Lab Technician

Lab Technician – Plastics Compounding & Recycling

Job Template

Position Summary

We are seeking a detailoriented Lab Technician to support testing, quality control, and material evaluation in our plastics compounding and recycling operations. This role ensures that raw materials, inprocess blends, and finished products meet company and customer specifications.

Key Responsibilities

Material Testing & Analysis

• Perform daily testing on plastic resins, recycled materials, and compounded products, including sieve analysis, melt flow index testing, drop tests, and color analysis.
• Inspect and verify uniformity in raw materials, color concentrates, and final product blends.
• Collect and label material samples for production and quality records.

Color & Composition Control

• Assist in evaluating or verifying color matches and pigment loadings for production batches.
• Record color data using spectrophotometers or computerbased color measurement tools.

Documentation & Reporting

• Maintain accurate logs of test results, batch quality data, and deviations.
• Communicate any quality issues to production, scheduling, or purchasing teams as needed.
• Support R&D efforts by documenting trial formulations and test outcomes.

Lab Equipment Operation & Maintenance

• Operate lab tools such as melt flow testers, scales, sieves, mixers, lab extrusion, lab pulverizer, lab injection and roto molding equipment, and color analysis devices.
• Maintain a clean, organized lab environment and ensure equipment is calibrated and functioning correctly.

Qualifications

• Experience in plastics manufacturing, compounding, or materials testing preferred.
• Familiarity with polymers, pigments, additives, resins, and recycled materials.
• Ability to conduct mathematical conversions and interpret test data.
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, etc.).
• High attention to detail, organization and accuracy in recording measurements.
• High school diploma required; technical or associate degree in chemistry, materials science, or related field preferred.

Skills Needed

• Knowledge of plastic processing or compounding equipment is a plus.
• Mechanical aptitude for understanding how processing affects material properties.
• Strong problemsolving and analytical skills.
• Ability to work independently and communicate effectively with production and quality teams.

Work Environment

• Laboratory setting within a plastics manufacturing environment.
• Requires standing, lifting up to 40–50 lbs of material samples, and wearing appropriate PPE.
• Interaction with production floor equipment and recycled materials.

Why Join Us?

• Opportunity to work in a materialsfocused, sustainabilitydriven plastics operation.
• Competitive pay and benefits with growth opportunities into Quality Technician, R&D Tech, or Lab Lead roles.