WILLIAM TAIREA
Kwinana,WA
Summary
Analytical Chemist | Motivational, Adaptable and Proactive Leadership | Innovative and Solutions-Driven | Business Acumen with a Strong Customer-Focus
7 years lab leadership experience, 3 years NATA accredited/ ISO 17025 lab experience
Strong IT experience (LIMS, Excel), commissioning equipment and method development experience
Chemistry degree, Finance degree
Proven passion to work on projects whilst being able to tend to a lab’s busy production needs
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
Work History
Analytical Chemist | Quality Control Supervisor | LIMS
CSBP Soil & Plant Analysis Lab
Bibra Lake, WA
05.2024 - Current
- Manage quality control team (3 reports), quality control methods, systems and processes which oversee 50+ high-throughput soil, plant and water tests.
- SampleManager LIMS - create/ validate new analyses, edit older analyses to suit changes in methods, troubleshoot LIMS issues.
- Worked with SM techs in 2024 to make SM more efficient for QC team (multi select retest function, automatic cross check/ retest function, running scripts in server to deconsign samples, and to clear clogged data).
- Created cross-checking templates in Excel with conditional formatting for QC team to QC tests faster (to build into LIMS in future).
- Review/ submit ASPAC proficiency results, investigate failed results, write reports, implement corrective actions.
- ISO 17025 compliance - records, equipment checks, internal audits, actions from audits.
- Maintain labs internal standard library, QC limits and LIMS control charts.
- Organise adhoc testing - do calcs/ unit conversions on results.
- Answer customer queries regarding test selections and providing explanations for abnormal results.
- Lead and advise lab alongside Lab Analysis Supervisor during soil season comprising 30+ lab techs analysing 1800+ samples a day; advise on staffing and workarounds for instrument breakdowns, chair safety meetings/ toolbox meetings.
- Troubleshoot/fix instruments - proficient with Thermo ICP-OES, Thermo and Varian AAS, Lachat FIA, Labfit Robotic pH/Conductivity analyser.
- Commissioned equipment including Thermo ICAP Pro (ICP-OES), Thermo sprint valve on ICP-OES, Glass Expansion filter probe on AAS, ICP-OES and ICP-MS.
- Developed Plant Trace Elements method on ICAP Pro (ICP-OES), ppb level Molybdenum on ICAP Pro (ICP-OES), soil Skene K and Nitric K on Varian AAS.
- Work on efficiency/ quality projects in off-season, passion for continual improvement and finding better ways of doing things (e.g. validated a modified reagent for plant nitrates test – CuSO4 buffer – which keeps cadmium column reactive preventing calibration drift during analysis).
- Current project 1) Commissioning another ICP before our peak season – meeting with sales reps from Thermo, Agilent and Perkin Elmer, weighing up costs, capabilities, service agreements, future additional capabilities, lead times, sending over samples to judge detection limits, writing business proposal/ expenditure authorisation for GM approval
- Current project 2) Method development on Total P method due to low bias on proficiency samples – trialling a new digest (Nitric+peroxide) which should still be suitable for the P-colouring chemistry.
Lab Tech
CSBP Plant Operations Lab
Kwinana, WA
03.2022 - 04.2024
- Analysis of plant manufacture products (fertiliser, cyanide, ammonium nitrate, waste waters).
- ICP-OES, Discrete Analyser, AAS, UV-Vis, GC, pH/ conductivity/ fluoride meters, Auto-titrators, LabWare LIMS.
- ISO 17025 compliance.
- Extracting gas samples from Cyanide plant and Ammonia plant to bring back for GC testing.
- Go out to smaller labs around site to perform maintenance and QC checks on instruments.
- Received recognition award as per attachments.
- Became as versatile throughout the lab as the most experienced lab techs of 10-15+ years – I am proudly a fast learner.
- Became a go-to person for troubleshooting instruments and results.
- Helped Enviro team resolve sampling procedure of the Neut Tank due to the system’s ongoing vacuum effect.
- Assisted in Adhoc gas sampling of the CO2 product at Ammonia plant – testing for MDEA contamination (the plant transports CO2 to beverage companies in Perth for carbonation).
Lab Tech Team Leader
CSBP Soil & Plant Analysis Lab
Bibra Lake, WA
12.2015 - 03.2022
- Lead team of casuals during soil season, plan daily work flows, assign tasks to team, troubleshoot instrument issues to keep downtime to a minimum.
- Wrote a troubleshooting guide for the FIAS to help fellow lab techs troubleshoot on their own.
- Reviewed and updated all routine soil SOPs.
- Introduced a smaller calibration range for 'Plant Cl-' test, reasoning that the previous 0-8% calibration range was too wide to accurately quantify 0-1% concentrations. I picked this out as the reason why ASPAC proficiency samples were failing, confirmed it with my own testing, then discussed findings with Chemist before its implementation.
Education
The Art of Internal Auditing -
NATA
Bachelor of Commerce - Finance
University of Western Australia
Bachelor of Science - Chemistry
University of Western Australia
References (contact available upon request)
- Chris Gendle, Lab Ops Manager, Direct supervisor, CSBP Soil & Plant Analysis Lab, Bibra Lake WA
- Tommy Cheng, Lab Analysis Supervisor, Colleague (we both report to Chris Gendle), CSBP Soil & Plant Analysis Lab, Bibra Lake WA
- Pratheesh Arridhas, Analytical Chemist, Direct Supervisor, CSBP Plant Operations Lab, Kwinana WA
Timeline
Analytical Chemist | Quality Control Supervisor | LIMS
CSBP Soil & Plant Analysis Lab
05.2024 - Current
Lab Tech
CSBP Plant Operations Lab
03.2022 - 04.2024
Lab Tech Team Leader
CSBP Soil & Plant Analysis Lab
12.2015 - 03.2022
The Art of Internal Auditing -
NATA
Bachelor of Commerce - Finance
University of Western Australia
Bachelor of Science - Chemistry
University of Western Australia
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