Quality Assurance Specialist

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain a consistent presence on the production floor to support quality at the source.
• Partner with operators, leads, and supervisors to ensure quality standards and specifications are understood and met.
• Provide real-time coaching and guidance on inspection methods, documentation, and quality expectations.
• Respond promptly to quality concerns raised by production or extrusion teams.
• Absorb production and extrusion QC coverage when needed.

Inspection, Testing & SPC

• Perform product inspections using standard measurement equipment (calipers, micrometers, Magna-Mikes, Keyence IDMS, vision systems, etc.).
• Verify product conformance to specifications, prints, and customer requirements.
• Develop and maintain SPC programs; analyze data trends to identify risks and improvement opportunities.
• Document inspection results and maintain accurate, traceable quality records.
• Conduct process audits as assigned.

Qualification & Job Launch Activities

• Lead new part and job qualification activities, including running qualification studies and collecting required data.
• Prepare new jobs for QC checks, including development of inspection criteria.
• Support validation efforts and ensure qualification documentation meets internal and customer requirements.
• Represent Quality on PDCA and continuous improvement projects related to products or processes.

Nonconformance & Corrective Action

• Lead or actively participate in root cause investigation for defects and nonconforming product.
• Determine disposition of nonconforming material in alignment with company procedures and Quality Manager guidance.
• Support implementation and monitoring of corrective and preventive actions.
• Verify effectiveness of corrective actions using data-driven methods.

Compliance & Auditing

• Serve as an internal ISO auditor and support SQF practitioner responsibilities as assigned.
• Assist with internal and external audits and support audit preparation activities.
• Support adherence to ISO, SQF, GMP, and other applicable regulatory or customer requirements.

Training & Quality Culture

• Train production employees on quality standards, inspection methods, and documentation requirements.
• Reinforce quality procedures and best practices across shifts.
• Communicate quality issues clearly, constructively, and professionally.
• Promote a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.