Quality Manager

Leadership of external product quality.  Support External sourcing strategy. Facilitates quality improvement activities.  Assures proper quality systems for external manufacturing are developed, implemented, and observed throughout the region and at contract manufacturers.  Establishes objectives for quality within the External Supply.  Facilitates implementation of new products and processes. Provides overall leadership in setting the policies and procedures for Co-packer quality management including co-packers that are managed by local plants. Implement North American quality policies and procedures. Develop, implement and provide training in External Quality Systems to satisfy consumer needs and to achieve consumer satisfaction objectives. Create Customer Product Specifications. Participation in the management matrix to include appropriate interface and cooperation with the Director of Quality and the Regional Quality team. Provide a quality focus and leadership to the NA team that manages co-packers. Maintains quality statistics for external manufacturers. Provides quality input into monthly and quarterly scorecards and follow up on improvements related to quality. Travels to external suppliers to trouble shoot and address quality/process issues. This will be for 20 to 40% of your time. Manage quality at existing co-packers as well as new co-packers. Manage store check program for external manufacturing. Provides co-packer manuals to external manufacturers. Manage quality issues such as sub-quality product disposition, corrective actions / preventive actions and costs recovery. Manage complaints. Is an active team member representing quality on NPD and EPD project teams. Responsible for ensuring co-packers have effective required systems in place such as GMP, HACCP, ISO 9000, where appropriate.Minimum of a BA or BS degree in the sciences or engineering. American Society for Quality Certification with expertise in the areas of statistical applications, design of experiments, and use of probability tables is desirable. Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible assignments in Consumer Products, Food, OTC or Pharmaceutical business. 2 years experience in a plant environment. Experienced in quality systems such as ISO 9000, GMP, HACCP, and Auditing. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, problem solving, decision making and computer proficiency.