Quality Assurance Supervisor

• Jun 2018 - Present

Quality Supervisor

• Mar 2018 - May 2018

SOP Writer

• Jun 2017 - Dec 2017

This temporary contract involved me taking ownership of a company-wide initiative to examine all processes and amass a definitive collection of SOP documentation to meet GLP requirements for the Aquaculture sector. My key duties included the following: • identifying required procedures through a process of gap analysis upon the standards, applying my experience from previous roles and discussion with all personnel; • writing over 80 requisite SOPs and policies for: ◦ the use and maintenance of equipment; ◦ laboratory procedures; ◦ CoSHH Assessment; ◦ Health and Safety Risk Assessment; ◦ Incident Reporting and Investigation; ◦ and many more; • document management and control; • co-ordination of the review process for draft procedures and policies. In addition to the above, I was regularly deployed to their marine laboratory to gather requirements and progress the interactive document approval process. I was also trusted to work from home once per week, as per the Project Manager’s schedule. Show less

Assistant Scientist/Scientist

• Nov 2007 - Mar 2016

The role of Assistant Scientist with SEPA required a lot of independent working and the planning/structure of my day. This lead to the development of my skills in time management. A requirement of my role was to be flexible within the day as, at any given time, I may have been tasked with other responsibilities. My key duties within the position of Assistant Scientist were the following:• ensure the lab has adopted methods of good lab practice;• method development/validation for several chemical tests carried out on water samples;• perform QC tests on any incoming chemicals to the laboratory;• maintain lab stock control;• carry out stability tests;• instrument calibration;• routine analysis of water samples;• deliver training to other members of staff;• data entry/interpretation;• track and trend analysis and investigation of QC processes and out of specification results;• liaising with engineers for troubleshooting of instrument breakdown;• edit and update laboratory test procedures when required;• seek out process improvements/efficiency savings for the lab;• control of substances hazardous to health assessments;• equipment checks and report completion for airborne hazards emergency response team;• internal audits which included the completion of a report of findings.Training courses included time management, organisation, communication, coping with change, stress, team-building exercises, operation of lab management systems, and analytical quality controlinvestigations. As a result of my aptitude for analytical quality control investigations, I was trained as both an Internal Auditor and as a CoSHH Assessor. I attended an external desk top exercise as a SEPA representative following the implementation of AHER (Airborne Hazards Emergency Response) team and attended a pollution incident as a first responder.In addition to the above, I was promoted to Scientist and took on a supervisory role, leading a team of four people. Show less

Sample Receptionist

• Nov 2005 - Nov 2007

This role involved maintaining good customer relations with a variety of internal departments of SEPAas well as external organisations. I manned the sample reception area and was responsible forproviding Sampling Officers and Environment Protection Officers with all the equipment they requiredfor the week's sampling duties. I was also involved in the receipt and logging in of several formalsamples which would regularly be used as evidence in court cases. As a direct result of my efficiencyin this post, I found I was able to regularly aid Assistant Scientists in their duties by performing taskssuch as data entry, and reagent and standard preparation, as well as monitoring tests that were inprogress. Due to the assistance I provided, I was subsequently promoted to Assistant Scientist. Show less

Medical Lab Assistant

• Nov 2002 - Nov 2005

This position involved collecting samples required for pathological examination from the Infirmary which was adjacent to the medical school at the time. The samples were then booked in and logged onto the internal computer system. The department later re-located to the new Royal Infirmary, Little France in Edinburgh. I was responsible for sample logging and assisting the Pathologists in the trimming of samples. I also regularly helped in the Cytology Department, which involved preparing cervical smear slides for examination. The department later moved into a combined lab reception area which included different disciplines like Virology, Haematology, and Microbiology. I was trained to assist in all those departments. Show less