Quality Lab Supervisor

3M; Cordova (AK); On-site; USD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

3M is seeking a Quality Lab Supervisor to lead the quality control and wastewater labs onsite in Cordova, IL. The role involves supervising lab teams, coordinating testing with production, and driving continuous improvement and safety initiatives.

The position requires a strong background in manufacturing quality, with a focus on lean principles, training, and regulatory awareness (FDA QSR/ISO). Travel up to 10% may be required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or higher from an accredited university AND seven (7) years of combined experience in manufacturing, quality, research & development and/or laboratory in a private, public, government or military environment.
• OR High School Diploma/GED from an accredited institution AND a minimum of eleven (11) years of experience in manufacturing, quality, research & development and/or laboratory.
• Bachelor’s Degree or higher in sciences and/or engineering from an accredited university (additional qualification).
• FDA QSR and ISO quality management system experience (advantage).
• Experience supervising individual contributors and leading teams.

Responsibilities

• Oversee operations in quality control and wastewater (WWT) laboratories.
• Provide direct oversight and leadership for lab team members.
• Coordinate testing priorities with production to meet shipment needs.
• Support onboarding and ongoing training of quality technicians.
• Drive safety, environmental compliance and audit readiness in the lab.
• Identify cost-reduction opportunities and optimize resource use.
• Lead continuous improvement projects and kaizen events in the lab.

Skills

Leadership

Problem-solving

Continuous Improvement

Kaizen

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s Degree or higher

High School Diploma/GED

Job description

Job Description:

Job Title

Quality Lab Supervisor

Collaborate with Innovative 3Mers Around the World

Choosing where to start and grow your career has a major impact on your professional and personal life, so it’s equally important you know that the company that you choose to work at, and its leaders, will support and guide you. With a wide variety of people, global locations, technologies and products, 3M is a place where you can collaborate with other curious, creative 3Mers.

This position provides an opportunity to transition from other private, public, government or military experience to a 3M career.

The Impact You’ll Make in this Role

As a Quality Lab Supervisor , you will have the opportunity to tap into your curiosity and collaborate with some of the most innovative people around the world. Here, you will make an impact by:

Quality Lab Operations

• Responsible for operations in the quality control and wastewater (WWT) laboratories.
• Provide direct oversight and leadership for lab team members.
• Manage technician schedule to ensure appropriate shift coverage and business continuity.
• Coordinate between production operations and WWT operations to prioritize sample testing and execution based on production and shipment needs.
• Support around-the-clock lab operational needs as required.

Quality Lab Training Program

• Ensure lab technician training remains current, effective, and compliant with applicable requirements.
• Oversee technician training progression, qualification, and development.
• Support onboarding and training of new quality technicians.
• Identify and implement improvements to lab training processes and documentation.

Safety & Environmental Support

• Serve as an HRP champion within the lab.
• Ensure HRP+ tools are used appropriately and consistently in applicable lab situations.
• Identify safety and environmental improvement opportunities and implement effective solutions.
• Serve as a lab point of contact for EHS audits, reviews, and compliance-related activities.
• Promote a proactive safety culture through coaching, engagement, and daily leadership presence.

Cost Management

• Identify and support cost-reduction opportunities within the lab.
• Partner with chemists, technologists, and other technical resources on cost of poor-quality reduction initiatives.
• Ensure an efficient utilization of labor, materials, equipment, and external services.

Continuous Improvement

• Champion continuous improvement initiatives within the quality & WWT labs.
• Coach lab technicians on Lean, 5S, and standard work fundamentals.
• Perform daily lab audits using the “clean to inspect, inspect to detect, detect to correct, correct to perfect” methodology.
• Support development of lab equipment preventive maintenance schedules and maintenance logbook utilization.
• Lead kaizen events and improvement projects within the lab.
• Capture measurable improvements and share best practices with other areas of the site and division.

Your Skills and Expertise

To set you up for success in this role from day one, 3M requires (at a minimum) the following qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree or higher from an accredited university AND Seven (7) years of combined experience in manufacturing, quality, research & development and/or laboratory in a private, public, government or military environment.

OR

• High School Diploma/GED from an accredited institution AND a minimum of Eleven (11) years of experience in manufacturing, quality, research & development and/or laboratory.

Additional qualifications that could help you succeed even further in this role include:

• Bachelor’s Degree or higher in sciences and/ or engineering from an accredited university.
• Medical product and/or quality management system experience such as Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Quality System Regulation (QSR) and/or International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• Prior experience supervising individual contributors.
• Experienced and knowledgeable in routine test procedures, equipment validation, and problem solving.
• Understanding of basic concepts of measurement systems, testing, and calibration
• Strong leadership, decision-making, problem-solving, continuous improvement, and management skills with the ability to provide guidance, direction, and oversight to others.
• Continuous Improvement leadership experience including leading projects and kaizen events.

Work location:

• Onsite in Cordova, IL

Travel: May include up to 10%

Relocation Assistance: Is not authorized

Must be legally authorized to work in country of employment without sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H1B status).

Export Control:

Responsibilities of this position may include direct and/or indirect physical or logical access to information, systems, technologies subjected to the regulations/compliance with U.S. Export Control Laws.

U.S. Export Control laws and U.S. Government Department of Defense contracts and sub-contracts impose certain restrictions on companies and their ability to share export-controlled and other technology and services with certain “non-U.S. persons” (persons who are not U.S. citizens or nationals, lawful permanent residents of the U.S., refugees, “Temporary Residents” (granted Amnesty or Special Agricultural Worker provisions), or persons granted asylum (but excluding persons in nonimmigrant status such as H-1B, L-1, F-1, etc.) or non-U.S. citizens.

To comply with these laws, and in conjunction with the review of candidates for those positions within 3M that may present access to export controlled technical data, 3M must assess employees’ U.S. person status, as well as citizenship(s).

The questions asked in this application are intended to assess this and will be used for evaluation purposes only. Failure to provide the necessary information in this regard will result in our inability to consider you further for this particular position. The decision whether or not to file or pursue an export license application is at 3M Company’s sole election.

Supporting Your Well-being

3M offers many programs to help you live your