Quality Assurance Manager

Soprema•Ennis, TX

17d

About The Position

SOPREMA is seeking a self-driven, energetic, and highly motivated Quality Assurance Manager to assure the quality of finished products through raw-material inspection, development and verification against manufacturer specifications, and finished-product design review. The manager will develop and oversee the laboratory team and department activities, equipment, budget, and quality systems in accordance with company and ISO requirements. The role oversees laboratory testing and quality operations across raw materials, in-process products, and finished goods. It manages supplier qualification, product and supplier claims, nonconformities and corrective and preventive actions, quality databases and performance reporting, production releases, customer claims, and support for production and product development. The manager also serves as the plant’s ISO 9001 Management Representative, supports ISO 14001 and OSHAS 45001, and represents the plant in audits and corporate quality activities. Travel to job sites and other SOPREMA plants is required as requested. The position requires a bachelor’s degree in a relevant technical field and at least five years of manufacturing and/or quality laboratory experience. The successful candidate will bring knowledge of Statistical Process Control and continuous improvement, strong communication and organizational skills, attention to detail, proficiency with Microsoft Office, and the ability to coordinate multiple assignments and work effectively across the organization. The work takes place in laboratory and production environments and may include exposure to chemicals and equipment, use of PPE, lifting materials, and accessing job sites by ladder or through restricted physical access.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in chemical, plastics, rubber, textile, or a related field.
At least 5 years of experience in manufacturing and/or quality laboratory work.
Knowledge of Statistical Process Control and continuous improvement.
Excellent spoken and written communication abilities.
Ability to plan, manage, and prioritize multiple work assignments while achieving high throughput and meeting communicated deadlines.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and computer skills.
Action- and results-oriented approach with strict attention to detail.
Strong organizational and interpersonal skills.
Ability to work effectively with all levels of the organization and demonstrated teamwork orientation.
Willingness to travel up to 15 days per year.
Willingness to accept limited evening and weekend work to accomplish project tasks.
Ability to work in laboratory and production environments, including around related chemicals and equipment, and wear appropriate personal protective equipment.
Ability to lift up to 15 pounds at times and handle and lift heavy construction materials.
Ability to visit job sites and climb a ladder to access a roof, trench, or other locations with restricted physical access as needed.

Nice To Haves

Master’s or Ph.D. degree preferred.
Management experience in a manufacturing environment preferred, but not required.
Lean Six Sigma Black or Green Belt training preferred.
Desire for continuing education, such as a Master’s degree or Lean Management.

Responsibilities

Assure the high quality of finished products.
Manage laboratory activities and provide assistance to employees under direct supervision.
Plan, organize, and ensure training for laboratory employees; encourage communication and good team spirit.
Address workplace incidents and accidents that cause harm or injury to personnel or the environment.
Participate in selection criteria for laboratory employees and oversee interviews of potential candidates.
Collaborate with U.S. Quality staff and provide technical support to sales, manufacturing, field technical teams, and other internal collaborators.
Keep laboratory work areas clean, organized, and safe, and lead local laboratory 5S efforts.
Ensure laboratory equipment functions properly and safely and is maintained within the equipment calibration program.
Define and standardize laboratory tests, methods, and instructions.
Maintain Quality Assurance databases, perform trend analysis, and report quality performance monthly.
Plan and ensure round-robin testing in collaboration with other SOPREMA plants.
Monitor and control the Quality Assurance laboratory budget and spending.
Manage GPAO operations, including plant-level product bills of materials and vendor approvals.
Manage the supplier qualification program, including preparation and updates to Raw Materials Schedules of Conditions and Supplier Claims.
Monitor and expedite resolution of non-conformities, corrective actions, and preventive actions.
Manage customer claims related to product performance and manufacturing defects.
Travel to job sites for inspections as needed.
Serve as the point of contact for Codes and Approval agency audits, including Miami-Dade, UL, and FM.
Develop and implement ISO 9001 procedures and ensure continual improvement of the system; act as Management Representative and ensure plant certification to ISO 9001; support the representative for ISO 14001 and OSHAS 45001.
Participate in and/or lead internal Quality audits at SOPREMA plants in North America and represent the plant at corporate Quality meetings and external quality audits.
Support new product development and product optimization studies, including production trials, reporting, and provision of quality data for technical literature updates.
Plan and perform laboratory tests to verify that raw materials and finished products conform to specifications.
Define and update inspection plans for raw materials, in-process products, and finished products; review vendor certificates and raw-material laboratory inspection reports.
Oversee release of raw materials for production; downgrade unsatisfactory raw materials or finished products and recommend corrective actions to the Plant Manager.
Plan, coordinate, implement, and monitor performance to ensure continued production of products consistent with established standards.
Develop and analyze data and product specifications to determine current standards and proposed quality and reliability expectations for finished products.
Review production and laboratory inspection reports for finished products and oversee finished-product releases for shipping.
Ensure systematic inspection of finished products inventoried for six months or more and timely inspection of finished products returned to the plant.
Collaborate daily with Production, including participation in Production meetings.
Investigate quality issues arising from plant equipment problems and report findings to the Plant Manager.
Plan and perform supplemental laboratory analyses as needed and promptly communicate results to the Manager, Plant Manager, or other collaborators.
Recommend technical or organizational enhancements to improve product quality; identify improvement and cost-saving opportunities.
Complete special projects as outlined by the Manager.