The Quality Supervisor is responsible for supervising the lab technicians in the use of analytical equipment to test products at specified stages of the production process for a variety of properties such as performance, appearance, and other physical and chemical characteristics while ensuring safe, efficient, on-time production in accordance with the production schedule, Product Process Control Plan (PPCP), customer, regulatory, quality, and company requirements.
Accountability 1: Supervision
Most important activities:
- Lead the quality assurance technicians and manage the work load/objectives for the department..
- Comply with and enforce all company and plant policies and procedures.
- Create, update, and maintain the lab technicians’ schedule.
- Ensure laboratory technicians properly document and maintain time sheets, attendance records, and production paperwork.
- Develop training, perform employee reviews and facilitate the lab technician’s qualification process.
- Support and lead the laboratory’s SHEQ activities, meetings, and audits/inspections to ensure compliance with plant policies and procedures, along with requirements set by national agencies.
- Develop and enforce housekeeping standards in the Quality Assurance Laboratory.
- Provide a laboratory atmosphere that promotes two-way communication and a positive work environment.
Accountability 2: Laboratory Management
Most important activities:
- Responsible for on-site and all off-site laboratory facilities, equipment and budget.
- Ensure laboratory technicians properly organize and direct work to ensure timely completion of the process/product schedule per the Product Process Control Plan (PPCP) or other time critical requests/
- Inventory Management of reagents and supplies.
- Responsible for analyzing lab standards, scheduling preventative maintenance and enforcing instrument calibration requirements.
- Represent quality as required in plant-wide meetings, MOC changes (effecting quality), and required improvement efforts.
- Responsible for shipping hazardous material samples.
- Act as the company’s Chemical Hygiene Officer (CHO) to develop and maintain the Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP) per OSHA requirements including PPE requirements and housekeeping standards.
Accountability 3: Quality Management System:
Most important activities:
- Champion, enforce, and report on the ISO Quality Management System
- Promote, ensure, and sustain appropriate employee and management involvement in quality systems and processes.
- Train internal ISO auditors, plan internal audits, and lead quality management reviews.
- Lead new product and raw material reviews with Procurement.
- Investigate plant related quality incidents through use of root cause analysis and follow through on corrective and preventative actions.
- Create and maintain product statements, product specifications, and raw material specifications.
- Monitor and prepare responses related to customer complaint and inquiries.
- Maintain the company’s product certifications to include NSF STD50, STD60, and Kosher.
- Track and report plant quality metrics.
- Track non-conforming material dispositions in the plant.
- Coordinate Customer Audits
- And other duties as assigned
Level of education & experience in general
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent from an accredited college or technical school in a scientific discipline; or high school diploma with five years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Minimum 5 years of experience in a quality control/assurance, lead/supervisor role.
- 3-5 years of hands-on chemical laboratory experience including instrumentation and wet chemistry.
- Experience working in a laboratory that handles hazardous materials.
- Quality Control lab experience and/or training.
- ISO 9001 knowledge/training.
- Experience in a chemical manufacturing industry.
Technical skills
- Ability to read, analyze, and interpret safety procedures, instructions, or technical procedures.
- Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, customers, or other employees.
- Ability to perform calculations such as proportions, percentages, and volume.
- Ability to solve practical problems and manage a variety of variables in potentially high stress situations.
Behavioral skills
- Safety leadership: Champion for the 20 principles of process and Behavioral safety and life-saving rules
- Sense of ownership: strong execution (pragmatic, well structured, fast), strong problem-solving skills, strong analytical, conceptual, and strategic thinking skills.
- Excellent communicator: both verbal and written