Lab Analyst

At The Coca-Cola Company, we are passionate about creating the world's best beverages. Our Ingredient Quality department plays a critical role in ensuring the highest quality standards are met, from sourcing to production. As a Lab Analyst, you will be a key member of our Ingredient Quality team, responsible for safeguarding the integrity of our ingredients through rigorous scientific analysis. You will demonstrate leadership and leverage your expertise in analytical chemistry and quality control to drive continuous improvement in our laboratory processes, ensuring accurate and timely results that support critical business decisions. This role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the success of our global beverage brands by ensuring the quality and safety of the ingredients that go into every product we make.

This role requires you to work on-site during business hours, Monday through Friday and may require work time as early as 5 am.  Occasionally, you may need to work earlier or later hours and weekends to meet business needs. This role has direct support to an on-site manufacturing team.  

What you’ll do for us

After the successful candidate receives the necessary training, they will be expected to perform tasks including:

• Maintaining a Safe Working Environment: Be part of a team that prioritizes safety. Follow all laboratory safety guidelines, including proper handling and disposal of chemicals, wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), and keeping the workspace clean and organized.
• Conducting Routine Quality Testing: Leverage sophisticated instrumentation (e.g., GC-FID, LC) to perform a wide range of chemical, physical, and sensory analyses, including taste and odor, on a variety of ingredients. You will make decisions regarding the acceptability of ingredients for quality and, potentially, food safety purposes.
• Ensure data integrity and compliance: Adhere to strict quality standards (ISO 17025, GLP), maintain accurate records, and ensure compliance with all relevant company practices regarding confidentiality.
• Supporting innovation: Be part of a team supporting projects to implement new analytical methods, improve laboratory efficiency, and enhance data accuracy.
• Effective Collaboration: Work with cross-functional teams and external clients (e.g., R&D, Production, Procurement) to address and resolve quality issues while supporting the company’s goals.
• Learn and Train: Develop expertise by actively participating in various laboratory workflows, learning from supervisors and colleagues, sharing knowledge with others, and potentially training contract workers within a workplace that emphasizes continuous learning and growth.
• Maintain laboratory equipment: Perform routine maintenance, calibration, and determine next steps in the troubleshooting of analytical instrument performance.
• Demonstrating Teamwork: Contribute to fostering collaboration, support the team, and adopt a growth mindset to help achieve shared business goals.

Qualification / Technical Competencies / Skills:

Analytical Expertise:

• Chromatography: Basic understanding of Gas Chromatography (GC), GC-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and Liquid Chromatography (LC).
• Spectroscopy: Some knowledge or experience with Ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy.
• Analytical Techniques: Prior experience is preferred with other analytical, chemical, and physical property measurements such as Specific Gravity (SG), Turbidity, Solubility, and Titration.

Data & Laboratory Skills:

• Data Management: Previous experience using Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) is beneficial.
• Laboratory Proficiency: Basic skills in handling chemicals safely in a lab setting.

Quality & Compliance:

• Quality Systems: Interest in working within accredited lab frameworks like ISO-17025:2017, with an eagerness to learn about root cause analysis, method auditing, control charting, and evaluating data quality and instrument performance.

Communication & Collaboration:

• Technical Writing: Good written and verbal communication skills with the ability to clearly document experimental procedures, data analysis, and technical reports.
• Collaboration: Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills, with an interest in working with both internal teams and external stakeholders effectively
• Must be able to maintain a strong level of confidentiality.

Problem-Solving & Decision-Making:

• Troubleshooting: Fundamental understanding of effectively diagnosing and resolving complex analytical problems related to quality issues.  

Relevant Experience / Educational Requirements

• Must possess a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry or Biochemistry
• 1 year’s industrial experience working in a laboratory environment preferred
• Preferred experience with Flavor, Fragrance and/or Juice ingredients
• Preferred experience within a Manufacturing environment

Cultural Diversity

• We embrace creative tension, knowing an essential ingredient to our growth is the diversity of our backgrounds, perspectives and collective knowledge. We recognize, learn from and elevate one another as we work toward our shared purpose and goals.

Working Conditions

• This position is based in Apopka, Florida.
• Working hours of the lab are generally 5-5 but may be modified depending on business needs.  The role is normally an 8-hour shift.
• Work is on-site (not remote).
• The lab provides on-site support to a food manufacturing plant, providing direct communication and action to support the production and technical staff throughout the workday.
• This role requires testing of materials at a high level of throughput.
• Normal manufacturing plant/lab/office working conditions apply on-site. This position is subject to the hazards and risks of a food manufacturing plant and its working environment.

Travel Requirements

• There may be some business travel (<10%)  

What we can do for you

• Technical Excellence: Gain valuable experience within a globally recognized organization learning to operate state-of-the-art laboratory technologies.  Gain experience working in an ISO 17025 accredited lab and knowledge of quality systems. Learn from industry leaders in cutting-edge flavor quality control testing methodologies.
• Industry Expertise: Develop a deep understanding of ingredient quality.  This includes flavors and their application within the food and beverage industry.
• Career Development: Collaborate with key stakeholders, including manufacturing teams, flavor R&D, and other global functions that may become part of your career path in a global beverage company. 
• Benefits: A competitive benefits package that starts on day one of employment.