Find a job 
Featured Companies 
Featured Universities 
For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a team ensuring top quality and safety in product manufacturing.
- Company: Join Unilever, a global leader in Food, Home, and Personal Care products.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, bonuses, gym membership, and flexible working options.
- Why this job: Be part of a culture focused on innovation, sustainability, and personal development.
- Qualifications: Bachelor’s or master’s in chemistry or related field; leadership experience preferred.
- Other info: Diversity and inclusion are core values; flexible adjustments available during recruitment.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
Location: Port Sunlight Factories (Site based)
JOB PURPOSE
Unilever Port Sunlight is a large manufacturing site located on the Wirral in the Northwest of England. The site has 3 Homecare factories, 1 Personal Care factory and Sulphonation Plant that are responsible for the Global supply of multiple key household products to the markets. The main job purpose is to ensure the safety of our consumers and customers through producing top quality products and ensuring the highest standards of quality, safety, and efficiency, including legislative requirements. The post holder will be responsible for leading a team of Quality Analysts. They will be responsible for monitoring sustained levels of compliance and continuous improvement programmes across all Factories, Sulphonation Plant and Make Plants, developing and implementing laboratory policies, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to support product development and innovation.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Safety Compliance: Maintain a safe working environment by upholding health and safety protocols and creating a safety culture. Lead a team of Quality Analysts and undertake all line manager responsibilities, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture, to deliver against masterplan. Drive net productivity per year to deliver efficient processes. Provide governance to the Sulphonation and Make Plant teams in quality compliance processes. Engage directly with manufacturing plants to ensure seamless integration of lab processes with production. Provide hands-on support and troubleshooting in plant settings. Manage daily laboratory operations, including scheduling, resource allocation, and equipment maintenance, ensuring regular calibration of machines in all areas. Ensure all recording and testing meets the required standards and are carried out rigorously. Address any issues that may arise from testing compliance governance in quality processes. Ensure all laboratory activities comply with industry standards and regulatory requirements. Actively participate in audits and implement action plans.
- Innovation and Development: Collaborate with R&D teams to develop new products and improve existing formulations. Drive digitisation of systems and processes to ensure fit for future labs.
- Budget Management: Oversee the laboratory budget, ensuring cost-effective use of resources.
- Data Management: Ensure accurate and timely recording and reporting of laboratory data.
- Continuous Improvement: Identify opportunities for process improvements and implement best practices within your immediate and wider site Quality team.
ALL ABOUT YOU
Professional Skills
- Essential Education: Bachelor’s or master’s degree in chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.
- Desirable: Previous experience leading a team of people in an analytical environment.
Experience
- Essential: Proven background and relevant experience in a laboratory testing setting. Experience of leadership and managing a team. Managing Audits and continuous improvement programmes. Collaboration with key stakeholders and Project work.
- Desirable: Experience in a manufacturing plant environment and FMCG. Enzyme testing experience.
NOTES
About Unilever
Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Food, Home and Personal Care products with sales in over 190 countries and reaching 2 billion consumers a day. Unilever has more than 400 brands found in homes around the world, including Dove, Tresemme, Lynx, Lifebuoy, Shea Moisture, Persil, Domestos, Ben & Jerry’s, Magnum, Marmite, The Vegetarian Butcher, Graze and Pot Noodle. Faced with the challenge of climate change and the need for human development, we want to move towards a world where everyone can live well and within the natural limits of the planet. That’s why our purpose is ‘to make sustainable living commonplace’.
What We Offer
Not only do we offer a competitive salary and pension scheme, we also offer an annual bonus, subsidised gym membership, a discounted staff shop and shares. You’ll have the opportunity to work directly with our renowned and exciting brands in a flexible and hybrid working environment. Whilst the role is advertised on a full-time basis, we would be happy to discuss possible flexible working options and what this may look like for you. We are a key advocate of wellbeing and offer a variety of support for our people including hubs, programmes and development opportunities. We strive to achieve a family-friendly and inclusive workplace and to, above all, create possibilities for all. Diversity at Unilever is about inclusion, embracing differences, creating possibilities, and growing together for better business performance. We want to push boundaries, and have the flexibility needed to keep adapting in an ever-changing, more dynamic world. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity. As part of your hiring journey, we are happy to support requests for reasonable adjustments, to improve your recruitment experience.
Quality Laboratory Leader employer: Unilever
Contact Detail:
Unilever Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Quality Laboratory Leader
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with Unilever's core values and sustainability goals. Understanding their commitment to making sustainable living commonplace will help you align your answers during interviews and demonstrate that you're a good cultural fit.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with current or former employees of Unilever, especially those in quality or laboratory roles. They can provide insights into the company culture and expectations, which can be invaluable when preparing for interviews.
✨Tip Number 3
Brush up on your knowledge of compliance and regulatory standards relevant to laboratory operations. Being able to discuss these confidently will show your expertise and readiness to take on the responsibilities of the Quality Laboratory Leader role.
✨Tip Number 4
Prepare examples of how you've led teams in previous roles, particularly in analytical environments. Highlighting your leadership experience and ability to drive continuous improvement will set you apart from other candidates.
We think you need these skills to ace Quality Laboratory Leader
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience in laboratory settings, leadership roles, and compliance with industry standards. Use specific examples that demonstrate your ability to manage teams and improve processes.
Craft a Strong Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your passion for quality assurance and safety in manufacturing. Mention how your background aligns with Unilever's commitment to sustainability and innovation, and provide examples of your previous successes in similar roles.
Highlight Relevant Skills: Emphasise skills that are essential for the role, such as team leadership, data management, and continuous improvement. Be sure to mention any experience you have with audits and collaboration with cross-functional teams.
Proofread Your Application: Before submitting, carefully proofread your application for any spelling or grammatical errors. A polished application reflects your attention to detail, which is crucial for a Quality Laboratory Leader.
How to prepare for a job interview at Unilever
✨Understand the Role
Make sure you thoroughly understand the responsibilities of a Quality Laboratory Leader. Familiarise yourself with the key tasks such as ensuring safety compliance, leading a team, and managing laboratory operations. This will help you articulate how your experience aligns with the role.
✨Showcase Leadership Experience
Since the position involves leading a team of Quality Analysts, be prepared to discuss your previous leadership experiences. Highlight specific examples where you successfully managed a team, drove productivity, or implemented continuous improvement programmes.
✨Prepare for Technical Questions
Expect technical questions related to laboratory processes, compliance standards, and quality assurance. Brush up on your knowledge of industry regulations and be ready to discuss how you've ensured compliance in past roles.
✨Demonstrate Collaboration Skills
Collaboration with cross-functional teams is crucial in this role. Prepare examples of how you've worked effectively with other departments, such as R&D or manufacturing, to achieve common goals. This will show your ability to integrate lab processes with production.
