GCMS Department Supervisor

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At ALS, we encourage you to dream big. When you join ALS, you become part of a purpose‑ and values‑driven organization that empowers innovation, collaboration, and professional growth. Our global team brings passion and commitment every day—continually challenging conventional thinking to solve some of the world’s most complex problems and contribute to a safer, healthier world.

Position Summary

The GCMS Department Supervisor is responsible for the technical, operational, and personnel leadership of the GCMS Department, including Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS and GC-MS/MS) and Volatile Organic Analysis (VOA) Purge & Trap operations. This position ensures the department consistently delivers high-quality analytical data while meeting productivity goals, client turnaround times, regulatory requirements, and company performance objectives.

The GCMS Supervisor provides direct oversight of analysts and instrument operations, manages department workflow and resources, drives continuous improvement initiatives, and serves as the primary technical and operational leader for GCMS and VOA activities. The role requires advanced expertise in environmental organic analysis, strong leadership skills, and the ability to balance quality, efficiency, staffing, and business needs in a high-throughput production laboratory.

Primary Responsibilities

Leadership & Personnel Management

• Provide direct supervision, coaching, mentoring, and performance management for GCMS and VOA laboratory staff.
• Establish performance expectations and monitor employee productivity, quality, attendance, training progression, and compliance with laboratory procedures.
• Conduct employee evaluations, provide developmental feedback, and support career growth opportunities.
• Participate in hiring, onboarding, training, and retention of laboratory personnel.
• Promote a positive, accountable, and safety-focused laboratory culture.
• Foster collaboration between GCMS, Sample Preparation, Project Management, Quality Assurance, and Laboratory Operations teams.

Department Operations & Workflow Management

• Manage daily workflow and production schedules for GCMS and VOA analytical operations.
• Coordinate instrument utilization, staffing assignments, and analytical priorities to achieve turnaround time commitments.
• Monitor department workload and proactively adjust resources to meet changing business demands.
• Ensure efficient sequencing, batching, and scheduling of analytical work.
• Track department productivity, key performance indicators, backlog status, and capacity planning metrics.
• Communicate operational risks, resource needs, and production challenges to laboratory management.

Technical Leadership & Instrument Oversight

• Serve as the primary technical resource for GC-MS, GC-MS/MS, and VOA Purge & Trap instrumentation.
• Provide guidance on troubleshooting analytical, instrument, and method performance issues.
• Oversee routine and advanced maintenance activities including source cleaning, tuning, vacuum system diagnostics, inlet maintenance, purge and trap systems, and instrument performance optimization.
• Coordinate vendor service activities and equipment repairs as needed.
• Ensure instrument uptime and department readiness through preventive maintenance planning.
• Evaluate emerging technologies, instrumentation upgrades, and process improvements.

Analytical & Regulatory Responsibilities

• Oversee analytical testing performed using environmental GCMS and VOA methodologies, including but not limited to:
  • EPA 8260
  • EPA 624
  • EPA 8270
  • EPA 625
  • Client-specific and modified methods
• Ensure analytical batches, calibrations, QC samples, and reporting activities meet method and quality system requirements.
• Review department performance against regulatory, accreditation, and client requirements.
• Support technical review of analytical data and problem-solving efforts.
• Assist with technical decision-making related to data validity, corrective actions, and nonconformances.

Quality Assurance & Compliance

• Ensure departmental compliance with EPA, state, federal, client, and accreditation requirements.
• Monitor and trend QC performance indicators.
• Partner with Quality Assurance to investigate nonconformances and implement corrective actions.
• Support internal audits, e