Lab Manager

Rizonet Recruiting is hiring a Lab Manager for a global masterbatch, color, and additives manufacturer at its plant in Greater Charlotte, NC. This is an on-site role reporting to the General Manager.

About the role

The Lab Manager leads the site laboratory and QC activities and is a key technical resource for masterbatch, color, additives, polymers, and plastics processing. This hands-on role needs strong plastics-industry experience, practical extrusion and compounding knowledge, plastic color-matching expertise, and proven leadership. You will set clear priorities, hold the team accountable, and work closely with Production, QC, R&D, Sales, and site management.

Key responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop the QC Manager and laboratory team; assign priorities and manage performance

• Lead color matching and color correction for plastic masterbatch and compounds, including pigment selection, formulation adjustments, visual evaluation, spectrophotometer use, L*a*b* values, and Delta E analysis

• Provide hands-on support for extrusion and compounding trials, scale-up, and production troubleshooting

• Investigate color variation, dispersion, contamination, thermal stability, raw-material, formulation, processing, and product-performance issues

• Plan laboratory trials, analyze results, document conclusions, and translate findings into practical production solutions

• Maintain laboratory and QC methods, equipment, calibration, specifications, COAs, and product-release standards

• Support analytical and physical testing, customer complaints, technical inquiries, and audits

• Promote strong cooperation between Laboratory, QC, and Production

Required qualifications

• Degree in Chemistry, Polymer Science, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Plastics Engineering, or a related field. An advanced degree is preferred.

• 5+ years of hands-on technical experience in the plastics industry, preferably in masterbatch, color compounds, additives, compounding, or polymer processing

• Hands-on extrusion and/or compounding experience

• Hands-on plastic color-matching and color-correction experience

• 3+ years leading laboratory, QC, technical, or manufacturing personnel

• Practical knowledge of polymers, pigments, additives, spectrophotometers, and plastics-processing behavior

• Manufacturing experience and the ability to troubleshoot directly on the production floor

Key competencies

• Assertive leadership, accountability, sound judgment, and people management

• Strong technical problem-solving and practical decision-making

• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment

• Clear communication and cross-functional collaboration

Compensation: $120,000 to $150,000 base plus annual bonus and benefits.