The Quality Manager is within our Auto/Car Care/Prestone division and is responsible for the daily operations of the filling line production area, ensuring that the shift meets established safety, quality, and production goals in compliance with all applicable company requirements. This role is located at our Alsip, Illinois facility.

Overview

The Alsip Quality Manager is responsible for leading and maintaining the site quality management system, ensuring products consistently meet internal standards, customer requirements, and applicable regulatory expectations. This role provides hands-on leadership across laboratory, production, nonconformance, continuous improvement, and technical problem-solving activities while partnering closely with Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, EHS, Procurement, and corporate Quality teams.

This position should be comfortable with the technical expectations of Quality Technicians, including sampling, testing, documentation, batch review, calibration awareness, laboratory practices, and production support, while also applying selected Quality Engineering methods such as root cause analysis, FMEA, SPC, MSA, validation support, process capability, and corrective action leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, maintain, and continuously improve the site quality management system, including procedures, work instructions, records, training materials, audits, and management review inputs.

• Oversee day-to-day quality activities in the laboratory and production environment, including raw material, in-process, finished goods, retain, and nonconforming product controls.

• Provide technical guidance to Quality Technicians on sampling plans, laboratory testing, test method execution, data integrity, documentation, equipment readiness, and escalation of abnormal results.

• Investigate and manage nonconforming batches, finished products, customer complaints, internal quality alerts, holds, rework, and disposition decisions in partnership with Operations and Procurement.

• Lead root cause analysis and corrective/preventive action activities using structured problem-solving tools such as 8D, 5 Why, fishbone analysis, FMEA, SPC, MSA, and control plans.

• Assess critical-to-quality gaps, determine root causes, build business cases for improvement opportunities, and implement controls to measure, monitor, and sustain results.

• Partner with Engineering, Maintenance, Operations, EHS, and IT/OT on equipment changes, process changes, controls updates, ABU implementation or upgrades, instrumentation selection, calibration readiness, interlock checks, and production release activities.
• Support qualification and validation activities, including DQ, IQ, OQ, PQ, blend accuracy validation, repeatability testing, capability studies, and release documentation for new or modified processes and equipment.
• Maintain readiness for customer, regulatory, internal, and certification audits, including support for IATF-related documentation, reporting, and quality system requirements.

• Provide training and coaching to production and quality personnel on quality standards, testing requirements, defect recognition, documentation expectations, and escalation procedures.

• Develop strong cross-functional relationships with site and business leaders to align quality priorities with safety, service, cost, compliance, customer satisfaction, and continuous improvement objectives.

• Communicate complex technical and quality information clearly to employees, leadership, suppliers, customers, and cross-functional teams.

Required Experience and Skills

• Strong working knowledge of laboratory testing practices, sampling, inspection, batch documentation, quality records, and production quality support.

• Working knowledge of solid and liquid testing equipment, calibration practices, basic instrumentation, and troubleshooting of abnormal quality results.

• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot complex manufacturing, laboratory, process, and product quality issues using data-driven methods.

• Experience with Quality Core Tools, including PPAP, FMEA, MSA, SPC, control plans, 8D corrective action, and documented root cause analysis.

• Ability to interpret specifications, formulas, process requirements, quality standards, and technical documentation.

• Familiarity with manufacturing process validation, equipment qualification, blend accuracy verification, process capability, and change control.

• Strong leadership skills with the ability to coach, train, prioritize, and hold teams accountable in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

• Intermediate to advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office and quality-related data systems; ability to analyze trends, prepare reports, and present findings.

• Excellent organizational, verbal, written communication, and listening skills, with the ability to communicate technical information to a wide range of audiences.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Science, Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, or a related technical field preferred; equivalent combination of education, technical training, and relevant manufacturing quality experience may be considered.

• Minimum of 7-10 years of progressive quality experience in a manufacturing environment, preferably including chemical, automotive fluids, blending, packaging, or regulated consumer products.

• Prior experience managing, leading, mentoring, or providing technical direction to Quality Technicians, laboratory personnel, or production quality teams preferred.

• Experience supporting audits, customer requirements, corrective actions, continuous improvement projects, and cross-functional technical initiatives.

• Experience working with automated blending, process controls, instrumentation, or engineering-led equipment/process changes preferred.

• IATF 16949 and ISO 9001 Certifications are a plus

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

The role operates in both office and manufacturing environments, including laboratory, production, warehouse, and indoor/outdoor industrial areas that may not be climate controlled.

What We Offer:

• Competitive compensation
• Career growth opportunities - we prioritize internal promotions
• Generous 401k match
• Comprehensive health benefits, including medical, vision and dental coverage and Telemedicine
• Paid vacation and holidays
• Tuition assistance program - support for continued education and professional development

Please note: A pre-employment background check, including a criminal record check and drug testing, is required.