Manpreet Kalsi
Point Cook,Victoria
Summary
Science professional with over 20 years of work experience in food and clinical analytical laboratories. Demonstrated expertise in management, quality assurance, training, and implementing continuous improvement projects. Strong analytical skills and consistently maintained excellent relationships with stakeholders. Committed to delivering high-quality results and contributing to organizational success.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Laboratory Manager (GMO/Allergen/Analytical Chemistry)
Bureau Veritas Assure Quality Joint Venture
06.2021 - Current
- Currently managing Allergen/GMO/Analytical Chemistry lab and leading a team of 25 analysts and Team leaders, working on food allergens, GMO, enzymatic analysis, metals and physical testing.
- Implementation of policies and procedures and supporting operational plan of the business unit, identifying key performance indicators, contributing to risk assessments and contingency planning.
- Maintain staff by recruiting, orienting, and training employees.
- Ensure safe, secure, and legal environment.
- Accomplishing staff results by communicating job expectations, planning, monitoring, and appraising job results.
- Develop, co-ordinate, enforce systems, procedures, and productivity standards.
- Establish strategic goals by gathering pertinent business, financial, service, and operations information.
- Define objectives, identifies, and evaluates trends and options, chooses a course of action, and evaluates outcomes.
- Accomplish financial objectives by forecasting requirements, preparing annual budget, scheduling expenditures, analysing variances, and initiating corrective actions, when required.
- Maintaining quality service by enforcing quality and customer service standards, analysing, and resolving quality and customer service problems, and recommending system improvements.
- Handling client, NATA and regulatory audits and actioning actions raised, in timely manner.
- Providing technical advice to clients directly or via customer experience and sales team.
- Visiting clients with sales team to understand client requirements.
- Contribute to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.
Team Leader (NATA Signatory- GMO/Allergen)
Bureau Veritas Assure Quality Joint Venture
03.2018 - 05.2021
- Implementation of DTS policies and procedures and supporting operational plan of the business unit, identifying key performance indicators, contributing to risk assessments and contingency planning.
- Updating 5S report by calculating team KPIs, bench performance and RFT targets on daily basis.
- Providing technical advice to team members and clients
- Applying quality systems, continues improvement processes, maintaining work safety, equipment, and instruments.
- Evaluating control charts, accepting, and rejecting results (Allergen testing, Mastitis and GMO) based on scientific judgement, authorizing, and releasing reports.
- Addressing queries in LabWare, laboratory Investigation Reports (LIR) and Corrective Actions Preventative Actions (CAPA) reports within a time frame.
- Preparing the laboratory for internal and external (NATA, client and third party) audits and addressing the audits.
- Frame and update training modules when required
- Preparing weekly reports and assisting my manager with monthly reports.
- Conducting team one on one and performance appraisal meetings.
- Writing and reviewing laboratory documentation such as standard operating procedures and induction for new team members.
- Investigating incident reports and conducting root cause analysis.
- Validating and verifying new assay kits and methods.
- Successfully managed all people issues and reached targets for maintaining FTE and casual hours.
- Increased customer satisfaction ratings by closely monitoring service quality standards and addressing any issues promptly.
- Evaluated team member performance against established objectives during regular reviews, offering praise for achievements or identifying areas requiring further development.
Allergen NATA Signatory
DTS Food Assurance
04.2017 - 02.2018
- Releasing and reviewing daily work (Food Allergen, Mastitis and GMO Assays).
- Releasing daily reports to the clients, meeting TAT targets.
- Handling and planning the preparation of In-House Quality Control Material used as daily positive control for allergen batches and addressing queries in LabWare, laboratory Investigation Reports (LIR) and Corrective Actions Preventative Actions (CAPA) reports within assigned time.
- Self-motivated, with a strong sense of personal responsibility.
- Worked effectively in fast-paced environments.
- Skilled at working independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
- Proven ability to learn quickly and adapt to new situations.
GMO/Allergen Analyst (PC2 Laboratory)
DTS Food Assurance
04.2014 - 03.2017
- Performing food allergen testing using ELISA technique, Vitamin assay using Vita fast technique, Mastitis assay using RT-PCR technique, DNA Extraction and GMO testing using RT-PCR that includes Triple Screen and Quattro Screen.
- Calibrations of weighing balances and auto-pipettes and maintaining records in LIMS system.
- Implemented project of managing received assay kits and prepared Chemical reagents in LIMS System
- Successfully implemented In-House QCM preparation
- Enhanced customer satisfaction rates through detailed analysis of customer feedback data and subsequent improvements in service offerings.
- Implemented predictive analytics techniques that enabled proactive adjustments to business strategies based on emerging trends.
