The Quality Control Lab Manager is a people leadership and technical quality role within the Maumelle Quality organization, reporting to the Site Quality Manager. This position leads Wet Wipes Quality Control laboratory operations, microbiological testing programs, quality systems, and team development. The role ensures compliance with FDA Cosmetic regulations, ISO 17025, cGMP requirements, customer expectations, and Kimberly-Clark quality standards. Responsibilities include providing technical leadership, overseeing laboratory systems and data integrity, supporting manufacturing quality, driving method validation and continuous improvement initiatives, and partnering cross-functionally to resolve quality issues. This role is critical to ensuring product quality, consumer safety, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence.

Scope:
This position serves as a Quality leadership role within the Kimberly-Clark Maumelle Quality Organization and is responsible for leading the Quality Control Microbiology Laboratory and associated quality systems. The incumbent directly manages a team of approximately 6 to 12 employees, including Laboratory Technicians and Microbiologists, and is accountable for talent development, performance management, resource planning, and achievement of laboratory objectives.

The role has overall responsibility for the laboratory's microbiological testing programs, test method validation and qualification activities, data integrity, and compliance with applicable regulatory and corporate requirements. The Quality Control Microbiology team ensures that finished products, raw materials, manufacturing environments, and associated processes meet established microbiological quality standards through the application of sound scientific principles, statistical analysis, and risk-based decision making.

In this role, you will:

• Demonstrate safety as a value by performing all job functions safely, while also complying with corporate policies and departmental procedures, in an effort to reduce risk and eliminate loss.
• Manage self in accordance with the K-C Ways of Working.
• Ensure activities, materials, and finished products are in compliance with both company quality assurance standards and applicable government regulations, such as GMPs and ISO requirements.
• Maintain and demonstrate a high degree of knowledge and skill in product forms, quality systems, processes, and regulations.
• Conduct all communications and transactions with the utmost integrity. Communicate fully with superiors, teammates, and others who have a need to know.
• Assure that reporting is clear, concise, thorough and timely.
• Execute continuous improvement activities for established processes and initiate development of new processes.
• Build and maintain personal capability in QMS, GMPs, and applicable regulation to support objectives.
• Define, develop and incorporate testing procedures and methods to ensure achievement of sector’s quality goals and objectives.
• Support Validation efforts in the facility, providing both technical expertise as well as testing methods/results.
• Establish and maintain good customer rapport, while driving solutions to meet business needs. Develop and maintain a strong spirit of partnership.
• Ensure that established manufacturing inspection, sampling and statistical process control procedures are followed as applicable.

Position-Specific Accountabilities:

• Provide leadership & expertise in running the Maumelle microbiology laboratory by coordinating microbiological testing and release of finished products, raw materials, manufacturing processes and personnel.
• Direct daily testing schedules, lot releases, sample analysis, and workflow priorities
• Ensure testing in the microbiological laboratory complies with K-C STM, cGMP, FDA, ISO, and/or USP guidelines
• Oversee test method transfers, validations, proficiency testing, and lab equipment trouble shooting.
• Effectively achieve results that meet business and individual objectives by providing clear direction and developing the capabilities of the Quality Control team (microbiologists and technicians).
• Conduct periodic audits of Production, Quality systems, operating areas, sanitization procedures and microbiological laboratory to assure conformance to SOPs.
• Serve as a local site administrator for the laboratory LIMS software.
• Safely manage the microbiology laboratory to meet business objectives.
• Drive QC / microbiological change at the Maumelle facility to achieve targeted “Key Performance Indicator” results in the Quality space.
• Assure there is a consistent and continuous focus on managing product quality improvement by initiating/supporting Quality Management programs.
• Provide expertise in developing / transferring test methods and means for maintaining sanitary manufacturing equipment and effective microbiological testing.  Coach team members and customers regarding preventive quality management for continuous improvement in both existing and emerging manufacturing sites.
• Lead teams to evaluate microbiological and physical testing trend data for opportunities to improve and support resulting improvement efforts.
• Ensure completion of routine product quality audits and reporting of results.
• Provide assistance in defining and solving problems/opportunities to achieve unit objectives.
• Communicate fully with superior, subordinates and others who have the need to know.  Ensure communication is prompt, complete, candid and clear.
• Train less experienced personnel on established methods and facilitate the transfer of technical knowledge, while demonstrating and understanding those with a diverse background or experience.
• Develop, recommend, implement and validate product quality testing procedures.
• Contribute to an environment in which all team members are respected regardless of their individual differences and are motivated to improve both their individual and team contributions to achieve desired business results.

