Quality Assurance Manager

ALPLA NOAM•Marked Tree, AR

11d

About The Position

The Quality Assurance Manager coordinates and supervises integrated management system (IMS) activities at a manufacturing site to ensure products meet internal, customer, and regulatory expectations. The role assists the site responsible leader, such as the Plant Manager or Operations Manager, with quality-related communication and promotes a quality and continuous-improvement mindset across the operation. The manager leads quality systems and audits; supports compliance with standards including ISO 9001 and FSSC 22000; oversees HACCP and other product-safety risk mitigation programs; and manages required quality and food-safety reporting and documentation. The position also oversees product and packaging specification compliance, customer documentation, product and equipment qualification activities, supplier quality issues, and plant quality-control and laboratory programs. The role leads and develops the quality team, including staff meetings, training, hiring with HR support, disciplinary actions, and annual performance evaluations. It serves as a primary quality and regulatory contact for customers, hosts customer visits, and manages customer complaints and root-cause analysis. Performance is evaluated based on the effectiveness of the site's quality management and control programs, audit results, customer complaint outcomes, reporting, personnel qualifications, and team effectiveness. The position requires adherence to ALPLA safety policies and OSHA standards.

Requirements

A four-year degree in a STEM or technical discipline, or equivalent work experience.
At least 5 years of work experience in Quality Assurance.
A demonstrated track record of accomplishments as a QA Manager; high-speed manufacturing experience and significant customer engagement experience are preferred.
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.
Ability to manage customer relations.
Ability to handle a multitask environment with excellent organizational skills.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Coordinate and supervise site IMS activities to ensure products meet internal, customer, and regulatory expectations.
Assist the Plant Manager or Operations Manager with quality-related communication to internal and external customers.
Promote quality and continuous improvement within the operation.
Serve as lead auditor and primary site audit contact; prepare for and complete internal, external, customer, and certification audits.
Ensure compliance with quality management system requirements, including ISO 9001, FSSC 22000, and other applicable standards.
Lead HACCP and other product-safety risk mitigation programs and support risk assessments, including change management.
Report quality and food-safety system data locally and regionally as required, and use the data and audit results to drive improvements.
Act as primary local contact for document management and help optimize and standardize plant quality documentation.
Ensure production complies with regulatory, internal, and customer product and packaging specifications, and that customer specifications remain current and accessible.
Ensure customer-mandated compliance documents, such as certificates of analysis, are issued.
Assist operations with new-product and equipment qualification and verification activities.
Document and report supplier quality issues and support the Logistics team in resolving complaints.
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 support of a Quality Supervisor where applicable.
Ensure quality-lab testing personnel are trained and qualified, directly or in support of a Quality Supervisor where applicable.
Hold regularly scheduled quality staff meetings, support effective teamwork, assess staff training needs, and ensure training is completed.
Ensure quality team time and attendance is accurately captured, recruit new employees with HR support, conduct disciplinary actions, and perform annual performance evaluations.
Host periodic customer visits and serve as the primary contact for quality- and regulatory-related customer communications.
Manage customer complaints, apply appropriate root-cause analysis techniques and tools, and ensure complaints are recorded in global, regional, and local reporting systems.
Support root-cause analysis processes and training for other plant departments.
Adhere to ALPLA policies and procedures and OSHA safety standards, acting safely and in an environmentally responsible manner.