- Optimized resource allocation by conducting thorough cost-benefit analyses on potential investments.
Media Quality Control Officer (Microbiology Department)
DTS Food Assurance
09.2008 - 03.2014
- Experience of performing media quality control of prepared media (Biological and physical) according to NATA using International Standard ISO/IEC 17025 and recording results in Lab ware.
- Decision making and releasing routine in-house media batches to other departments for use after all media quality checks
- Ensure that the Media section meets all requirements for other Microbiology departments in a timely and proficient manner by maintaining Internal and external Media stock levels and preparing daily work plan accordingly.
- Planning/performing new culture media trials and storage trials.
- Addressing CAR/LIR for all quality related issues in the media section and completing all investigations within a period.
- Planning and delivery of succession training for Media staff including staff supervision skills and providing other department cross trainings and maintaining all training records up-to date.
- Performing risk assessments on new or changed processes and timely reporting of all safety incidents.
- Handling and addressing internal and external NATA audits.
- SOP writing of various equipment operations used in Media section and performing calibrations of equipment used in media section.
- Designed new inventory work sheets according to use and demand, which helped in maintaining stock levels hence improving client service and satisfaction.
Education
Master of Science - Microbiology, Biochemistry
Punjab Agricultural University
07.2002
Bachelor of Science - Medical Laboratory Technology
Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research
09.1999
Skills
- Laboratory Management
- Research and Development
- Data Management
- Quality Assurance
- Budgeting and costing analysis
- Cross-Functional Teamwork
- Ethics and integrity
- Training and Development
- Process Improvement
- Business Planning
- Customer Relationship Management
Certification
Professional Training/Courses completed:
· Certificate IV in Leadership and Management (BSB42015-Victoria University)
· Authorised Analyst- Victoria (Food Act 1984)
· VITAL Food Labelling
· Auditing Quality Management Systems ISO9001:2015 (SAI Global)
· NATA Training course: Aspects of Quality Control in Microbiological Laboratory- Advanced
· OHS Law for Managers
Accomplishments
- Quality control: Improving product consistency, enhancing the reliability of analytical reports by reducing manual analytical calculations and incorporating all within LIMS system with LIMS team assistance
- Research productivity: Boosting research productivity, leading a team to launch new analytical testing via successfully completing internal verifications and receiving NATA accreditations within timely manner. This contributed to a 10% increase in testing portfolio and reducing subcontracting costs.
- Workflow efficiency: Reducing workflow bottlenecks by implementing various types of IT projects, which led to saving annually in expenses and FTE reductions.
- Collaboration: Improving collaboration between departments or leading a team to achieve a 20% growth in project completion rate.
- Process conformance: Bolstering process conformance by proposing and enforcing ISO 17025 standards
- Costing projects: Completed costing of all analytical testing performed internally, in association with finance department, which led to 20% OP increase, YTD.
- Kept equipment maintained, facility clean, and organized and inventory stocked to maximize performance.
- Actively participated in professional conferences and workshops, liaising with food professional and building positive relationships.
Timeline
Laboratory Manager (GMO/Allergen/Analytical Chemistry)
Bureau Veritas Assure Quality Joint Venture
06.2021 - Current
Team Leader (NATA Signatory- GMO/Allergen)
Bureau Veritas Assure Quality Joint Venture
03.2018 - 05.2021
Allergen NATA Signatory
DTS Food Assurance
04.2017 - 02.2018
GMO/Allergen Analyst (PC2 Laboratory)
DTS Food Assurance
04.2014 - 03.2017
Media Quality Control Officer (Microbiology Department)
DTS Food Assurance
09.2008 - 03.2014
Bachelor of Science - Medical Laboratory Technology
Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research
Professional Training/Courses completed:
· Certificate IV in Leadership and Management (BSB42015-Victoria University)
· Authorised Analyst- Victoria (Food Act 1984)
· VITAL Food Labelling
· Auditing Quality Management Systems ISO9001:2015 (SAI Global)
· NATA Training course: Aspects of Quality Control in Microbiological Laboratory- Advanced
· OHS Law for Managers
Master of Science - Microbiology, Biochemistry
Punjab Agricultural University
Similar Profiles
David YatacoDavid Yataco
Quality Engineer Assistant at Bureau VeritasQuality Engineer Assistant at Bureau Veritas
Alana McKnightAlana McKnight
Cleaning and Sterilization Tech at Bureau VeritasCleaning and Sterilization Tech at Bureau Veritas
Edwin PaulEdwin Paul
Project Metallurgical Technician at Bureau VeritasProject Metallurgical Technician at Bureau Veritas