To succeed in this role, you will need the following qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology, Bacteriology, Natural Physical Sciences, or similar discipline, with a minimum of 5 years of industry experience in a regulated microbiological lab, along with previous supervisory and/or leadership experience.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, provide work direction and development of others, and share technical expertise with leaders while recommending a course of action.
• Ensure all testing is performed in a manner that meets the requirements of K-C specifications, ISO-17025, customer requirements, and regulatory requirements.
• In depth knowledge of current regulatory requirements in support of cGMP manufacturing operations
• The incumbent must have the ability to organize, plan, possess leadership qualities, maturity of judgment, and provide guidance and consultation to the mill and the KCC sector team.
• Excellent communications and decision-making skills, leading with initiative and ambition, and a proven ability to deliver excellence.
• Collaborate and foster internal teamwork with other cross-functional areas and sites.
• Has ability to change the thinking of or gain acceptance of others in sensitive situations.
• Results orientated and performance driven.
• Strong analytical ability and associated problem solving.
• Able to lead projects.
• Experience with regulatory inspections (e.g. FDA).
• Report, standards, and policy writing skills required.
• Ability to lead root cause investigations and CAPA

Preferred Qualifications:

• Masters Degree in Microbiology, Bacteriology, Natural Physical Sciences, or similar discipline
• Demonstrated proficiency with data analysis software (e.g., Minitab, JMP), and/or industry-standard systems such as EtQ and SAP.
• Previous industrial / manufacturing microbiological laboratory experience in the following areas: environmental monitoring, microbial identification, bioburden testing, USP methodology
• Previous experience working in ISO-17025 laboratory
• Previous experience in cosmetics manufacturing.
• Previous experience with LIMS software a plus.

Required Job Functions:

• Must be able to flex to support a 7-day operation, as circumstances dictate.
• Role model all Safety Requirements including Electrical Safe Working Practices, Hazard Recognition, and PPE.
• Adhere to all Quality Requirements including strict Gowning and Hygiene requirements.
• Must be able to wear the required PPE while performing tasks
• Perform bending, twisting, stooping and crouching movements.
• Capable of prioritizing tasks to meet goals and ensure product quality.
• Ability to develop a working knowledge of operational tasks required of Maumelle colleagues.

Total Benefits

Here are just a few of the benefits you’d enjoy working in this role for Kimberly-Clark. For a complete overview, see .
 

Great support for good health with medical, dental, and vision coverage options with no waiting periods or pre-existing condition restrictions. Access to an on-site fitness center, occupational health nurse, and allowances for high-quality safety equipment.

Flexible Savings and spending accounts to maximize health care options and stretch dollars when caring for yourself or dependents.

Diverse income protection insurance options to protect yourself and your family in case of illness, injury, or other unexpected events.

Additional programs and support to continue your education, adopt a child, relocate, or even find temporary childcare.

To Be Considered
Click the Apply button and complete the online application process. A member of our recruiting team will review your application and follow up if you seem like a great fit for this role.

In the meantime, please check out the .

Salary Range: 105,740 – 130,620 USD At Kimberly-Clark, pay is just one aspect of our total rewards package, which also includes a variety of benefits and opportunities to achieve, thrive and grow. Along with base pay, this position offers eligibility for a target bonus and a comprehensive benefits suite, including our 401(k) and Pro