Damiana BALAN
Decatur,GA
Summary
Focused Quality Chemist adept at planning, directing and maintaining continuous operations in various departments. Experienced in directing manufacturing employees and keeping efficient production in accordance with quality standards. Applying creative and analytical approach to operations for continuous process improvement. Skilled at identifying or anticipating problems and providing solutions. Excels through mentoring, training and empowering team to excel in performance.
Overview
6
6
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Chemical Technician
HB Fuller
11.2022 - Current
- Manage laboratory personnel and monitor team performance and work quality
- Leads the daily operation of the laboratory, warehouse, shipping, and receiving, and material handlers
- The site’s internal auditor, Writes and updates SOPs (work instructions), manages customer, vendor, and internal complaints through Benchmarks eQMS
- Monitored project performance to identify areas of improvement and make adjustments.
- Responsible for optimizing lot cost through BOM adjustments, maintains and manages changes in Master Recipe, machine time captures, and reflects appropriate costing
- Saves on average 20% on ingredient rework of nonconforming material, manages the slow and aging inventory through SAP cycle counting, leads a team of 3 directly
- MOC validator, implementer, and approver
- Recertified ~100 batches of RAWS and stored product in 4 months
- Decreased the average retention of slow and aging inventory (scrap and waste) from ~730 days to ~90 days
- Collaborate with customers for method alignment through site visits
- Governs over 200 recipes
- Governs performance around First Run Capabilities
- Food Safety (Lite) Implementation
- Efficiently organized and maintained equipment to keep laboratory productive and safe.
- Recorded test results using variety of chemistry-specific software programs.
QUALITY CONTROL CHEMIST
UNIVAR SOLUTIONS
11.2020 - 03.2022
- Oversaw lab equipment installations, calibrations and maintenance
- Conducted process and system audits to identify areas of improvement and enforce compliance with industry standards.
- Conducted risk assessments to identify and mitigate potential quality issues.
- Presented technical reports and information to department staff and leaders
- Performed root cause analysis to identify and resolve quality issues and defects.
- Analyzed samples submitted for testing and reported results
- Documented environmental, health and safety concerns regarding sample storage, analysis and testing equipment
- Maintained the lab in accordance with established standards by calibrating equipment and carrying out preventative maintenance
- Performed a range of chemical tests, interpreted results and made batch adjustments
- Documented analytical test results in Certificate of Analysis (CoA) reports
- Followed safety procedures according to SDS and TDS when handling materials and discarding waste
- Prepared test solutions, compounds and reagents for laboratory tests.
MEDICAL TECHNOLOGISTS
ID TECH MOLECULAR
08.2020 - 02.2022
- Fulfilled QA requirements through routine inspections
- Gathered, examined, and summarized data, including recalls and failed processes, to produce accurate, high-quality documentation
- Coordinated with cross-functional teams to resolve project issues and mitigate risks.
- Communicated reports and KPIs to management centered around quality inspections
- Prepared cultures of tissue samples
- Applied coaching techniques and tools to support managers and team members in improving performance.
- Established and monitoring programs that ensure data accuracy
- Examined body fluids microscopically /blood/urine through chemical analysis
- Operating and calibrating equipment
- Delivering test results to physicians, researchers, or patients
- Collecting and studying blood samples to determine morphology.
CHEMISTRY LAB TECHNICIAN
GEORGIA BUREAU OF INVESTIGATIONS
04.2018 - 10.2020
- Collected, labeled, and stored lab samples according to laboratory specifications
- Completed lab tests and communicated results to supervising staff
- Assisted and instructed other laboratory technicians
- Supervised cleaning and maintenance of laboratory equipment to prevent errors and breakdowns
- Handled administrative tasks for laboratory staff and overall operations
- Supported cleanliness and health standards to foster safe and effective sample analysis
- Disposed of laboratory materials and samples using well-established guidelines and instructions
- Developed a new operating procedure that improved organization of storage areas and increased the rate at which scientists were assigned cases
- Specializes in drug identification, and laboratory/scientific analysis in conjunction with forensic scientists
- Worked closely with management on numerous THC projects to report the significance of vape smoking in various counties of Georgia
- Assessed training progress and provided feedback to trainees regarding areas of improvement and development
- Developed recommendations for new training procedures.
Education
Pharmacy -
Georgia Department of Community Health
PHARMACY, Hampton, GA08.2018
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE - CHEMISTRY
Savannah State University
Savannah, GA12.2017
HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA -
MOUNT ZION HIGH PERFORMING ARTS SCHOOL
Jonesboro, GA05.2013
Skills
- Safety Protocols & Staff Training
- Recordkeeping
- Batch record analysis
- Customer Satisfaction
- ISO 9001 manufacturing standards
- Good Laboratory Practices (GLP)
- Quality Assurance and Control (QA&QC)
- Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMPs)
- Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
- Critical Thinking
- Laboratory & Project Management
- Written & Verbal Communication
- Troubleshooting
- Time Management
- Gas Chromatography (GCMS)
- Ultraviolet (UV)
Timeline
Senior Chemical Technician
HB Fuller
11.2022 - Current
QUALITY CONTROL CHEMIST
UNIVAR SOLUTIONS
11.2020 - 03.2022
MEDICAL TECHNOLOGISTS
ID TECH MOLECULAR
08.2020 - 02.2022
CHEMISTRY LAB TECHNICIAN
GEORGIA BUREAU OF INVESTIGATIONS
04.2018 - 10.2020
Pharmacy -
Georgia Department of Community Health
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE - CHEMISTRY
Savannah State University
HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA -
MOUNT ZION HIGH PERFORMING ARTS SCHOOL