Manager, Quality Engineering

Baxter International Inc. • Round Lake, IL

23h • $112,000 - $154,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Leads the Quality Engineering function responsible for independent oversight of the site validation program and governance of the plant data integrity program. Sets strategy, standards, risk tolerance, and performance expectations; ensures effective QA partnership with Engineering, Facilities, Operations, CSV, laboratories, and system owners; and represents the QA oversight of these programs to site leadership and regulatory agencies. The manager ensures accountable owners execute validation and remediation work while Quality Engineering personnel maintain independent review, approval, escalation, and governance.

Requirements

• Expert knowledge of cGMP validation, computerized-system assurance, GAMP 5, 21 CFR Part 11, ALCOA+ principles, data integrity governance, quality systems, and contemporary regulatory expectations.
• Demonstrated people leadership and ability to build high-performing technical teams.
• Strong strategic planning, risk-based decision-making, governance, influencing, negotiation, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Ability to maintain QA independence while creating effective partnerships with Engineering, Facilities, Operations, CSV, laboratories, and business leadership.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including executive and regulatory presentations.
• Proven success leading complex programs, inspections, remediation governance, and cross-functional organizational change.
• Working knowledge of statistics, process capability, risk-management tools, and electronic quality systems.
• Candidate must meet all applicable site safety and occupational requirements.

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience participating in regulatory inspections and complex remediation programs desired.
• ASQ CQE, CSQE, CQA, Six Sigma, or comparable professional certification highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain the site strategy, governance model, procedures, and decision rights for independent QA oversight of validation and plant-level data integrity.
• Lead, develop, and performance-manage the Quality Engineering team; assign oversight based on project risk, complexity, and business priority.
• Ensure Engineering, Facilities, Operations, CSV, laboratories, and system/process owners maintain clear accountability for validation authoring and execution, technical operation, vulnerability remediation, and sustained control effectiveness.
• Approve or delegate approval of validation master plans, high-risk protocols and reports, critical deviations, revalidation strategies, major change controls, and continued use or release decisions.
• Chair or sponsor validation and data integrity governance forums; set risk-based priorities across the plant system inventory and resolve cross-functional ownership or resource conflicts.
• Ensure the data integrity program is aligned with GAMP 5, 21 CFR Part 11, ALCOA+ principles, corporate standards, and current regulatory expectations.
• Review program health through metrics, audits, periodic reviews, remediation aging, deviation trends, audit-trail-review performance, and effectiveness checks; escalate risks to site leadership.
• Ensure remediation plans have accountable operational owners, appropriate milestones, interim controls, documented risk acceptance, and independent QA verification of sustainable closure.
• Represent validation and data integrity programs, in partnership with system owners, during FDA and other regulatory inspections, customer audits, governance reviews, and regulatory submissions.
• Develop capability, succession plans, training, and standardized tools for Quality Engineering and cross-functional partners.
• Manage resources and continuous-improvement priorities to maintain compliant, efficient oversight without compromising QA independence.

Benefits

• medical and dental coverage that start on day one
• insurance coverage for basic life, accident, short-term and long-term disability, and business travel accident insurance
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), with the ability to purchase company stock at a discount
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan (RSP), with options for employee contributions and company matching
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• educational assistance programs
• paid holidays
• paid time off ranging from 20 to 35 days based on length of service
• family and medical leaves of absence
• paid parental leave
• commuting benefits
• Employee Discount Program
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• childcare benefits

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager