Professional Profile:

• Responsible, determined and self-motivated professional, with over 10 years of chemical research laboratory and industrial experience.
• Over 160 completed research projects
• Independent professional, working well under minimal supervision.
• Able to manage changing Lab priorities, while driving project to completion on time.
• Experience maintaining test documentation and presenting experimental data
• Hands on knowledge of planning and conducting research experiments.
• Experience with a large variety of Lab test equipment.
• Experienced in maintaining, calibrating and troubleshooting test equipment.
• Experience in managing Lab inventory supplies.
• Experience in ISO9001:2000 and ISO17025 required activities.
• Proficient in a wide variety of physical and chemical testing methods, as well as utilizing state of the art analytical equipment.
• Working knowledge of Statistical Process Control (SPC) and Six Sigma tools.
• Experience in developing new, or improving existing chemical formulations
• Well known for my work precision, reliability and consistency.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, Power Point and LIMS.
• Safety First - on and off the job attitude.

Career Experience:

Plant Operator (part time) Confidential
Richmond, Virginia - November 2010 – Present

Manufacturing activities associated with the Kevlar production process. Trained in two different areas. Responsible for new hire training activities. Operated per DuPont Safety Standards.

Laboratory and Plant Operator – Confidential
Richmond, Virginia – August 2009 – November 2010

Duties include safe and efficient operation of industrial equipment (pumps, valves, filters, motors, aeration equipment, and chemical feeders), machinery preventive maintenance, sample collection, laboratory testing, and preparation of logs and reports. Also used a DCS type of automated process control systems. Chemical tests performed were: Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Ecoli, Phosphorous, Ammonia, Nitrates and other State regulated tests. Audited work areas for safety hazards. Suggested and implemented safety and ergonomic improvements. CPR and Forklift re-trained. Implemented several work area 5S projects.

Laboratory Technician – Confidential
Richmond, Virginia - November 2005 – March 2009

Worked in the Preparation and Product Testing sections of the Collection and Processing Lab. Also provided support to the Analytical and Physical Properties testing labs.

Preparation Area - Worked with Team members to establish and monitor test schedules for timely results. Reviewed Customer Test Requests, submitted through LIMS. Prepared Group Sheets to indicate types of tests, test priorities and special instructions. All activities performed without direct supervision. Managed and re-arranged test priorities with Lab Technicians as necessary.

Collection and Processing Lab - operated equipment correctly and consistently, following established ISO 17025 quality system documentation. Reviewed and approved, or rejected lab technician’s test data, after analysis of Statistical Process Control (SPC) charts. Proficient in the operation and troubleshooting of the following smoking and weigh equipment: Borgwald Rotary Smoking machine, Linear SM400, Cerulean 450 Smoking Machine, Multi Bank, Static Burn, and Bohdan weigh station. Tests performed include Massachusetts Test, Health Canada, FTC and ISO testing. Used LIMS for test results data entry, query reports. Able to troubleshoot LIMS problems.

Analytical Lab Area – provided support to the Analytical area of PTL in Constitute Smoking for VOC’s, PAH’s and TSNA’s (CS-1).

Physical Properties Lab testing – conducted Tobacco Weight and other testing procedures.

Implemented Work Instructions and Process Improvements for Filtrona 400, RM200 and Weight and Lucite Station.

Participating in NWT meetings as a leader. Developed safety presentations for Division and NWT meetings. Maintained an organized, clean, and safe working environment.

R&D Lab Technician – Confidential
Richmond, Virginia - March 2001 – November 2005

Performed Physical and Analytical laboratory analysis of polyurethane samples, in a fast paced research and development facility. Responsible for planning and conducting experiments, based on a monthly project plan. Developed new and improved existing polymer formulations, to meet or exceed customer requirements. Gained experience in a large variety of inspection methods and testing equipment. Prepared and presented monthly project reports, in front of a technical committee. Communicated with Raw materials suppliers, Sales and Customers on a regular bases. Responsible for equipment calibrations and troubleshooting. Entered and maintained all experimental test results in a Lab database. Developed X-Bar, Range and Pareto Statistical (SPC) charts using test results. Responsible for chemical inventory maintenance. All inspection and formulation activities were conducted in accordance with the ISO 9001:2000 standard requirements. Conducted Quality and Safety Lab Audits as per the Annual Audit Plan. Provided technical service to customers on product related issues.

Education:

Bachelors Degree

US Citizen, Multi-lingual (Spanish, Bulgarian, English, Russian)