Corporate Technical Director – Food & Nutrition

Microbac Laboratories, Inc.

Technical Director providing subject matter expertise for microbiology and chemistry testing in Food & Nutrition industry. Collaborating with clients on food safety, testing strategy, and regulatory expectations.

Posted 5/12/2026full-timeCranberry Township • Pennsylvania • 🇺🇸 United StatesLeadWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Serve as a primary corporate technical resource for Food & Nutrition microbiology and chemistry testing
Provide technical guidance on method selection, method applicability, sample preparation, testing limitations, and result interpretation
Support laboratories with complex technical questions related to food matrices, product types, environmental samples, and customer-specific testing needs
Provide subject matter expertise for pathogen testing, indicator organisms, spoilage organisms, shelf-life studies, challenge studies, nutritional analysis, chemistry testing, contaminants, allergens, and other Food & Nutrition testing services
Assist with technical review of unusual, unexpected, out-of-specification, or out-of-trend results
Partner with laboratory leadership, quality, operations, sales, and client service teams to ensure technically accurate and consistent communication
Act as a technical point of contact for clients regarding methodology, data interpretation, testing strategy, and regulatory or industry expectations
Participate in client meetings, technical calls, proposal discussions, and project planning conversations
Assist clients in selecting appropriate testing programs based on product type, risk profile, intended use, production process, regulatory expectations, and business needs
Provide clear, scientifically sound explanations of test results, method limitations, and recommended next steps
When contracted, provide on-site consultation at customer production facilities to support food safety programs, environmental monitoring, root cause investigations, corrective actions, sanitation verification, process assessments, or other technical needs
Support the development of client-facing technical documents, white papers, presentations, reports, webinars and recommendations
Advise on traditional, rapid, molecular, and alternative methods used in Food & Nutrition testing
Support evaluation and implementation of new methods, technologies, and service offerings
Assist with method verification, validation support, troubleshooting, and technical justification as needed
Provide technical input for new business opportunities, customized testing programs, and complex client requests
Review testing trends and client data, when appropriate, to support interpretation, investigations, and risk-based recommendations
Help ensure technical consistency across Food & Nutrition laboratories

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology, Food Science, Chemistry, Biology, Biochemistry, or a related scientific discipline
Advanced degree in Microbiology, Food Science, Chemistry or related field preferred
Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in food testing, food safety, food microbiology, food chemistry, laboratory operations, technical consulting, or related industry experience
Strong technical understanding of Food & Nutrition laboratory testing, including both microbiological and chemical analyses
Demonstrated experience interpreting laboratory data and explaining technical results to clients and internal stakeholders
Experience with food manufacturing environments, sanitation programs, environmental monitoring, root cause analysis, corrective actions, or food safety systems
Working knowledge of applicable food safety regulations, industry guidance, accreditation requirements, and laboratory quality systems
Ability to communicate complex scientific information in a clear, practical, and client-appropriate manner
Strong problem-solving, critical thinking, and decision-making skills
Ability to travel 50% of the time to laboratory locations and customer production facilities as needed
Experience in a third-party testing laboratory environment
Experience with ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratory operations
Experience with FDA, USDA, AOAC, BAM, MLG, USP, ISO, or other recognized food testing methods
Experience supporting shelf-life studies, challenge studies, validation projects, or environmental monitoring program design
Experience presenting technical information to customers, auditors, regulators, or industry groups
Experience with molecular methods, rapid pathogen platforms such as VIDAS, BAX, iQ Check or MDS, MALDI-TOF, strain typing, or advanced microbiological tools
Familiarity with nutritional panel development and label claim verification, including how analytical results support Nutrition Facts panels, ingredient claims, “free-from” claims, fortification, and product specification compliance
Understanding of shelf-life chemistry indicators, such as peroxide value, p-anisidine value, free fatty acids, rancidity, oxidation, moisture migration, water activity, pH changes, color, texture, and other quality-related chemistry trends
Experience supporting method validation, verification, and troubleshooting for chemistry methods, including accuracy, precision, linearity, recovery, ruggedness, matrix effects, calibration, and quality control acceptance criteria
Knowledge of instrumental chemistry platforms commonly used in food laboratories, such as HPLC, GC, GC-MS, LC-MS/MS, ICP-MS, ICP-OES, FTIR/NIR, titration systems, and automated wet chemistry instrumentation
HACCP, PCQI, GFSI, SQF, BRCGS, or similar food safety training/certification preferred.

Benefits

Comp & perks

medical
dental
vision
life insurance
disability
generous paid time off including vacation, holidays and flextime
a wellness program
referral bonus
tuition reimbursement

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

microbiologyfood chemistrylaboratory operationsdata interpretationmethod validationmethod verificationshelf-life studiesenvironmental monitoringroot cause analysisfood safety systems

Soft Skills

problem-solvingcritical thinkingdecision-makingcommunicationtechnical consultingclient interactionteam collaborationpresentation skillstechnical writingadaptability

Certifications

HACCPPCQIGFSISQFBRCGSISO/IEC 17025