ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly
- Client-focused mindset
- Change leadership and organizational development
- Executive presence and strong communication skills
Salary : $180,000 - $230,000