DescriptionPurposeAccountable for the oversight and continuous improvement of a manufacturing facility's quality assurance program, leading new product and process development and taking a lead role in continuing improvement efforts. Accountable for the professional development of Quality Staff. Involved and leads activities outside of the mill and involving clients (supply chain, legal, benchmarking, product strategy, client inquiries/claims, etc.).
Key Responsibilities- Develop technical team with plant management support
- Maintain and improve all the elements of the facility's quality assurance program including policy, compliance, corrective actions and audits
- Determine department project plans and implementation schedules
- Standardize standard operating procedures (SOP's)
- Oversee SOP's for current and new equipment and hardware/software
- Coordinate project activities with operations, IT and engineering teams
- Work with quality assurance/control teams on projects and guide development of continuous improvement systems in safety, quality, yield, value, cost and productivity performance
- Ensure the standardization of process control and quality control platforms and performance metrics across the location
- Coordinate the implementation of process optimization across the location
- Ensure process control applications, process optimization, process information management systems and alarm databases
- Capable leader with the ability to influence the organization from the plant floor to the top floor
- Work closely with engineering team members on project development, scope, budget, design criteria, planning and implementation
- Coordinate with corporate and plant personnel to optimize the use of resources and equipment
- Lead a client-centric approach to manufacturing at the mill. In partnership with sales, work with clients on claims and production improvements
- Evaluate new products, processes, and technologies
- Participate in industry associations, such as FSC, HPVA, APA, NAWLA, WWPA
- Models company core values
- Other duties as assigned
Required Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in wood products, industrial management or industrial engineering
- Other academic backgrounds acceptable with five (5) or more years of related work experience
- Five (5) or more years of experience in process engineering, quality management, continuous improvement, industrial engineering or industrial management
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Experience with leading/supervising others
- Proficient in various process control and automation systems including (DCS platforms, PLCs, SCADA, MES, etc.).
- Experience with the design of experiments to investigate product attributes or qualities/conditions.
- Working knowledge of manufacturing processes, statistical quality engineering, inspection, auditing, calibration, data analysis techniques, and quality cost principles
- Flexible work schedule inside and outside standard work week
- Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks and projects to meet schedule and project requirements
- Professional level competency in Excel, Word and PowerPoint
- Intermediate competency in data analytics and associated software (Access, Minitab, etc.)
Preferred Qualifications- Master's degree in Wood Science, Wood Technology, Engineering, or related field
- Ten (10) years composite or engineered wood manufacturing experience
- ASQ certifications, Lean Six Sigma training, or other applicable training desirable
- High fluency in Visual Basic and SQL code
- Secondary language beyond English
