Quality Assurance Manager

ALPLA Group; Iowa City (IA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

ALPLA Iowa City is seeking a Quality Manager to lead the site's quality systems and drive continuous improvement. You will oversee IMS activities, audits, and quality control to ensure products meet internal, customer, and regulatory requirements.

This role requires a 4-year STEM degree, at least 5 years in QA/plant leadership, and proficiency with Excel and SPC software; CMM experience is a plus. You will coach the Quality Team and collaborate with operations and customers.

Qualifications

• Four-year STEM degree required.
• Minimum five years of QA/quality leadership experience.
• Proficiency with Excel; knowledge of SPC software.
• Experience with QA audits and regulatory standards preferred.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and supervise IMS activities at the site to meet quality expectations.
• Promote a quality and continuous improvement mindset across operations.
• Lead audits, document management, and supplier/customer quality processes.
• Train and manage the Quality Team on testing, calibration, and data integrity.
• Serve as primary site contact for customer quality communications.

Skills

Quality Assurance

Leadership

Customer engagement

Statistical analysis

Education

B.S. in STEM

Tools

Excel

SPC software

CMM

Job description

ALPLA's Iowa City, Iowa manufacturing site is looking for a Quality Manager

Join ALPLA, a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions serving some of the world's most recognized brands, including P&G, Unilever, L'Oréal, PepsiCo, and many more.

As a family-owned company with locations around the world, ALPLA offers stable careers, hands-on training, competitive benefits, and opportunities for growth. Whether you're an experienced manufacturing professional or looking to start a new career, we provide the support and development you need to succeed.

At ALPLA, we invest in our people, promote from within, and foster a culture focused on safety, teamwork, innovation, and continuous improvement. From apprenticeship programs and technical training to leadership development opportunities, ALPLA is committed to helping employees build long-term careers.

What You Can Expect from ALPLA

• Competitive pay and comprehensive benefits
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) with company match
• Childcare and dependent care savings programs
• Paid vacation and holidays
• Company-paid life, short-term, and long-term disability insurance
• Tuition reimbursement and educational assistance programs
• Career growth and advancement opportunities
• Hands-on training and professional development
• A stable, growing company committed to sustainability

Ready to Build Your Future?

Join a team where your contributions matter, your development is supported, and your career can grow with a global industry leader.

What You Will Enjoy Doing

Coordinate and supervise all integrated management system (IMS) activities at the manufacturing site to ensure product meets internal, customer and regulatory expectations. Responsible for assisting the Plant Manager with quality related communication to internal and external customer. Responsible for promoting a quality and continuous improvement mind set within the operation.

Quality System

• Serves as lead auditor and primary audit contact for the site; prepares and successfully completes internal and external quality and/or food safety audits
• Ensures compliance with all quality management system requirements (ISO 9001, FSSC 22000 and other standards as required)
• Primary practitioner for HACCP and/or other product safety risk mitigation programs; supports any additional risk assessment requirements including change management
• Monthly reporting of quality and food safety system data per documented corporate procedures locally as well as regionally as required; uses this data along with IMS audit results to drive improvement activities.
• Primary local contact for the document management system (d.velop); assist in optimizing and standardizing plant quality documentation

Quality Control

• Ensure production compliance with all regulatory, internal and customer product and packaging specifications; ensures customer specifications are current and accessible
• Ensure customer mandated compliance documents are issued (i.e. COAs, other customer mandated documentation)
• Assist operations in new product (AQP) and equipment qualification and verification activities
• Documents and reports all supplier quality related issues per standard procedures; supports Logistics team on securing complaint resolution
• Oversite responsibility for plant quality control program including test equipment operation/calibration/verification, product testing, data collection, data integrity and rework management.
• Ensures all personnel performing quality testing on the production floor are trained and qualified; either through direct oversight or in support of the Quality
• Supervisor where the role exists (and responsibility is so delegated).

Laboratory Oversite

• Ensures all personnel performing quality testing within the quality lab are trained and qualified; either through direct oversight or in support of the Quality Supervisor where the role exists (and responsibility is so delegated).
• Leading the Quality Team
• Regularly scheduled quality staff meeting
• Ensures team works together as efficiently as possible
• Assesses training needs of staff and ensures execution of training
• Managing the Quality Team
• Ensuring the following tasks are completed either through direct oversite or in support of the Quality Supervisor where the role exists (and responsibility is so delegated).
• Ensures correctly time and attendance of team is captured
• Recruits (with HR support) new employees
• Performs disciplinary actions
• Performs annual performance evaluations

Customer Relationship Management

• Hosts periodic customer visits; primary contact for quality and regulatory related communications with customer
• Manages customer complaint process including application of proper RCA techniques and tools. Ensures customer complaints are captured in global/regional/local reporting systems
• Supports the RCA process and training for other departments in the plant

Performance Metrics:

Performance is evaluated based on the effectiveness of the site Quality Management System and Quality Control program in meeting internal standards as well as customer and regulatory requirements. Additional considerations include audit performance and effective leadership of the site quality team. Emphasis is placed on maintaining a compliant, reliable quality system and effective customer relationship management.

KPIs include but are not limited to:

• Successful completion of internal, customer, and certification audits; including timely closure of findings
• Customer complaint performance, including severity, recurrence, RCA quality and closure timeliness
• Effectiveness of the site quality control program, including data integrity, calibration compliance and rework management
• Timeliness and accuracy of required quality and food safety reporting
• Training and qualification status of quality personnel and overall quality team effectiveness

What Makes You Great

• 4 year degree in a STEM/technical discipline or equivalent work experience required
• Experience with physical lab testing equipment, calipers, scales, digital height gauge and compression force testing equipment; experience with Coordinate Measuring
• Machine (CMM) preferred.
• At least 5 years of work experience in Quality Assurance combined with a demonstrated track-record of accomplishments as a QA Manager, preferably in a high speed manufacturing environment with significant customer engagement experience
• Proficient with Excel, SPC software, Word, PowerPoint
• Intermediate to advanced statistical knowledge
• Ability to work well with other departments
• Ability to manage Customer Relations
• Able to handle multi-task environment with excellent organizational skills

Plans and Aligns

Builds Effective Teams

ALPLA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Prohibits Discrimination and Harassment of Any Kind: ALPLA is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at ALPLA are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. ALPLA will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.

• Immigration sponsorship is not eligible for this role