Quality Assurance Technician

GCP Paper USA, Inc; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 25,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

GCP PAPER USA, Inc. in Houston is seeking a safety-minded QA Technician to join our Quality team.

You will perform routine floor inspections, line clearances, production startups, and basic laboratory testing on raw materials and in-process components to ensure product standardization. This role requires attention to detail, adherence to GLP and ISO 9001:2015 standards, and the ability to halt lines if specifications are not met.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED required; Associate’s degree preferred in Paper Science Technology, Chemical Technology, or Industrial Systems.
• Valid TAPPI certification or Laboratory Technician certification required.
• Knowledge of laboratory testing methodologies, instrument calibration, ISO 9001:2015 quality standards.
• Experience with ERP inventories, Oracle, WMS, FSC data tracking, GMP, and Minitab.

Responsibilities

• Floor Inspection & Line Clearance: conduct regular walkthroughs across active production lines to evaluate processes against approved quality procedures for semi-finished and finished materials.
• Line Startups: verify and certify manufacturing lines during initial production startups or product format changeovers using standard checklists.
• Sample Collection: collect, register, and store daily retention samples by date and shift in designated laboratory areas.
• Laboratory Analysis & Material Disposition: perform physical and chemical property tests on raw supplies and components using analytical methods to issue quality determinations.
• Internal Verification: execute routine cleanings, maintenance, and verification routines on laboratory instruments and gauges.
• Production Halt Authority: authorized to halt active manufacturing lines or initiate inventory blockades if materials or products fail to meet specs.
• Safety Compliance: adhere to plant safety protocols and GLP to maintain a safe workplace.

Skills

High manual coordination

Attention to detail

Defect reporting

5S workplace organization

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Associate’s degree in Paper Science Technology, Chemical Technology, or Industrial Systems (preferred)

Tools

Oracle

WMS

FSC data tracking

GMP frameworks

Minitab

Job description

QA Technician

Company: GCP PAPER USA, Inc.

Location: Houston/New Caney, TX

Job Type: Full-Time, Hourly

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Job Summary

GCP PAPER USA, Inc. is seeking a safety-minded QA Technician to join our Quality team in Houston. In this role, you will perform routine floor inspections, line clearances, production startups, and technical laboratory testing on raw materials, in-process components, and newly developed products. This position ensures early detection of manufacturing deviations to guarantee absolute product standardization and compliance with corporate quality guidelines.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Floor Inspection & Line Clearance: Conduct regular walkthroughs across active production lines to evaluate processes against approved quality procedures for semi-finished and finished materials.
• Line Startups: Verify and certify manufacturing lines during initial production startups or product format changeovers using standard checklists to validate operational parameters before mass cycles begin.
• Sample Collection: Collect, register, and store daily retention samples by date and shift in designated laboratory areas to build physical archives for quality auditing.
• Laboratory Analysis & Material Disposition: Perform physical and chemical property tests on raw supplies and components using specialized laboratory testing equipment and approved analytical methods to issue quality determinations.
• Internal Verification: Execute scheduled routine cleanings, maintenance, and verification routines on laboratory instruments and gauges to ensure continuous reading accuracy.
• Production Halt Authority: Authorized to halt active manufacturing lines or initiate inventory blockades immediately if materials or products fail to meet established technical specifications.
• Safety Compliance: Adhere strictly to plant safety protocols, internal employee handbooks, and Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) to maintain a secure and hazard-free workplace.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Education: High School Diploma or GED required; Associate’s degree in Paper Science Technology, Chemical Technology, or Industrial Systems highly preferred.
• Certifications: Valid TAPPI certification or Laboratory Technician certification required.
• Technical Knowledge: Beginner-to-intermediate knowledge of laboratory testing methodologies, instrument calibration, basic manufacturing standardization, and core ISO 9001:2015 quality standards.
• Technical Systems: Experience working with inventory ERPs, Oracle, WMS, FSC data tracking, GMP frameworks, and Minitab software.
• Skills: High manual and motor coordination, precise attention to detail, assertive reporting of defects, and commitment to 5S plant organization.
• Work Authorization: Must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

• Postures: Physical capacity to stand and walk constantly throughout the manufacturing floor for up to 12 hours per shift. Ability to bend, twist, crouch, ascend machinery stairways, and inspect storage racks occasionally.
• Lifting: Ability to occasionally lift, carry, or move objects and material samples weighing from 0 to 50 lbs.
• Environment: Constant movement between a controlled testing laboratory and an industrial plant floor exposed to machinery noise, paper dust, and seasonal temperature variations.
• Required PPE: Mandatory use of company-provided safety boots, safety glasses, hairnets/coifs, and cut-resistant gloves.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

Company Benefits

• 100% Employer-Paid Healthcare: Fully covered individual Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance.
• 100% Employer-Paid Disability: Fully covered Short-Term Disability (STD) and Long-Term Disability (LTD).
• Retirement: 401(k) Plan.
• Time Off: Paid Time Off (PTO).

Standard Disclaimers & Compliance

Other Duties: Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

• Employment At-Will: This job description does not constitute an employment contract. Employment with GCP PAPER USA, Inc. is \"At-Will\", meaning that either the employee or the company can terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or prior notice.
• Equal Opportunity Employer: GCP PAPER USA, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors.
• Regulatory Compliance: The individual in this position is responsible for adhering to all OSHA safety protocols, ISO 9001:2015 standards, FSC certification requirements, the corporate Code of Ethics, Employee Manual, and active Human Resources policies.