About the Company

Advance American Labs (AAL) is a research, development and manufacturing facility in Stonecrest, GA, just outside Atlanta. The 40,000 sq ft site houses laboratory and manufacturing operations under one roof and compounds, fills and packages hair and skin care products under cGMP. The chemists who develop a formula and the team that manufactures it work in the same building. AAL is an equal opportunity employer.

About the Job

The Compounder makes bulk hair and skin care product to the approved formula. Dispensing weighs and stages the raw materials; the Compounder verifies every container against the batch card, charges and runs mixing kettles and tanks in the specified order of addition, monitors temperature, mixing and time, draws in-process samples for Quality Control, and records every step on the batch record as it happens.

Because AAL is a cGMP site, the batch record is the product's history. A material that does not match, a weight outside tolerance or a step out of sequence stops the batch until it is resolved. The Compounder stops and escalates rather than adjusting and continuing.

This is a full-time, non-exempt position on 1st or 2nd shift as assigned, with overtime as production requires. It reports to the Compounder Supervisor. The work is physical and hot, around heated kettles, with chemicals handled to the safety data sheet.

Daily Responsibilities

• Receive each batch's staged raw materials from Dispensing and verify every container against the batch card (material name, lot number, released status, expiry and weight) before charging; obtain second-person verification where required
• Weigh or meter the additions compounding owns (water, q.s. additions and adjustments directed by Quality Control or R&D) within the stated tolerance, after confirming the scale's or meter's daily check
• Stop and notify the Compounder Supervisor, Dispensing or Quality Control when a material does not match the batch card or a weight is outside tolerance; document the deviation and follow the correction or rework procedure
• Charge kettles and mixing tanks in the specified order of addition; operate mixers, heating and cooling to the batch card's temperature, speed and time parameters
• Draw in-process samples (pH, viscosity, appearance) for Quality Control at the specified points; make adjustments only as directed by Quality Control or R&D, and record them
• Transfer finished bulk to holding tanks, totes or the filling line with correct identification and batch labeling
• Complete the batch record at the time each step is done; sign and date every entry; record actual quantities charged and report unused or extra material to Dispensing
• Clean and sanitize kettles, tanks, transfer lines and tools between batches to the cleaning procedure, and record the cleaning
• Handle surfactants, hydroxides, solvents including ethanol, fragrances and essential oils to the safety data sheet, wearing the required protective equipment
• Operate a forklift and material handling equipment within the compounding area; follow lockout/tagout and hot-work rules on kettles, mixers and transfer pumps

Requirements of the Role

• 18 years of age or older, with the ongoing right to work in the U.S. without sponsorship
• High school diploma or GED
• 1 or more years as a Compounder, Chemical Operator, Batch Maker, Pre-Weigh Technician, Raw Material Handler or similar in chemical, pharmaceutical, food or personal care manufacturing
• Demonstrated ability to verify materials and weights to tolerance and complete batch records accurately
• Basic math: percentages of a batch size, gram/pound/ounce conversions and tolerance ranges
• Working knowledge of mixing kettles and tanks; able to follow a formula and batch card, including order of addition and process parameters
• Able to read, understand and communicate work instructions, safety information and quality documentation in English; basic computer skills
• Able to work 1st or 2nd shift as assigned and additional hours as production requires
• Standing and walking for the full shift (up to 12 hours); lifting up to 50 lbs (raw material bags and pails; drums move with handling equipment); climbing stairs, ladders and kettle platforms; working in hot areas near heated equipment
• Able to wear safety shoes, chemical splash goggles or face shield, chemical-resistant gloves and apron, hearing protection and hair/beard net; able to follow GMP hygiene and grooming standards (phones are not permitted on the floor)

Additional Qualifications

• Experience in personal care or cosmetics manufacturing under cGMP
• Forklift certification, or willingness to obtain it
• Batching or process experience in household chemicals, food and beverage, paint, coatings, adhesives or specialty chemicals transfers well to this role