Quality Assurance Supervisor - UniClean

UniFirst•Hudson, NH

About The Position

The Quality Assurance Supervisor leads day-to-day quality activities at one of UniClean’s largest processing facilities. Reporting directly to the Director of Quality Assurance & Strategic Projects, this position drives the facility’s quality management system, oversees quality control, and works with Operations to maintain consistent execution of approved processes and customer requirements. The Supervisor ensures that quality decisions are supported by accurate records, effective controls, and clear accountability so the facility can defend its processes and demonstrate product conformity. The role maintains the facility quality management system in alignment with UniClean procedures, ISO 9001 requirements, and applicable customer and regulatory requirements. It supports certification and surveillance audits, administers controlled documents and quality records, and leads investigations and corrective actions for nonconformances and customer complaints. The Supervisor oversees testing, inspection, sampling, garment grading, and nonconforming-product controls; conducts risk assessments and internal audits; supports validation and supplier-quality activities; coordinates customer audits and quality visits; prepares reports and metrics; and coaches employees and assigned quality personnel. The position has authority to initiate quality holds and request suspension of affected processing or shipment when requirements may not be met. It must maintain independent quality judgment, promptly escalate unresolved concerns, and ensure release or disposition occurs only through authorized personnel under approved procedures. Work is performed in office and processing areas, including routine floor walkthroughs, observation of work, and product inspection. The role follows facility safety, gowning, and contamination-control requirements, coordinates quality activities across operating shifts, and participates in customer or supplier visits as assigned. Essential duties must be performed with or without reasonable accommodation.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and related experience.
Five to ten years of relevant quality experience in processing, manufacturing, cleanroom services, or a comparable environment.
Working knowledge of ISO 9001 quality systems, document control, internal audits, investigations, corrective actions, and nonconforming product controls.
Experience supporting customer or certification audits.
Ability to evaluate test and inspection data, use basic statistics and trend analysis, conduct risk assessments, and translate findings into practical actions.
Strong technical writing, organization, and follow-through.
Ability to communicate professionally with customers, auditors, and employees; coach others; and address quality concerns with sound judgment.
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and electronic quality records.

Nice To Haves

Cleanroom or contamination-control experience.
Supplier auditing experience.
Validation support experience.
Supervisory experience.
Formal auditor training or a relevant quality certification.

Responsibilities

Maintain the facility’s quality management system in alignment with UniClean procedures, ISO 9001 requirements, and applicable customer and regulatory requirements; maintain audit readiness through routine floor presence and verification of actual practices.
Support ISO certification and surveillance audits, including preparation, participation, evidence gathering, responses, and follow-up on findings; provide facility quality performance and action status for management review.
Administer controlled procedures, work instructions, forms, and quality records; verify document availability, record completeness and traceability, and required review, approval, and training for changes.
Lead investigations of nonconformances and customer complaints; manage corrective action requests and corrective and preventive actions through containment, root cause analysis, assigned actions, and documented effectiveness checks.
Oversee in-process testing, inspection, sampling, and garment grading against approved methods, specifications, and acceptance criteria; review results and trends, investigate failures, and verify follow-up.
Control nonconforming product through identification, segregation, documented holds, evaluation, and authorized disposition; verify required reinspection or retesting and prevent unintended use or shipment.
Review defect classifications, garment condition, rejection and loss trends, and disposition records with Operations to improve product quality and grading accuracy.
Verify required quality testing equipment is within calibration or verification status and testing personnel are trained; escalate conditions that could call result reliability into question.
Conduct and maintain process risk assessments, including process failure mode and effects analysis where appropriate; evaluate changes, recurring defects, and audit findings to identify risks and confirm effective controls.
Assist the Division Quality team with validation protocols, execution, data review, and report preparation; review proposed process or equipment changes for quality impact and required documentation before implementation.
Plan and conduct internal audits of facility processes and quality controls; document objective evidence, communicate findings, track actions to closure, and verify corrective-action effectiveness.
Coordinate and support customer audits and quality visits; gather records, explain process controls, and prepare accurate responses with the Director of Quality Assurance & Strategic Projects and facility leadership.
Assist with supplier qualification, supplier audits, and supplier corrective actions as assigned; evaluate quality concerns involving purchased materials or services and track follow-up.
Serve as a facility resource for customer quality questions, complaints, specifications, and quality commitments; coordinate responses and promptly escalate significant or recurring concerns.
Prepare and issue routine customer quality reports, including inspection and grading results, nonconforming product quantities, disposition status, and corrective actions, in accordance with approved reporting requirements.
Maintain accurate facility quality metrics covering testing, defects, complaints, audit findings, corrective actions, and grading or loss trends; verify source data, identify adverse trends, and report risks and overdue actions to leadership.
Coach employees and supervise assigned quality personnel on procedures, inspection methods, documentation, and escalation; verify training effectiveness and reinforce accurate recordkeeping.
Work with Operations to resolve quality issues and sustain improvements across shifts; escalate unresolved risks directly to the Director of Quality Assurance & Strategic Projects and perform other related quality duties as assigned.
Initiate quality holds and request suspension of affected processing or shipment when evidence indicates product or process requirements may not be met; notify facility leadership and the Director, document containment, and ensure release or disposition occurs only through authorized personnel under approved procedures.
Maintain independent quality judgment and escalate unresolved concerns; process execution remains the responsibility of the applicable operational owners.