Quality Control Manager

Job Title:

Quality Control Manager Job Description The Quality Control Manager provides enterprise-level leadership for all quality, food safety, and regulatory compliance programs within a manufacturing environment. This role ensures best-in-class product integrity, drives continuous improvement initiatives, and aligns quality systems with business objectives and customer expectations. As a key member of the leadership team, this individual partners cross-functionally with Manufacturing, R D, and Supply Chain to support operational excellence, regulatory compliance, and customer satisfaction. The position oversees food safety systems, audit readiness, preventive controls, laboratory operations, and crisis management while developing and mentoring a high-performing quality organization. Responsibilities Provide enterprise-level leadership for quality, food safety, and regulatory compliance programs across manufacturing operations. Design, implement, and maintain robust quality systems that ensure best-in-class product integrity and consistency. Oversee food safety systems, including HACCP, GMP, and GFSI (with emphasis on BRC), to ensure compliance with internal and external standards. Lead audit readiness and manage customer, regulatory, and third-party audits from preparation through follow-up and corrective actions. Develop, monitor, and refine key performance indicators (KPIs) to drive continuous improvement and measure quality performance. Implement and oversee Statistical Process Control (SPC) to monitor process capability and improve product quality. Lead root cause analysis and corrective and preventive action (CAPA) activities to address quality issues and prevent recurrence. Partner with Manufacturing, R D, and Supply Chain teams to embed quality and food safety into processes, new products, and operational initiatives. Serve as a customer-facing quality leader, addressing inquiries, managing escalations, and supporting customer satisfaction and trust. Provide leadership in crisis management, including incident response, product quality issues, and enterprise risk mitigation. Oversee laboratory operations, including testing protocols, equipment calibration, and data integrity practices. Direct and support sanitation programs, allergen control, environmental monitoring, and food defense initiatives. Coach, develop, and manage a high-performing quality team, including supervisors, coordinators, and quality technicians. Set clear performance expectations, conduct performance reviews, and create development plans to build organizational capability. Collaborate with leadership to align quality strategies with business goals and support innovation, safety, and operational excellence. Support multi-site quality oversight, ensuring consistent standards, processes, and best practices across locations. Engage in continuous improvement projects to enhance processes, reduce defects, and improve overall product and system performance. Communicate effectively with executives and stakeholders, providing clear updates, risk assessments, and recommendations. Support integration of quality systems into new product commercialization, ensuring compliance and robust launch readiness. Contribute to long-term brand integrity by safeguarding product safety, regulatory compliance, and customer confidence. Essential Skills Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, or a related Life Sciences discipline. 5-12+ years of progressive quality or food safety leadership experience in food or consumables manufacturing. Demonstrated enterprise-level quality and food safety leadership in manufacturing environments. Strong expertise in HACCP, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), and GFSI schemes, with BRC experience preferred. Proven experience leading customer, regulatory, and third-party audits and inspections. Hands-on experience with regulatory compliance and audit management in a manufacturing context. Experience in continuous improvement, including KPI development and implementation. Proficiency in Statistical Process Control (SPC) implementation and data-driven decision-making. Strong skills in root cause analysis and leadership of corrective and preventive actions (CAPA). Experience overseeing laboratory operations, including calibration and data integrity management. Crisis management and enterprise risk mitigation experience related to quality and food safety. Strong executive-level communication and stakeholder management skills. Proven ability to collaborate cross-functionally with Manufacturing, R D, and Supply Chain teams. Experience in customer-facing quality leadership and managing quality-related issues and escalations. Demonstrated ability to develop, coach, and manage teams, including supervisors and technical staff. Knowledge and practical experience with sanitation, allergen control, environmental monitoring, and food defense programs. Additional Skills & Qualifications Master's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, or a related field. Multi-site quality leadership experience in manufacturing environments. Experience integrating quality systems into new product commercialization processes. Pest control certification. Advanced data analytics skills and experience developing dashboards for quality and operational metrics. Familiarity with FDA, USDA, and FSMA regulations and their application in food or consumables manufacturing. Experience working in fast-paced, complex manufacturing environments. Demonstrated ability to influence at executive levels and drive meaningful change across operations. Work Environment The role operates in a fast-paced, complex manufacturing environment that runs nearly 24/7 with three shifts, which this position supports. The position reports into corporate quality leadership and has direct responsibility for a team that includes three supervisors. The work involves a combination of on-site production floor presence, where adherence to plant safety and hygiene standards is expected, and strategic office-based work focused on planning, analysis, and leadership activities. The role offers a high degree of cross-functional collaboration and visibility with leadership across the organization. The environment emphasizes innovation, safety, excellence, and a collaborative leadership culture, providing opportunities to lead and shape enterprise-level quality and food safety strategy while having significant influence on decision-making and long-term brand integrity. Job Type & Location This is a Permanent position based out of Chicago, IL. Pay and Benefits The pay range for this position is $100000.00 - $130000.00/yr. Medical, dental, and vision coverage Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital plans 401(k) retirement plan (pre-tax and Roth options) Voluntary life insurance and AD&D Short-term and long-term disability Health Savings Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Time Off / Leave (PTO, vacation, or sick leave) Workplace Type This is a fully onsite position in Chicago,IL. Application Deadline This position is anticipated to close on Jun 6, 2026. About Actalent Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 30,000 consultants and more than 4,500 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law. If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance:

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector:

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.