Tech Ops Manager

Description

Job Summary

The Tech Ops Manager ensures that new products, reformulations, and Operations-based process improvement technologies are developed and/or implemented to support the corporate objectives and strategic goals of Gaia Herbs, Inc.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Develops Master Formulas and ensures those formulas are accurately reflected in Production Formulas that maximize operational efficiencies
• Manages pilot-scale equipment (TD100 extractor, spray dryer, etc.) to support the development of new formulas, reformulations, and operations-based process improvements
• Serves as liaison between Tech Ops and the Production team
• Develops and maintains detailed documentation for each pilot batch produced and standard operating procedures as required
• Performs QC test methods on R&D material and evaluates test results and procedures to investigate product quality – such as density, viscosity, chromatographic biomarker analysis/fingerprinting, and spectroscopy, provides feedback to the Laboratory and Tech Ops Director regarding quality results on a regular basis
• Accurately documents and maintains up-to-date laboratory notebooks and logbooks
• Communicates equipment and instrument related problems to Laboratory Analysts and/or Lab Management
• Gathers and documents data using computer software for communication to a variety of audiences
• Prepares graphs or charts of data and enters data into computer for analysis
• Assures that work practices are in the guidelines of cGMP standards

Supervisory Responsibilities

• N/A

Requirements

Qualifications

Education and/or Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required. Post graduate degree or equivalent experience preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Experience with large scale manufacturing/extraction equipment
• Skilled in experimental design
• Able to conduct small scale (benchtop) experiments
• Experience operating analytical equipment such as HPLC, GC, spectrophotometers, viscometers, etc.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Strong leadership skills, including the ability to effectively coach and develop staff, lead difficult conversations, and conduct presentations to large groups
• Strong technical skills and ability, with basic knowledge of mechanical systems.
• Strong decision-making acumen; logical and analytically minded
• Goal oriented and highly motivated
• Ability to effectively establish positive working relationships with various departments, supervisors, and managers.
• Ability to provide support remotely or come back on-site to support the needs of the business when issues are escalated to this person in this position
• Interest in current and emerging software technologies such as Chemometrics (Multivariate Analyses), LLMs and AI
• Proven ability to multi-task in administrative, analytical, and operational settings without sacrificing attention to detail, accuracy of record-keeping, or overall productivity
• Ability to read and comprehend detailed instructions, test methods, standard operating procedures and memos. Ability to write experimental details in a technical manner and to summarize results. Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small groups situations to customers, clients and other employees of the organization.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio and percent and to draw and interpret graphs. Ability to perform basic statistical analysis (such as average, standard deviations, etc.). Use software packages to trend data.

Physical Demands

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand and walk. The employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, and talk or hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job includes the ability to see from a distance and close up. Employee is occasionally asked to move or lift inventory weighing upwards of fifty (50) pounds.

Work Environment

The work environment of this job is a manufacturing plant. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.