WHAT DOES A LABORATORY SUPERVISOR DO?

Published: Jan 08, 2026 - The Laboratory Supervisor manages daily laboratory operations by overseeing building facilities, supplies, and equipment to ensure uninterrupted performance and compliance with safety and environmental standards. This role is responsible for delegating tasks, training staff, evaluating performance, maintaining data integrity, analyzing cost and technical data, and preparing reports and recommendations for management. The supervisor also coordinates lab activities based on shipment priorities and customer requirements, investigates issues, and enforces all laboratory policies and procedures.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Laboratory Supervisor

1. Laboratory Supervisor Duties

  • Site Management: Overall responsibility for the site operations, client satisfaction, staff motivation and workload
  • Target Achievement: Ensure optimum achievement of operational targets
  • Analytical Chemistry: Chemical tank investigative chemistry
  • Safety Compliance: Ensures site health, safety, and environmental compliance
  • Contractor Liaison: Liaison with site services and contractors
  • Safety Culture: Maintain and continually improve a culture of safe laboratory practices
  • Workflow Optimization: Build and improve lab workflows to increase the number of tests performed a day
  • Quality Assurance: Maintain the highest level of laboratory quality through implementing best practices
  • Budget Control: Maintain and stay on operational budget while ensuring the retention of the highest quality of staff

2. Laboratory Supervisor Details

  • Policy Implementation: Plans and implements the overall laboratory policies, procedures, and services for a unit and/or shift
  • Operations Management: Ensures efficient and effective departmental operations, including department quality control and compliance adherence
  • Goal Planning: Relies on extensive experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals
  • Team Supervision: Manages and directs the work of others
  • Lab Oversight: Manage all aspects of lab operation including supervision of quality control technicians
  • Workload Management: Workload management, staff development and guidance, and providing technical expertise in testing and analysis
  • Product Testing: Oversee inspection, testing, and analytical procedures to ensure concrete products meet or exceed requirements
  • Project Consultation: Provide expertise and consultation to sales and operations staff on all aspects of project work
  • Client Relations: Develop strong working relationships with project owners, general contractors, and consulting engineers
  • Cost Optimization: Recommend changes in materials, product design or manufacturing processes to optimize costs
  • Technical Support: Provide innovative solutions, technical support and troubleshooting expertise to internal and external stakeholders

3. Laboratory Supervisor Responsibilities

  • Testing Oversight: Ensuring that all testing and inspections are performed
  • Testing Scheduling: Ensuring that testing is carried out at the correct frequency and promptly
  • Standards Compliance: Ensuring that relevant testing standards are followed fully
  • Report Accuracy: Maintaining the highest standards throughout the testing process, ensuring accurate reports are issued
  • Trend Monitoring: Updating the unit manager on any non-conformances and irregular trend analysis
  • Process Optimization: Ensuring that the plant maximises the manufacturing process with particular attention being paid to RAP and bitumen usage
  • Technician Training: Training technicians so that they work in a competent and safe manner
  • Quality Compliance: Maintaining ongoing compliance with UKAS, ISO 9000 processes
  • Technical Support: Supporting the Head of Technical in the day-to-day running of the laboratory
  • Complaint Investigation: Investigating customer complaints in an open and honest manner

4. Quality Control Laboratory Supervisor Accountabilities

  • Staff Supervision: Responsible for supervising the activities of the analytical staff in a cGMP QC laboratory environment
  • Schedule Planning: Direct and coordinate the quality lab activities to plan and establish work schedules and assignments in support of production and organizational goals
  • Performance Management: Support laboratory staff, provide access to training, and manage the performance and development of staff
  • Metric Reporting: Reports on performance and metrics for each analyst to the QC Manager
  • Testing Accuracy: Ensures that all testing is performed promptly and with accuracy to support the release of the product
  • Investigation Handling: Initiates and performs laboratory investigation based on the outcome of testing performed
  • Material Testing: Ensures raw material testing for approval and supply chain management is performed, documented, and communicated to the appropriate departments
  • Product Development: Assists with new product development and timelines

5. Quality Control Laboratory Supervisor Functions

  • Protocol Execution: Write and execute protocols, and write reports for method validations
  • Method Validation: Perform the qualifications and validations of test methods and instruments
  • Impurity Testing: Perform impurity, supplier approval, and research testing
  • Instrument Maintenance: Troubleshoot and maintain instrumentation
  • SOP Management: Develop, maintain, and communicate all applicable SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures)
  • Compliance Tracking: Maintain proper record keeping, calibration, and repair of analytical instruments to ensure compliance with GLP and GMP
  • Notebook Review: Review and approve laboratory notebooks
  • Supply Management: Maintain inventory and ordering of laboratory supplies
  • GMP Compliance: Maintain all housekeeping, regulatory, and GMP requirements

