QA Manager - Laboratories

LE002 Onterris Payroll, LLC; Orange (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Onterris is seeking an on-site QA Manager in Orange, CA to lead quality operations for the Orange Laboratory, ensuring regulatory compliance and guiding internal teams and clients.

You will drive continuous improvement, oversee proficiency testing, audits, and SOP development, and travel to service centers in California as needed. The role requires a Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years in quality assurance or related fields.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in quality assurance, regulatory compliance, or related operations.
• Working knowledge of TNI and/or ISO 17025 standards, industry regulations, 40CFR, or other regulated environments.
• Demonstrated leadership, including coaching and mentoring teams.
• Excellent communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead quality governance across the business unit, ensuring all staff understand and adhere to the company’s quality policy and procedures.
• Maintain consistent on-site presence to support daily quality operations.
• Ensure that laboratory accreditations are maintained and expanded, as needed.
• Oversee the Proficiency Testing program, including ordering, evaluating, and reporting samples; oversee development of effective corrective actions for any failures.
• Ensure that SOPs are well written, organized, and compliant with method and accreditation standards.
• Implement and improve the QA Program and QA Manual.
• Proactively ensure compliance to the Laboratory's Ethics and Data Integrity program.
• Monitor and enforce quality system compliance by identifying, preventing, and correcting departures from established standards.
• Oversee the Corrective Action Process, ensuring corrective actions are appropriate, effective, and fully implemented.
• Coach and mentor quality team members to strengthen technical skills, regulatory understanding, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Encourage employee participation in continuous improvement initiatives and cross-functional collaboration.
• Manage and host agency audits, client audits, and site visits; respond to audit reports.
• Prepare formal client communications, including investigation summaries and compliance letters.
• Manage, perform, and document internal audits and data assessments.
• Stay current with evolving regulatory requirements; interpret changes and recommend updates to laboratory policies and procedures.
• Oversee the QA-related training program; develop and deliver departmental and corporate training to meet compliance expectations.
• Oversee the personnel training program; ensure that demonstrations of capability are documented and retained.
• Partner with the Continuous Improvement Manager, Technical Directors, Operations Managers, Lab Director and clients to resolve complex quality issues, diagnose systemic issues, negotiate compliance-appropriate solutions and provide regulatory interpretation.
• Partner with Technical Directors and Operations Managers.
• Conduct all work in a safe, efficient manner aligned with company safety standards; complying with the Laboratory's Health and Safety Plan.
• Travel to the service centers within California, as necessary.
• Perform additional duties as assigned by senior leadership.

Skills

Quality assurance

Regulatory compliance

Leadership

Communication

Analytical thinking

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a scientific discipline or related field

Tools

TNI/ISO 17025 knowledge

40CFR knowledge

Job description

About Us

At Onterris, we build careers grounded in purpose, responsibility and real-world impact. “For Planet and Progress” is our north star that guides everything we do. We believe environmental responsibility and human progress are interconnected, interwoven and international. Our scientists, engineers, field teams, consultants and professionals collaborate across disciplines and geographies, guiding industries and governments, ensuring that communities and environments thrive. When you join us, you’re not just forging a career, you’re joining a movement. A movement for better thinking, smarter solutions and lasting impact. Together, we will advance our way of life and protect the integrity of our environment every step of the way.

A Day in the Life

Help shape the standard of quality. As our on-site QA Manager (QAM) in Orange, CA, you'll be responsible for leading all quality operations for the Orange Laboratory, including oversight of service centers and laboratory quality systems. The QAM ensures regulatory compliance and serves as the primary quality and compliance advisor to internal teams and external clients. Working closely with the QA Director, you'll drive continuous improvement and help ensure every result reflects our commitment to excellence. The compensation range for this role is $80K - $100K, commensurate with experience, skills, and geographic location. Schedule: Onsite, Monday - Friday

To thrive in this role, you'll be comfortable taking ownership of the following responsibilities:

