Position Summary The General Manager – Food Testing Laboratory will be responsible for leading the end-to-end operations of TÜV SÜD's Food Testing Laboratory, ensuring technical excellence, operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, customer satisfaction, business growth, and profitability. The incumbent will provide strategic leadership across laboratory functions, drive operational excellence, strengthen quality systems, and ensure compliance with national and international accreditation standards.The role requires extensive expertise in food chemistry, microbiology, analytical testing, laboratory management, quality systems, people leadership, customer engagement, and business operations.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

- Lead and manage the overall Food Testing Laboratory operations.

- Develop and execute business strategies aligned with organizational goals.

- Drive revenue growth, profitability, productivity, and laboratory expansion.

- Identify new business opportunities and emerging testing requirements.

- Support sales and business development teams through technical expertise.

- Prepare annual business plans, budgets, CAPEX, and operational forecasts.

- Drive continuous improvement initiatives across laboratory functions.

Laboratory Operations

- Manage end-to-end laboratory operations covering Food Chemistry, Microbiology, Contaminants, Residues, Nutritional Analysis, and Specialized Testing.

- Ensure optimum utilization of laboratory resources, manpower, and analytical instruments.

- Monitor sample turnaround time (TAT), laboratory productivity, and operational KPIs.

- Ensure adherence to testing schedules and customer commitments.

- Optimize workflow, resource allocation, and laboratory efficiency.

- Ensure preventive maintenance and calibration of laboratory equipment.

- Drive Lean Laboratory practices and operational excellence.

Technical Expertise

Must possess robust working knowledge of:

- Food Chemistry Testing

- Microbiology Testing

- Nutritional Analysis

- Pesticide Residue Analysis

- Veterinary Drug Residue Analysis

- Heavy Metal Analysis

- Mycotoxins

- Food Additives

- Packaging Material Testing

- Shelf-Life Studies

- Contaminant Analysis





Hands-on understanding of analytical instruments including:
- GC-FID

- GC-MS/MS

- LC-MS/MS

- ICP-MS

- ICP-OES

- HPLC

- UV-Visible Spectrophotometer

- FTIR

- AAS

- TOC Analyzer

- Kjeldahl System

- Soxhlet Extraction System

- Texture Analyzer

- Water Activity Meter

- Automatic Moisture Analyzer

- Particle Size Analyzer

- Other advanced analytical equipment used in food testing laboratories.

Method Development & Validation

- Lead analytical method development and optimization.

- Ensure method validation as per ISO 17025, AOAC, BIS, FSSAI, Codex, USP, EP, and international guidelines.

- Conduct measurement uncertainty studies.

- Establish laboratory quality control procedures.

- Drive method verification and method transfer activities.

- Review technical reports and validation documentation.

- Ensure participation and satisfactory performance in Proficiency Testing (PT) and Inter-Laboratory Comparison (ILC) programs.

Quality & Regulatory Compliance

Ensure compliance with

- ISO/IEC 17025

- NABL Accreditation Requirements

- FSSAI Regulations

- Export Inspection Council (EIC)

- APEDA Requirements

- USFDA Requirements

- EU Food Regulations

- ISO 9001

- Good Laboratory Practices (GLP)

- Internal TÜV SÜD Quality Management System

Lead
- NABL Assessments

- Internal Audits

- External Audits

- Customer Audits

- Regulatory Audits

Ensure timely closure of
- Non-Conformities

- CAPA

- Risk Assessments

- Root Cause Analysis

- Quality Improvements

Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS)

- Strong knowledge of Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS).

- Experience in implementation, administration, and optimization of laboratory software.

- Ensure data integrity and electronic record compliance.

- Improve automation and digitalization of laboratory processes.





- Monitor laboratory dashboards and MIS reporting.

People Leadership

- Lead, mentor, and develop a multidisciplinary team of scientists, technical managers, laboratory managers, quality professionals, and support staff.

- Manage a team of approximately 30–40 employees or more.

- Build a high-performance culture through coaching and capability development.

- Conduct performance management and succession planning.

- Identify training needs and competency development programs.

- Promote employee engagement and cross-functional collaboration.

- Foster a culture of safety, ethics, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Customer Management

- Build and maintain strong relationships with key customers.

- Handle customer technical discussions and complaint investigations.

- Ensure customer satisfaction through timely and accurate service delivery.

- Support key account management.

- Represent TÜV SÜD during customer audits and technical meetings.

Financial Management

- Manage laboratory P&L.;

- Control operational costs.

- Improve laboratory profitability.

- Monitor revenue realization.

- Drive cost optimization initiatives.

- Evaluate investment requirements for laboratory expansion.

- Ensure optimum utilization of laboratory assets.

Health, Safety & Environment

- Ensure compliance with laboratory safety standards.

- Promote safe handling of chemicals and hazardous materials.

- Ensure adherence to EHS requirements.

- Lead emergency preparedness initiatives.

- Drive a zero-incident safety culture.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

- Revenue Growth

- EBITDA Achievement

- Laboratory Profitability

- Sample Turnaround Time (TAT)

- Customer Satisfaction Score

- NABL Compliance

- Audit Outcomes

- PT/ILC Performance

- Laboratory Utilization

- Productivity Improvement

- Employee Engagement

- Attrition Control

- Quality Index

- CAPA Closure Effectiveness

- Safety Performance

Qualifications

- Master's Degree in Food Technology, Food Science, Analytical Chemistry, Chemistry, Biotechnology, Microbiology, Life Sciences, or a related discipline.

- Ph.D. will be an added advantage.

📌 General Manager – Food Testing Laboratory (Bengaluru)
🏢 Tuv Sud South Asia PrivateLimited
📍 Bengaluru