6. Laboratory Supervisor Overview

  • Facility Management: Plan and implement control of laboratory building, supplies, and instrumentation for continuous operation
  • Safety Monitoring: Report any issues that can impact the environment or the safety of the employees
  • Task Delegation: Provide direction and delegate responsibilities to staff
  • Staff Training: Train staff to improve operational accuracy and efficiency
  • Performance Evaluation: Evaluate work performed and train staff
  • Employee Coaching: Conduct performance reviews, coaching council, disciplinary documents, etc
  • Sample Reporting: Prepare reports for management about samples and make recommendations
  • Data Integrity: Analyze equipment data and ensure all data generated maintains its integrity
  • Cost Analysis: Analyze cost control and statistical data
  • Problem Solving: Review technical problems and recommend solutions or changes
  • Policy Enforcement: Enforce all laboratory policies and procedures
  • Issue Investigation: Investigate lab claims and problems
  • Process Improvement: Make recommendations to management for changes in the lab
  • Operations Coordination: Coordinate lab operations based on shipment priorities and customer requirements

7. Laboratory Supervisor Details and Accountabilities

  • Testing Supervision: Provide day-to-day supervision of test performance by testing personnel, including approval of extraction quality checks for samples to proceed with testing
  • Sample Rejection: Authorize rejection of samples found to have poor quality
  • Test Validation: Involvement in new test validation
  • SOP Review: Involvement in the review and update of clinical technical SOPs with approval of the Associate Lab Director
  • Lab Organization: Oversight in the maintenance of laboratory cleanliness and an organized work environment
  • Maintenance Signoff: Sign off on maintenance records on a weekly or monthly schedule
  • Training Oversight: Oversight of completion of all required training
  • Equipment Maintenance: Perform routine operation and preventive maintenance on laboratory equipment involved in laboratory testing procedures (includes troubleshooting)
  • CAP Testing: Perform testing for, and data submission of, samples received for CAP proficiency testing
  • Assay Performance: Perform assays for internal proficiency testing and retain well-documented records of test result concordance
  • Record Keeping: Maintain clear, legible, well-documented laboratory records of all clinical testing performed
  • Result Analysis: Analysis and interpretation of test results, run controls, understand test limitations and ensure data suitability for results reporting

8. Laboratory Supervisor Tasks

  • Hazard Reporting: Alert of any safety hazards in the laboratory and report to the Associate Lab Director, upper management, or facilities management team
  • Accountability Oversight: Hold accountability and responsibility for all work performed by any licensed or non-licensed technicians
  • Training Oversight: Maintain oversight of laboratory staff training
  • Competency Assessment: Conduct a competency assessment of laboratory staff
  • Remedial Action: Assure that all remedial actions are taken whenever test systems deviate from the laboratory's established performance specifications
  • Result Validation: Ensure that the results of test examinations are not reported until all corrective actions have been taken and the test system is properly functioning
  • Research Support: Support and perform tests for research and developmental studies
  • Staff Discipline: Maintain authority to issue verbal or written warnings to laboratory staff for negligence or non-compliance with standardized laboratory regulations
  • Cross-Department Tasks: Complete assignments from other departments
  • Budget Tracking: Maintain lab expense and budget tracking

9. Laboratory Supervisor Roles

  • Analytical Support: Ensure that accurate analytical support is provided to Swift Creek Chemical, Suwannee River Chemical, and Swift Creek Mines production areas for cost-effective plant operations
  • Method Optimization: Enhance the accuracy and efficiency of laboratory operations by developing and implementing programs to streamline existing methods and instrument operation to meet production and shipping specifications while enhancing safety programs
  • Lab Administration: Supervise the administration of the day-to-day activities of laboratory operation, meeting the analytical requirements for all complexes
  • Performance Standards: Evaluate and maintain standards for personal performance, safety, and housekeeping
  • Staff Management: Manage the supervision of the laboratory, including personnel evaluations, salary administration, and preparation and control of operating and capital budgets
  • Certification Records: Generate and maintain accurate, up-to-date records of current and historical vessel certification on all products produced and shipped
  • Sample Program: Manage the AFPC check sample programs for current and accurate data
  • Data Distribution: Distribute the results of data checks to current members and participants
  • Meeting Participation: Attend all AFPC General and Methods Meetings and Laboratory Best Practices Meetings
  • Instrument Management: Manage and maintain instrument operation and procurement

10. Laboratory Supervisor Additional Details

  • Program Development: Develop programs to evaluate the accuracy and operation of laboratory instrumentation
  • Result Auditing: Audit accuracy and precision of analytical results and analytical procedures or methods
  • Training Coordination: Coordinate laboratory audits and training with the instrument maintenance specialist and the reagent prep specialist
  • Method Compatibility: Ensure that laboratory methodologies are compatible with other laboratories and sanctioned standards
  • Quality Monitoring: Monitor intermediate and product quality and provide trending feedback to plant operations to prevent off-specification product or shipment with potential exposure to customer complaints
  • LIMS Management: Maintain the operation of the LIMS system to specification, with continuous upgrades
  • Safety Standards: Maintain established and current standards for laboratory safety, SWAT, housekeeping, and reagent handling procedures
  • Emergency Coordination: Direct laboratory departmental safety meetings, coordinate EMT activities, and lead emergency response teams during emergencies
  • Waste Management: Coordinate the implementation of all aspects of the laboratory-generated waste to meet RCRA and EPA specifications
  • Equity Support: Support and promote the company’s Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Programs
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