Biochemist & Quality Assurance Officer

Biochemist & Quality Assurance Officer

Our client is seeking a motivated, detail-oriented Biochemist & Quality Assurance Officer to support product formulation and quality systems within an animal-health and compounding environment.

Location: On-site, office based in Pretoria.
Type: Full-time

Salary offered: Roughly R20 000 CTC per month (dependent on experience)

Role overview

You’ll split your time between R&D/formulation and day-to-day quality assurance. The focus is developing robust formulations across multiple dosage forms while maintaining rigorous GMP-aligned standards, documentation, and training across production.

Key responsibilities

Formulation & Product Development

• Develop new products for animal health and nutrition.
• Formulate, optimise, stabilise, and improve liquids, gels, pastes, oils, syrups, creams, powders, and dry blends (including complex/challenging systems).
• Design and run experimental trials; coordinate approvals for scale-up and production.
• Draft clear manufacturing protocols, batch formulas, and SOPs for new products.
• Research compatibilities and reaction pathways across pesticide actives, botanicals, herbals, essential oils, solvents, biologicals, and nutraceutical components.
• Source and evaluate raw materials; coordinate procurement for trials and pilot runs.
• Maintain strong working relationships with ingredient vendors.

Quality Assurance & Compliance

• Support daily QA operations and ensure strict GMP compliance in line with South African regulatory expectations.
• Manage documentation control, batch record review, deviations, CAPAs, and quality metrics.
• Conduct product testing/validation and drive continuous process improvement.
• Oversee correct production practices on the floor; coach teams and intervene where corrective action or refresher training is needed.

Communication & Training

• Engage professionally with internal stakeholders and clients; lead technical discussions when required.
• Train production staff on new processes, specifications, and updates from R&D findings.

Requirements

• Degree or diploma in Biochemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a related scientific field.
• 1–2 years’ experience in a pharmaceutical, veterinary, compounding, laboratory, or formulation setting (advantageous).
• Demonstrated formulation experience across liquids, gels, pastes, oils, syrups, creams, powders, and dry blends.
• Solid understanding of chemical compatibility and stability (including pesticide actives, essential oils, botanicals, and biological ingredients).
• Familiarity with Act 36 of 1947 and/or Act 101 of 1965 (advantageous).
• Strong analytical mindset, excellent attention to detail, and problem-solving orientation.
• Ability to source raw materials and manage supplier relationships.
• Confident communicator (written and verbal); able to engage clients and production teams.
• Fully literate, physically fit, and comfortable working independently in a lab-based environment.
• Own reliable transport.