Corporate Quality Manager, QSR

About the Company

Novolex is a leading manufacturer of food, beverage, and specialty packaging supporting multiple industries including foodservice, restaurant delivery and carryout, food processing, grocery and retail, and industrial sectors. Our manufacturing and sourcing expertise spans a diverse range of substrates including resin, paper, molded fiber, aluminum and more. We provide customers a broad array of stock and customized solutions with 120 product categories, 250 brands and over 39,000 SKUs.

Sustainability Commitment

The Novolex sustainability vision is built upon three pillars: our products, our operations and our people. Each is critically important to our growth and future as a business. These pillars form the foundation of our company-wide commitment to sustainability, helping us achieve our ambitious goals through our wide-ranging initiatives.

About the Role

The primary focus of the Corporate Quality Manager is to support the activities required to meet objectives of quality, food safety, and other programs or regulatory compliances for Novolex. This position supports 10 or so facilities within one or two operating units (OU) and interacts with internal and external customers. This is a remote position with up to 80% travel within the United States and Canada.

Responsibilities

• Report to the Director of Quality with a dotted line to OU operations leaders.
• Interact with Corporate teams, Customers, Sales, Customer Service, Product Development, and all aspects of Operations.
• Lead plant quality teams by facilitating alignment across the OU through a cadence of standard work (e.g., routine calls, visits).
• Drive RCCA (Root Cause Corrective Action) methodologies and training with the plants.
• Support customers and operations in leading RCCA for customer issues; develop and implement sustainable corrective action plans with the plants.
• Analyze and trend data to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Develop and/or improve the OU’s quality strategy and objectives with Operations leaders.
• Recommend and develop procedures and processes that optimize and drive consistency into all aspects of manufacturing.
• Lead and support improvement efforts in all areas of the business to meet performance targets.
• Assist in developing and implementing quality programs to ensure finished goods meet all quality, customer, and food safety requirements.
• Become a subject matter expert (SME) in customer requirements for the OU and promote awareness and adherence throughout the organization.
• Assist plants in investigating and resolving customer quality issues, internal/external product failures.
• Provide technical support and expertise in statistical methods, problem-solving methods, and process improvements to plants.
• Manage data gathering software, including procurement, installation, programming, and end-user training.
• Support scrap and cost reduction projects and champion plant improvement efforts for COPQ (Cost of Poor Quality).
• Prepare and distribute internal and external reports (weekly, monthly, on demand).
• Manage customer communications for the OU as appropriate.
• Lead or support customer meetings (visits, audits, quality reviews).
• Support company compliances and certifications through conducting gap assessments, internal audits, training, and program management (e.g., forestry, food safety GFSI, Kosher, CFIA, FDA).
• Conduct internal audits as scheduled and needed.
• Participate/support in third-party audits, including direct involvement with auditors and providing support to all plants for third-party annual audits.
• Serve as interim quality manager and support candidate search process, as required.
• Lead and support onboarding of new quality and food safety resources.
• Identify and drive training opportunities across the organization and OU (e.g., HACCP, food safety, internal auditing, quality topics).
• Follow company policies and practices while representing Novolex in an ethical and business-like manner.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical field preferred.
• 5+ years’ experience in a quality management role in a manufacturing environment, preferably in the plastics, paper, or packaging industry.
• Strong organizational, interpersonal, and leadership skills.
• Self-starter who works independently with minimal supervision.
• Ability to work as part of a team as well as lead a team by influence.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and projects under tight timelines; works with a sense of urgency.
• Detail-oriented, analytical thinker who consistently demonstrates accuracy, thoroughness, and dependability.
• Strong problem-solving, critical thinking, and good judgment skills.
• Ability to operate under deadlines while still meeting standards.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills necessary to interact effectively with individuals at all levels of the company.
• Establishes and maintains effective channels of communication with internal and external contacts.
• Practical experience with risk management, product testing, capability studies, and control plans.
• Strong leadership experience with compliance program requirements such as food safety, SQF, BRCGS, HACCP, forestry, and sustainability programs, including experience with internal and external auditing.
• Proficient in MS Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
• Nice to have: Six Sigma Principles, Kaizen, Lean Manufacturing.

Pay

A reasonable estimate of the current range is $105,000 - $110,000 plus bonus and benefits.

Benefits

• 401(k) plan with company match.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Flexible spending and health savings accounts.
• Paid vacation and sick days.
• Paid parental leave.
• Paid holidays.
• Wellness program.
• Community engagement and focused giving programs supporting sustainability initiatives or addressing food and hunger needs.
• Training and development opportunities, including skills development, advanced education programs, and tuition reimbursement.