Quality Manager

Responsibilities

•  Lab Management:
•  Manage the plant laboratory, supervise, train, and certify lab technicians; manage the sampling and lab testing of raw materials, in-process materials, and finished goods; maintain lab equipment, QA/QC documentation, records, and sample archives.
• Quality Assurance:
• Direct plant operators; work with senior plant staff to ensure production quality, process control, and stable plant operation.
• Quality Control:
• Develop and maintain quality control tools and quality assurance instructions to guide plant production and ensure effective process troubleshooting; develop, audit, and maintain lab test procedures; ensure that all test results are timely and accurate.
• Track and report process control and finished goods quality metrics against internal and customer specifications; track plant quality key performance indicators; perform root cause analysis and correction of product quality issues.
• Lead special projects to eliminate waste, improve product quality, and increase plant production efficiency.
• Represent the plant on the corporate-wide Quality Best Practice Team to learn from and share best practices across the company.
• Some production duties and occasional responsibilities as the on-call senior staff member for the plant.

Qualifications:

• B.S. in STEM discipline required and minimum of 5 years' experience on a production line; wood products or similar manufacturing experience preferred.
• Candidates with 7+ years of experience and different education may be considered on a case by case basis. 
• Must understand the concepts of quality assurance and quality control and be able to interpret and perform calculations on data; must be competent in statistical calculations and analysis of data; Six-Sigma or similar training (statistical process control, root cause analysis) preferred.
• Expert knowledge of Excel and data analysis tools. 
• Experience with databases, statistical process control, and Minitab preferred.
• Experience in pellet production or similar manufacturing experience, familiarity with hammer mills, drum dryers, extrusion, material conveyors, and storage facilities a plus.
• Detail oriented, and meticulous in the execution of lab tests; in the habit of double-checking work.
• Well organized, efficient, and able to multi-task.
• Self-motivated, and able to communicate effectively with plant and corporate management.
• Able to lead and motivate plant operators and lab technicians.
• Able to troubleshoot and improve manufacturing processes.
• Ability to effectively communicate and work well with all levels of plant personnel.

Working Conditions:

• Must be able to work in outdoor environments and occasionally in temperatures above 100 degrees and below 32 degrees 
• Willing and able to work in a hot, humid, cold and noisy industrial environment 
• Willing and able to maintain strict adherence to safety rules and regulations, to include wearing safety equipment.

Physical Requirements:

• Willing and able to perform tasks such as lifting, walking, climbing, stooping, standing, pushing and/or pulling for up to twelve (12) hours a day
• Willing and able to work around moving equipment and machinery
• Willing and able to pull and lift, up to 50 lbs.
• Ability to safely and successfully perform the essential job functions consistent with the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state and local standards, including meeting qualitative and/or quantitative productivity standards.