Quality Operations Manager

Abbott Laboratories; Waikato; On-site; NZD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Wellbeing support

Competitive rewards

Job summary

Abbott in New Zealand (Waikato) seeks a Quality Operations Manager to lead quality assurance strategies, ensure regulatory compliance, and manage a high‑performing team. The role covers labs, clinical research, testing, production, and supplier coordination.

You will drive quality control across processes, coordinate audits, and foster Abbott's commitment to excellence, safety, and continuous improvement in a dynamic healthcare setting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in scientific or technical discipline or equivalent experience.
• Strong judgment, problem‑solving and decision‑making skills.
• Effective written and verbal communication with good interpersonal and consulting ability.
• Well‑organized and tech‑savvy.
• Excellent technical and regulatory local knowledge relevant to the role.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement quality assurance strategies and regulations.
• Assess potential risks, ensure compliance and provide recommendations.
• Oversee all quality control aspects of processes (labs, clinical research, testing, operations, raw materials, production, finished product).
• Facilitate audits and regulatory inspections.
• Coordinate with external vendors to ensure quality standards are met.
• Coordinate and oversee employee training and development.

Skills

Judgment

Problem solving

Communication

Organization

Tech‑savvy

Regulatory knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s degree in scientific or technical discipline

Job description

JOB DESCRIPTION

Abbott is a global healthcare leader, creating breakthrough science to improve people’s health. We’re always looking towards the future, anticipating changes in medical science and technology. Our nutrition business develops science-based nutrition products for people of all ages, from helping babies and children grow, to keeping adult bodies strong and active. Millions of people around the world count on our leading brands, including Similac®, PediaSure®, Pedialyte®, Ensure® and Glucerna®, to help get the nutrients they need to live their healthiest life. Working at Abbott At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and family, be your true self and live a full life. You will have access to:

• Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of.
• Benefits that support you and your family to stay healthy, financially secure, and supported throughout life's journey, including comprehensive medical insurance coverage, wellbeing support, and competitive rewards that recognize your contributions.
• A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries around the world and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune.

The Opportunity

As the Quality Operations Manager, you will be responsible for developing and implementing quality assurance strategies and regulations while leading quality operations activities, ensuring compliance, facilitating audits and inspections, managing quality control processes, and leading a high-performing team.

What You’ll Do

• Develop and implements quality assurance strategies and regulations.
• Assesses potential risks, ensures compliance and gives recommendations.
• Takes responsibility for all quality control aspects of the process (laboratories studies, clinical research, testing, operations, raw materials, production, finished product or services).
• Facilitates audits and regulatory inspections.
• Liaises with external vendors, contractors or suppliers to ensure that their products or services meet the organization's quality standards.
• Coordinates quality trainings.
• You may be required to work outside of your ordinary hours of work to participate in essential training, team meetings, customer events or trade shows/conferences. These events may take place on an evening and/or weekend.
• Lead, develop and manage an effective, engaged and motivated team.
• Maintain a supportive, collaborative working environment in line with Abbott core values.
• Address any conflict or potential issues sensitively and as they arise and in accordance with policies and procedures.
• Coordinate and oversee employee training and development and equipping with the resources available at Abbott to support their career.
• Review, assess and action requests such as leave approvals and expense management, ensuring company policy is adhered to.
• Attend regular departmental meetings with relevant manager/supervisor to build in continuous feedback mechanisms.
• Meet the requirements of ISO by complying with all relevant Quality policies and procedures to ensure the Quality objectives of the business are met.
• Comply with all relevant company Occupational Health, Safety and Environmental policies, procedures, and work practices with the intent of preventing or minimising accidental exposures to self, colleagues and/or the environment.
• Ensure any PPE provided by Abbott is worn.
• Report any accidents or incidents within 24 hours and notify your manager.
• Ensure all activities carried out by self and others are in accordance with legislative employment policies, health & safety requirements and global policy.
• Promote a standard of excellence for quality and customer focus at Abbott.
• Uphold the Abbott Code of Business Conduct.
• Live our Abbott Values – Pioneering, Achieving, Caring, Enduring.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of Abbott standard operating procedures and policies and always ensure compliance.
• Ensure your company-related activities comply with relevant Acts, legal demands and ethical standards.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in scientific or technical discipline OR an equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• Demonstrates strong judgment, problem-solving, and decision‑making skills.
• Communicates effectively (written and verbal) with strong interpersonal and consulting ability.
• Well‑organized and tech‑savvy.
• Excellent technical and regulatory local knowledge as it relates to the role.

Location

This position is based in Pokeno, New Zealand. Follow your career aspirations to Abbott for diverse opportunities with a company that can help you build your future and live your best life.

Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to employee diversity.

The base pay for this position is N/A In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.

JOB FAMILY: Operations Quality DIVISION: ANSC Nutrition Supply Chain LOCATION: New Zealand > Waikato: Pokeno Plant ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS: WORK SHIFT: Standard TRAVEL: Not specified MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE: Not Applicable SIGNIFICANT WORK ACTIVITIES: Continuous sitting for prolonged periods (more than 2 consecutive hours in an 8 hour day) Abbott is about the power of health. For more than 135 years, Abbott has been helping people reach their potential — because better health allows people and communities to achieve more. With a diverse, global network serving customers in more than 160 countries, we create new solutions — across the spectrum of health, around the world, for all stages of life. Whether it’s next‑generation diagnostics, life‑changing devices, science‑based nutrition, or novel reformulations, we are advancing some of the most innovative and revolutionary technologies in healthcare, helping people live their best lives through better health. The people of Abbott come to work each day with relentless energy, enthusiasm and a promise to enhance the health and well‑being of millions of people. They push the boundaries to help manage and treat some of life’s greatest health challenges. We invite you to explore opportunities at Abbott, to see if your talents and career aspirations may fit with our openings. An equal opportunity employer, Abbott welcomes and encourages diversity in our workforce.

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