Quality Program Manager- Packaging Supplier Quality Events

Abbott Laboratories • Columbus, OH

1d • $99,300 - $198,700 • Onsite

About The Position

This position works out of our Columbus, OH location in the Nutrition Division. The Quality Program Manager, supporting Packaging Supplier Quality Events is responsible for leading a team of Supplier Quality professionals focused on supplier event management, supplier performance, continuous improvement, and supplier quality system maturity. This role serves as a key liaison between suppliers, manufacturing sites, quality leadership, and cross-functional business partners to ensure timely resolution of supplier quality issues, drive preventive quality improvements, and strengthen supplier capabilities across Abbott's packaging supply base. This leader will foster a high-performance culture built on accountability, technical excellence, continuous improvement, and audit readiness while developing team members and advancing long-term strategic initiatives that improve supplier quality performance and business outcomes.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Packaging Engineering, Food Science, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Quality, or related technical discipline.
• 8+ years of experience in Supplier Quality, Quality Assurance, or Packaging Engineering, or related experience in Manufacturing, Operations, or related technical fields.
• Experience in regulated industries such as medical device, pharmaceutical, nutrition, food, or consumer product manufacturing.
• Experience with supplier audits, supplier assessments, and supplier quality system evaluations.
• Experience building and managing scorecards, KPIs, dashboards, and supplier governance processes.
• Experience leading and developing high-performing teams.
• Experience presenting and aligning internal and external stakeholders with the ability to communicate to all levels of the Abbott organization as well as supplier organization.
• Thorough knowledge of manufacturing processes, quality systems, investigations, root cause analysis, and CAPA principles.
• Proven project management skills with the ability to prioritize multiple initiatives and deliver results in a fast-paced environment.

Nice To Haves

• Green Belt, Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of Supplier Quality professionals responsible for Supplier Events and Supplier Excellence activities.
• Foster a high-performance culture focused on accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and audit readiness.
• Establish clear expectations and develop team capability through coaching, mentoring, succession planning, and employee development.
• Drive employee engagement, onboarding, training, and development of critical thinking, root cause analysis, and problem-solving skills.
• Lead the response to supplier quality events impacting Abbott manufacturing sites.
• Ensure timely investigations, risk assessments, root cause analysis, and effective corrective and preventive actions.
• Partner with manufacturing sites and suppliers to resolve quality issues, minimize business disruption, and protect product quality.
• Drive event reduction through trend analysis, supplier engagement, preventive actions, and effective escalation management.
• Ensure investigations and quality documentation are accurate, compliant, and audit-ready.
• Lead Abbott's Supplier Excellence Program and drive continuous improvement across the packaging supply base.
• Monitor supplier performance through scorecards, KPIs, assessments, audits, and governance reviews.
• Develop improvement strategies and Quality Improvement Plans for underperforming suppliers.
• Partner with suppliers to strengthen quality systems, process capability, CAPA effectiveness, and overall performance.
• Maintain a culture of continuous audit readiness across Supplier Events and Supplier Excellence programs.
• Ensure compliance with quality system requirements, procedures, documentation standards, and regulatory expectations.
• Support audits, inspections, investigations, and CAPA activities while driving timely closure of observations and action plans.
• Champion documentation accuracy, data integrity, and inspection-ready practices.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives that strengthen supplier quality processes, governance, and operational performance while driving alignment across suppliers, manufacturing sites, and key stakeholders.
• Utilize quality metrics, KPIs, and trend data to identify risks, prioritize improvements, and drive data-based decision making and preventive quality actions.
• Develop and communicate supplier performance trends, quality risks, and improvement strategies to suppliers, site leadership, and senior management.
• Drive long-term improvements through Supplier Excellence, process harmonization, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Benefits

• Training and career development, with onboarding programs for new employees and tuition assistance
• Financial security through competitive compensation, incentives and retirement plans
• Health care and well-being programs including medical, dental, vision, wellness and occupational health programs, Medical Benefits start day 1
• Vacation – 3 weeks accrued vacation (1st yr. is prorated) + vacation buy program + 5 personal days + 10 paid holidays
• 401(k) retirement savings with a generous company match of 5%
• Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program and FreeU education benefit
• A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries around the world and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune.
• A company that is recognized as one of the best big companies to work for as well as a best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists.
• The stability of a company with a record of strong financial performance and history of being actively involved in local communities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager