Fire Assay Manager, Vancouver Hub

About the role

The Fire Assay Manager, Vancouver Hub, is responsible for the overall leadership, safety and operational management of the Fire Assay department within the Vancouver Hub Laboratory. This role ensures the consistent implementation, adoption, and ongoing adherence to ALS global fire assay procedures, standards, methodologies and Pb control measures across all stages of the workflow. In this position, the Fire Assay Manager provides technical guidance, supports continuous improvement initiatives, and ensures safe, efficient, and high ‑ quality operations aligned with client turnaround expectations. The role will collaborate closely with other hub lab departments and key stakeholders to optimize processes, strengthen technical capability, and maintain high levels of analytical accuracy and service performance. In addition, the Manager, Fire Assay will work with internal and external stakeholders to standardize procedures and equipment, support knowledge transfer and training, and provide direction and technical leadership to Fire Assay personnel. The role is instrumental in fostering a culture of quality, safety, innovation, and operational excellence within the department. Specific Responsibilities: Safety Leadership Foster a safety ‑ first culture, ensuring staff follow established safety practices at all times. Observe and uphold all ALS safety regulations and ensure compliance with health and safety policies and procedures within the Fire Assay department. Engage in ESG initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of Fire Assay processes through hazardous ‑ waste reduction, improved resource efficiency, and mitigation of greenhouse ‑ gas emissions. Operational Leadership & Workflow Optimization Work in close collaboration with other department managers within the hub lab to optimize front ‑ end to back ‑ end workflow, ensuring smooth sample movement and meeting client turnaround expectations. Ensure the Fire Assay department operates in full compliance with ALS global fire assay flux, floor, digestion, and analytical SOPs. Ensure optimal turnaround time for samples while maintaining required quality standards and adherence to approved methodologies. Implement an efficient and cost ‑ effective supply management system to ensure inventory levels for all key consumables, reagents, and equipment parts are aligned with workflow requirements and operational demand. Review Fire Assay equipment performance, recommend upgrades or changes, and establish preventative maintenance schedules. Technical Oversight & Quality Assurance Liaise with internal stakeholders (e.g., QA, Safety, other technical teams) to resolve technical issues within the Fire Assay department. Ensure a comprehensive QAQC program, in full compliance with ISO 17025, is effectively carried out to monitor the quality of day ‑ to ‑ day operations. Investigate technical issues to closure and provide clear recommendations for corrective and preventive actions. Ensure appropriate quality procedures, documentation, and internal controls are in place and consistently followed. Use correct analytical methods in accordance with established procedures and schedules while maintaining analytical integrity and data quality. Actively contribute to global and regional peer group initiatives, including evaluation of new equipment, methods, and technical improvements relevant to Fire Assay. Financial & Resource Management Lead the Fire Assay department in achieving the financial goals and performance targets established by the hub lab management team. Establish, monitor, and maintain profit centres for the Fire Assay department. Manage departmental staffing resources (e.g., scheduling, coverage, forecasting) to support operational efficiency and turnaround commitments. Benchmark and track profits, productivity, and costs; identify opportunities for continuous improvement and cost optimization. People Leadership Partner with Human Resources throughout the employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, training, scheduling/timekeeping, mentoring, performance management, and where required, terminations. Promote a positive, safe, and development ‑ focused culture within the department. Engage in and support talent development programs to identify, coach, and mentor high ‑ potential employees into future leadership roles, ensuring a strong and sustainable talent pipeline for the department. Communication & Collaboration Maintain regular communication with key stakeholders, providing timely updates, feedback, and issue escalation where appropriate. Participate and contribute to hub ‑ level strategic and operational meetings as required. In collaboration with client ‑ facing groups (e.g., Client Services, QAQC, Business Development