Quality Manager

Land O'Lakes•Neosho, MO

13d

About The Position

The Quality Manager serves as the site leader for quality, product safety, and regulatory compliance in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. Working within an established Enterprise Quality Management System (EQMS), the manager ensures effective site-level execution of standardized programs, identifies opportunities for improvement, and supports changes as business or regulatory needs evolve. The role partners closely with operations and the head office quality team, and provides production staff with coaching and training on quality standards, the Product Safety Plan/Hazard Analysis, and other regulatory initiatives. The manager leads continuous improvement projects and root cause analysis and corrective actions to resolve issues. The role impacts daily quality, product safety, and regulatory compliance across the site and manages a team of 3–5 members.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant leadership experience.
4–6 years of progressive experience in manufacturing, operations, quality, or a related environment, including leadership responsibilities.
Proven ability to drive accountability, manage competing priorities, and lead effectively in a fast-paced, high-expectation environment.
Experience coaching, developing, and influencing employees across multiple functions.
Strong problem-solving, communication, and decision-making skills.
Integrity in products, processes, and relationships.
Strong communication, interpersonal, training, and coaching skills; effective written and oral communication.
Analytical problem-solving and root cause analysis skills.
Ability to be tactical and insightful while acting strategically.
Ability to handle customer complaints.
Demonstrated initiative, ownership, and ability to independently identify issues and drive timely resolution.
Professional courage and sound judgment to address difficult situations, constructively challenge decisions, and uphold quality and product safety standards.
Ability to influence operational leadership, navigate competing priorities, and maintain productive working relationships while ensuring accountability.

Responsibilities

Ensure implementation, training, assessment, and compliance of product safety and quality systems.
Conduct root cause and corrective/preventive action analysis for customer complaints and internal issues related to manufacturing errors.
Create, update, and implement standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Proactively manage and resolve product safety and regulatory issues in collaboration with the head office quality team.
Provide targeted follow-up on claims and complaints.
Build and sustain a culture of quality, accountability, and continuous improvement through employee engagement, coaching, and cross-functional collaboration.
Develop working knowledge of pre-mix quality control, systems, processes, and procedures related to plant manufacturing.
Champion product safety and quality; monitor and report trends to the Director and/or Senior Quality Assurance Manager.
Lead assigned projects in critical process monitoring and capability, working with operations, QA/QC, and plants to establish new product/process measurements and preventative controls at the source.
Manage a 3–5 member team.