QA Manager

About ALPLA

Join ALPLA, a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions serving some of the world's most recognized brands, including P&G, Unilever, L'Oréal, PepsiCo, and many more. As a family-owned company with locations around the world, ALPLA offers stable careers, hands-on training, competitive benefits, and opportunities for growth. We invest in our people, promote from within, and foster a culture focused on safety, teamwork, innovation, and continuous improvement. From apprenticeship programs and technical training to leadership development opportunities, ALPLA is committed to helping employees build long-term careers.

Benefits

• Competitive pay and comprehensive benefits
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) with company match
• Childcare and dependent care savings programs
• Paid vacation and holidays
• Company-paid life, short-term, and long-term disability insurance
• Tuition reimbursement and educational assistance programs
• Career growth and advancement opportunities
• Employee recognition programs
• Hands-on training and professional development

Responsibilities

Quality System

• Serve as lead auditor and primary audit contact for the site; prepare and successfully complete internal and external quality and/or food safety audits
• Ensure compliance with all quality management system requirements (ISO 9001, FSSC 22000 and other standards as required)
• Primary practitioner for HACCP and/or other product safety risk mitigation programs; support additional risk assessment requirements including change management
• Monthly reporting of quality and food safety system data per documented corporate procedures locally as well as regionally; use this data along with IMS audit results to drive improvement activities
• Primary local contact for the document management system; assist in optimizing and standardizing plant quality documentation

Quality Control

• Ensure production compliance with all regulatory, internal and customer product and packaging specifications; ensure customer specifications are current and accessible
• Ensure customer mandated compliance documents are issued (i.e. COAs, other customer mandated documentation)
• Assist operations in new product (AQP) and equipment qualification and verification activities
• Document and report all supplier quality related issues per standard procedures; support Logistics team on securing complaint resolution
• Oversight responsibility for plant quality control program including test equipment operation/calibration/verification, product testing, data collection, data integrity and rework management
• Ensure all personnel performing quality testing on the production floor are trained and qualified; either through direct oversight or in support of the Quality Supervisor where the role exists

Laboratory Oversight

• Ensure all personnel performing quality testing within the quality lab are trained and qualified; either through direct oversight or in support of the Quality Supervisor where the role exists

Leading the Quality Team

• Conduct regularly scheduled quality staff meetings
• Ensure team works together as efficiently as possible
• Assess training needs of staff and ensure execution of training

Managing the Quality Team

• Ensure correct time and attendance of team is captured
• Recruit (with HR support) new employees
• Perform disciplinary actions
• Perform annual performance evaluations

Customer Relationship Management

• Host periodic customer visits, primary contact for quality and regulatory related communications with customers
• Manage customer complaint process including application of proper RCA techniques and tools
• Ensure customer complaints are captured in global/regional/local reporting systems
• Support the RCA process and training for other departments in the plant

Performance Metrics

Performance is evaluated based on the effectiveness of the site Quality Management System and Quality Control program in meeting internal standards as well as customer and regulatory requirements. Additional considerations include audit performance and effective leadership of the site quality team. Emphasis is placed on maintaining a compliant, reliable quality system and effective customer relationship management. KPIs include but are not limited to:

• Successful completion of internal, customer, and certification audits; including timely closure of findings
• Customer complaint performance, including severity, recurrence, RCA quality and closure timeliness
• Effectiveness of the site quality control program, including data integrity, calibration compliance and rework management
• Timeliness and accuracy of required quality and food safety reporting
• Training and qualification status of quality personnel and overall quality team effectiveness

Competencies

• Directs Work
• Develops Talent
• Nimble Learning
• Plans and Aligns
• Manages Conflict
• Resourcefulness
• Customer Focus
• Builds Effective Teams

Requirements

• 4-year degree in a STEM/technical discipline or equivalent work experience required
• Experience with physical lab testing equipment, calipers, scales, digital height gauge and compression force testing equipment; experience with Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) preferred
• At least 5 years of work experience in Quality Assurance combined with a demonstrated track-record of accomplishments as a QA Manager, preferably in a high-speed manufacturing environment with significant customer engagement experience
• Proficient with Excel, SPC software, Word, PowerPoint
• Intermediate to advanced statistical knowledge
• Ability to work well with other departments
• Ability to manage Customer Relations
• Able to handle multi-task environment with excellent organizational skills

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Regularly required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, and very occasionally to climb or balance
• Frequently required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and talk or hear
• Occasionally required to sit
• Regularly lift and/or move up to 10 lbs.
• Act in a safe and environmentally responsible manner at all times by adhering to all ALPLA policies and procedures and Safety Standards (OSHA)