Quality Technician

Actalent connects visionary companies with specialized engineering and sciences talent to advance innovation and speed to market.

About the role

The Quality Technician ensures incoming materials, final products, and packaging consistently meet defined quality, customer, and regulatory standards. This position focuses on inspection and quality control, supports continuous improvement initiatives, and maintains accurate documentation in a diverse manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities

• Conduct inspections and evaluations of incoming materials and components in accordance with standard operating procedures and customer requirements.
• Verify that finished products and packaging meet established quality specifications and regulatory expectations.
• Follow all documented SOPs, operational protocols, testing procedures, and quality control guidelines during inspection activities.
• Perform visual inspections and quality checks to identify defects, nonconformances, or deviations from standards.
• Maintain accurate, timely records of inspection results, test data, and quality findings in designated tracking systems.
• Identify deviations from quality expectations and escalate issues through formal channels to ensure prompt resolution.
• Facilitate communication and exchange of samples or data with internal and external stakeholders to support quality decisions.
• Promote and support a culture of lean action and continuous improvement by identifying and reducing inefficiencies.
• Apply structured problem-solving tools to implement sustainable improvements in quality processes and workflows.
• Maintain clean, organized, and consistent workspaces in alignment with 5S or similar lean principles.
• Collaborate with production and quality team members to support inspections at multiple facilities when required.
• Perform other related duties and tasks as assigned to support business needs and customer requirements.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent education.
• Experience or exposure working within a quality environment, such as quality inspection, quality control, or quality assurance.
• Hands-on internal auditing or inspection experience.
• Ability to read and write in English with strong comprehension skills.
• Knowledge of and adherence to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).
• Experience with inspection activities, including visual inspection and quality checks in a production setting.
• Understanding of SOPs and the ability to follow documented procedures accurately.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• High attention to detail and accuracy in recording data and identifying issues.
• Critical thinking skills with the ability to analyze information and make sound judgments.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, and email systems.
• Ability to work independently, manage time effectively, and prioritize multiple tasks.

Qualifications

• Associate or bachelor’s degree in chemistry, biology, or a related scientific discipline is a plus.
• GMP experience in food, cosmetics, chemical manufacturing, pharmaceutical, or medical device environments is highly beneficial.
• Previous exposure to quality assurance and quality control functions in manufacturing.
• Bilingual language skills are a strong advantage.
• Familiarity with lean principles, continuous improvement, and structured problem-solving methodologies.
• Comfort working in a cyclical workflow environment with moderate interruptions and tight deadlines.
• Interest in career growth, with potential to move into QA Analyst or QA Specialist roles after approximately 2–3 years of experience.

Work Environment

This is a full-time, first-shift role scheduled Monday through Friday from approximately 6:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Occasional overtime, estimated at 5–20 hours over the course of the contract, may be required based on business needs and incoming component volume.

The position is based primarily at a modern manufacturing facility in Shakopee, MN. Initial onboarding will occur at a nearby facility, followed by training in Shakopee. The technician will work closely with at least one other quality team member on site and alongside approximately 25 colleagues per shift across various roles. There may be periodic travel between nearby facilities for inspections as needed, but overall travel is limited.

The environment is indoors and can be seasonally cold, hot, or humid, with regular exposure to various fragrances, sometimes at elevated levels. The role involves frequent standing and walking (4–6 hours per day), and occasional bending, pushing, pulling, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting, and grasping. The technician may move and lift objects up to 50 pounds frequently. There is occasional repetitive hand and wrist motion, intermittent work at a computer terminal, and a need for good eyesight and normal hearing.

The position operates under moderate to high demands for tight deadlines and cyclical workloads that may start and stop based on production and customer requirements. The organization offers a diverse manufacturing environment with exposure to a wide range of products, including beauty, bath and body items, lip balms, skincare, sunscreens, cleaning detergents, and more.

Schedule

First shift, Monday through Friday from approximately 6:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Occasional overtime may be required.

Pay

The pay range for this position is $20.00 - $21.00/hr. Individual compensation offered within this range will depend on qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, and internal equity.

Benefits

If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include:

• Medical, dental, and vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital insurance
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)