QA Manager I

ALPLA NOAM•Bowling Green, KY

12d

About The Position

The QA Manager leads the site’s quality management system, quality control program, and quality team. The role serves as the site’s primary contact for internal and external quality and food safety audits, ensures compliance with applicable standards and product requirements, and uses audit and quality data to drive improvement. The manager oversees quality documentation, product and supplier quality processes, testing and laboratory operations, personnel training, and customer complaints and communications. Performance is assessed based on the effectiveness and compliance of the site’s quality systems, audit outcomes, customer complaint handling, reporting, and leadership of the quality team.

Requirements

A four-year degree in a STEM or technical discipline, or equivalent work experience.
At least five years of work experience in Quality Assurance, combined with a demonstrated track record of accomplishments as a QA Manager.
Experience with physical laboratory testing equipment, including calipers, scales, digital height gauges, and compression force testing equipment.
Proficiency with Excel, SPC software, Word, and PowerPoint.
Intermediate to advanced statistical knowledge.
Ability to work well with other departments and manage customer relationships.
Ability to handle a multitask environment with excellent organizational skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience with a Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM).
QA Manager experience in a high-speed manufacturing environment.
Significant customer engagement experience.

Responsibilities

Serve as lead auditor and primary site audit contact; prepare for and complete internal and external quality and food safety audits.
Ensure compliance with quality management system requirements, including ISO 9001, FSSC 22000, and other applicable standards.
Act as primary practitioner for HACCP and other product safety risk mitigation programs, and support risk assessments and change management.
Report quality and food safety system data monthly in accordance with corporate procedures and use the data and audit results to drive improvements.
Serve as primary local contact for the document management system and help optimize and standardize plant quality documentation.
Ensure production complies with regulatory, internal, and customer product and packaging specifications, and that customer specifications are current and accessible.
Ensure customer-required compliance documents, such as COAs, are issued.
Assist operations with new product and equipment qualification and verification.
Document and report supplier quality issues and support the Logistics team in complaint resolution.
Oversee the plant quality control program, including test equipment operation, calibration and verification, product testing, data collection and integrity, and rework management.
Ensure production-floor quality testing personnel are trained and qualified, directly or in coordination with a Quality Supervisor where applicable.
Ensure quality laboratory personnel are trained and qualified, directly or in coordination with a Quality Supervisor where applicable.
Hold regular quality staff meetings, promote effective teamwork, assess staff training needs, and ensure training is completed.
Ensure team time and attendance is recorded accurately; recruit employees with HR support, conduct disciplinary actions, and complete annual performance evaluations.
Host periodic customer visits and serve as the primary contact for quality- and regulatory-related customer communications.
Manage the customer complaint process, apply root-cause analysis methods and tools, and ensure complaints are entered into global, regional, or local reporting systems.
Support root-cause analysis processes and training for other plant departments.
Adhere to ALPLA policies, procedures, and OSHA safety standards, acting in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.