COGENT BREEDING LTD

Lab Manager - Primary Location: Belfast - Department: Lab and Stud - Working Hours: Full time - Type: Permanent Main Purpose of Role: As Lab Manager, you will lead a critical operational function at Cogent Breeding, ensuring the delivery of high-quality laboratory services that support our customers, breeding programmes, and business objectives. You will be responsible for driving operational excellence, maintaining the highest standards of quality, safety, and compliance, and developing a high-performing team capable of meeting evolving production demands. Working closely with internal stakeholders, customers, and service partners, you will play a key role in optimising laboratory performance, implementing continuous improvement initiatives, and fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and innovation. This is an exciting opportunity for a hands-on leader who is passionate about developing people, improving processes, and delivering results in a fast-paced scientific environment. Key Responsibilities: Laboratory Operations & Resource Management - Lead day-to-day laboratory operations, ensuring capacity, workflows, and resources meet production and customer requirements. - Oversee laboratory budgets, expenses, inventory, purchasing, and supplier relationships. - Ensure facilities, infrastructure, equipment, and IT systems are maintained and operating effectively, coordinating servicing, repairs, upgrades, and preventative maintenance programmes. - Manage laboratory logistics and operational planning to maximise efficiency, productivity, and product quality. - Identify and deliver continuous improvement initiatives to enhance processes, quality, and operational performance. Leadership & People Management - Lead, motivate, and develop a skilled laboratory team, fostering a collaborative, accountable, and high-performance culture. - Manage workforce planning, scheduling, and resource allocation to ensure operational requirements are met. - Set clear objectives, monitor performance, provide coaching and feedback, and support employee development. - Support recruitment, onboarding, training, and succession planning activities in partnership with relevant business functions. - Ensure all team members maintain the skills, knowledge, and training required to perform their roles safely and effectively. - Lead regular team meetings to communicate business priorities, quality standards, performance outcomes, and operational updates. Quality, Compliance & Production - Ensure all laboratory processes comply with company procedures, quality standards, regulatory requirements, and biosecurity protocols. - Monitor production and quality data, identifying trends and implementing corrective actions where required. - Maintain accurate production, quality, and training records and ensure data integrity across all laboratory processes. - Support internal and external audits, inspections, and customer visits, ensuring effective preparation and timely implementation of any actions. - Investigate quality issues, equipment failures, and operational incidents, implementing preventative measures to drive continuous improvement. - Act as the primary point of contact for production, quality, and customer-related laboratory activities. Stakeholder Management - Build strong relationships with internal teams, customers, suppliers, service providers, and external partners. - Collaborate across departments to ensure smooth delivery of operational objectives and customer commitments. - Provide regular reporting and updates on laboratory performance, quality metrics, operational risks, and improvement initiatives. Essential Skills and Attributes: - Degree in Biology, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Laboratory Sciences, Animal Sciences, or a related discipline (preferred). - Proven experience in a laboratory leadership role within biologics, pharmaceuticals, clinical laboratories, animal sciences, or a related production environment. - Strong people leadership skills, with experience developing teams and managing performance. - Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, resources, and operational demands in a fast-paced environment. - Knowledge of quality management systems, regulatory compliance, and health and safety requirements. - Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. - Effective communication and stakeholder management abilities. - Proficient in Microsoft Office and laboratory management systems. Enhanced Benefits - Annual leave entitlement starting at 23 days plus bank holiday, increasing with length of service up to 28 days plus bank holidays - Matched Pension Scheme - Life Assurance (4 times basic salary) - BUPA healthcare and Dental Plan - Long Service Awards at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 30 years - Enhanced Family Leave

Main Purpose of Role: - Reporting to the Regional Sales Manager you will deliver a high-quality reproduction and breeding service. Providing expert advice and assisting customers in meeting reproductive objectives and developing the Precision service. You will also be offered Cogent Internal Precision Training. Key Responsibilities: - Detecting heats and inseminating cows - Recording observations, inseminations and providing vet and attention lists for customers - Utilising both chalk and electronic heat and health monitoring systems to identify cows in heat. - Building effective relationships with customers to deliver a service that meets their breeding requirements - Taking responsibility for your customers fertility data and herd reports - Running an efficient service utilising Cogent's state of-the-art heat detection system and whole herd management solution, to ensure accurate and timely artificial insemination of cattle - Preparing reports and providing detailed action reports to customers and Team Leader - Liaising with industry professionals such as Veterinarians and Nutritionist Essential Skills: - Dairy experience and a good knowledge of animal husbandry, with the ability to understand and converse with Customers. - Professional and friendly attitude with excellent communication and rapport building skills - Highly organised, diligent, self-motivated, and able to overcome challenges - Must have a can-do attitude and a proven team player, able to deliver the highest quality of service to your customers - Full UK driving licence Enhanced Benefits - Annual leave entitlement starting at 23 days plus bank holiday, increasing with length of service up to 28 days plus bank holidays - Matched Pension Scheme - Life Assurance (4 times basic salary) - BUPA healthcare and Dental Plan - Long Service Awards at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 30 years - Enhanced Family Leave

Main Purpose of Role: We are seeking a motivated and detail-oriented Laboratory Technician to join our team on a part-time basis (20 hours per week) . This role is ideal for someone who enjoys working in a fast-paced production and laboratory environment, ensuring quality standards are consistently achieved. Key Responsibilities: - At all times fully comply with CBL H&S directives, CBL Lab SOPs and policies to allow good laboratory practice and full compliance with the Regulations and Industry Standards. - Analysis and evaluation of sperm cells after collection from stud - Carry out full conventional semen processing dilution/fill and freeze - QA checks on every step of the production process and review to continuously improve process and output - Support maintaining semen quarantine store inventory control and release to distribution - Carry out bacteriology testing - Input data on to relevant QA/QC system - Daily reports to the Lab Services Supervisor to include issues pending and bull sperm quality issues - Support CBL production, through manufacture of medias used in labs processes - Maintain the workflow, manage the tasks and take care of the equipment and tools linked to the role, with an emphasis on maintaining a clean working environment - Effective collaboration with the rest of the lab team sharing knowledge and supporting colleagues to ensure the department maximises production and meets the business aims. - Complete other duties as required from time to time Essential Skills: - This role requires strict adherence to following SOP s, and a familiarity with laboratory environments is desirable, but full inhouse training will be provided. - You will be required to work to high personal standards and accuracy, with good troubleshooting and problem solving aptitudes, be methodical and organised and confident with IT interfaces and systems. - Work well within a team but be able to work autonomously and take individual responsibility. Desirable Skills and Attributes: - The following attributes would be advantageous but not essential, as full training will be given: - Previous experience working in a biology based laboratory and basic laboratory skills. - Experience of a commercial production environment. Enhanced Benefits - Annual leave entitlement starting at 23 days plus bank holiday, increasing with length of service up to 28 days plus bank holidays - Matched Pension Scheme - Life Assurance (4 times basic salary) - BUPA healthcare and Dental Plan - Long Service Awards at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 30 years - Enhanced Family Leave