• Lead quality governance across the business unit, ensuring all staff understand and adhere to the company’s quality policy and procedures.
• Maintain consistent on‑site presence to support daily quality operations.
• Ensure that laboratory accreditations are maintained and expanded, as needed.
• Oversee the Proficiency Testing program, including ordering, evaluating, and reporting samples; oversee development of effective corrective actions for any failures.
• Ensure that SOPs are well written, organized, and compliant with method and accreditation standards.
• Implement and improve the QA Program and QA Manual.
• Proactively ensure compliance to the Laboratory's Ethics and Data Integrity program.
• Monitor and enforce quality system compliance by identifying, preventing, and correcting departures from established standards.
• Oversee the Corrective Action Process, ensuring corrective actions are appropriate, effective, and fully implemented.
• Coach and mentor quality team members to strengthen technical skills, regulatory understanding, and problem‑solving capabilities.
• Encourage employee participation in continuous improvement initiatives and cross‑functional collaboration.
• Manage and host agency audits, client audits, and site visits; respond to audit reports.
• Prepare formal client communications, including investigation summaries and compliance letters.
• Manage, perform, and document internal audits and data assessments.
• Stay current with evolving regulatory requirements; interpret changes and recommend updates to laboratory policies and procedures.
• Oversee the QA-related training program; develop and deliver departmental and corporate training to meet compliance expectations.
• Oversee the personnel training program; ensure that demonstrations of capability are documented and retained.
• Partner with the Continuous Improvement Manager, Technical Directors, Operations Managers, Lab Director and clients to resolve complex quality issues, diagnose systemic issues, negotiate compliance‑appropriate solutions and provide regulatory interpretation.
• Partner with Technical Directors and Operations Managers.
• Conduct all work in a safe, efficient manner aligned with company safety standards; complying with the Laboratory's Health and Safety Plan.
• Travel to the service centers within California, as necessary.
• Perform additional duties as assigned by senior leadership.

Your Expertise and Skills

These requirements reflect the knowledge, skills and abilities that help you do your best work here.

• Bachelor’s degree in a scientific discipline or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in quality assurance, regulatory compliance, or related operations.
• Working knowledge of TNI and/or ISO 17025 standards, industry regulations, 40CFR, or other regulated environments.
• Demonstrated leadership experience, including coaching and mentoring teams.
• Excellent communication, analytical, and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively with cross‑functional teams.

Meet the minimum requirements of the facility’s accrediting bodies #LI-SG1 #INDONT

Onterris is a leading global environmental solutions company partnering with organizations to solve complex challenges where environmental pressures, regulatory expectations and operational risks intersect. Guided by our mission to advance the way of life without compromising the integrity of our environment, we believe environmental responsibility and human progress are fundamentally connected. Our scientists, engineers, field teams and consultants apply systems thinking that unites science, data and practical expertise to deliver solutions that strengthen our clients’ resilience, mitigate risk and protect the air, water and soil that sustain communities, while uncovering responsible paths forward for planet and progress.

For more information, visit www.onterris.com.

We are an equal opportunity employer and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds.

We acknowledge that these experiences and perspectives help to enrich our teams and contribute to our ongoing success.

We are committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in our employment for all applicants.

At Onterris, we take on complex challenges with purpose and momentum, alongside teams that lead with integrity, deliver together, and invest in your growth.

“Working with inspiring coworkers and clients across the globe over the past five years has been incredibly rewarding. Their passion motivates me to improve our client experience and work that I deliver.” - Erin Peck, Emissions Services

“There are not many places where a toxicologist can be boots‑on‑the‑ground at an environmental emergency one day and deep in a human health risk assessment or litigation the next, but this company is one of them, and honestly, that breadth is what makes me love the work. We are a team of scientists with a broad range of talents and experiences who genuinely take the mission to heart, because protecting people and communities from chemical hazards is not abstract here; it is exactly why we show up every day. The culture reflects that shared commitment in the best way: collaborative, rigorous, and truly motivated by the impact we make together.” - Andre Richardson, Consulting

“I knew my position here would be more than just a job. Every day is a new, exciting challenge to solve, and I get to go home knowing that the work I am doing is having a positive impact on the world.” - J Esteves, R&D