Lab Technician

Job Title: Lab Technician

Job Description

This role focuses on qualifying and approving new food ingredients to support new product launches while ensuring strict compliance with food regulations, labeling laws, food safety requirements, and customer standards. The lab technician maintains and updates ingredient master data and databases, leads ingredient approval activities, and collaborates closely with cross-functional teams to enable safe, consistent, and innovative food products.

Responsibilities

• Qualify and approve new food ingredients to support new product launches and ensure they meet defined quality and safety criteria.
• Maintain, update, and accurately manage ingredient master data and ingredient databases to support reliable product development and production processes.
• Review ingredient specifications and technical documentation to verify accuracy, completeness, and alignment with internal and external requirements.
• Assess and ensure regulatory compliance of ingredients, including food regulations, labeling laws, food safety requirements, and customer-specific standards.
• Coordinate ingredient lifecycle management, including introduction, updates, and phase-out of ingredients, and oversee related change control processes.
• Collaborate closely with Research and Development, Quality, Procurement, Operations, and Portfolio teams to align ingredient decisions with business and product needs.
• Lead ingredient approval meetings, present findings and recommendations, and communicate status updates to relevant stakeholders in a clear and timely manner.
• Create, revise, and maintain standard operating procedures, work instructions, and other controlled documentation related to ingredient testing and approval.
• Track, analyze, and report ingredient approval metrics and master data performance indicators to support continuous improvement.
• Perform laboratory testing, including pH measurements, viscosity testing, and sample preparation, to evaluate ingredient performance and suitability for use in food products.

Essential Skills

• Hands-on lab testing experience, including pH measurement, viscosity testing, and sample preparation in a food laboratory environment.
• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Nutrition, Food Business, or a closely related field.
• Knowledge of food regulations, labeling laws, and food safety requirements applicable to food ingredients.
• Experience working with ingredient specifications, technical documentation, and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Ability to maintain and manage ingredient master data and ingredient databases with strong attention to detail.
• Strong organizational skills to coordinate ingredient lifecycle management and change control processes.
• Effective communication skills to lead ingredient approval meetings and provide clear status updates to cross-functional teams.
• Proficiency in creating and revising standard operating procedures, work instructions, and controlled documentation.
• Capability to track and report metrics related to ingredient approval and master data for monitoring and improvement.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with R&D, Quality, Procurement, Operations, and Portfolio teams.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• coursework in food quality assurance or related disciplines.
• Familiarity with food industry standards and customer-specific requirements for ingredients.
• Experience supporting new product launches in a food manufacturing or food technology environment.
• Comfort working with databases or digital systems for managing ingredient information and documentation.
• Strong analytical mindset and problem-solving skills for evaluating ingredient performance and compliance.
• Interest in contributing to healthy and delicious food solutions in a rapidly growing segment of the food industry.

Work Environment

This position operates in a laboratory and office environment within a food industry setting. You will regularly perform hands-on lab work, including pH and viscosity testing and sample preparation, using standard laboratory equipment and following documented procedures. The role involves frequent collaboration with cross-functional teams such as R&D, Quality, Procurement, Operations, and Portfolio, requiring clear communication and coordination. The organization is a global leader in delivering healthy and delicious fruit solutions in one of the fastest growing segments of the food industry, offering a professional environment focused on quality, safety, and innovation. Employees have access to health, dental, and vision benefits. Working hours typically follow standard business schedules, with documentation and data management tasks performed in a structured, process-driven setting that emphasizes compliance and continuous improvement

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Brecksville, OH.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $22.00 - $22.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical, dental & vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) • Short and long-term disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Brecksville,OH.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 21, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.