Quality Lab Supervisor

3M; Cordova (IL); On-site; USD 96,000 - 117,000; Full time

Job summary

3M in Cordova, IL is hiring a Quality Lab Supervisor. You will oversee the quality control and wastewater lab operations, lead the lab team, and ensure production-aligned testing and compliance. The role also focuses on training, safety, and continuous improvement across the site.

Ideally, candidates bring a background in manufacturing or lab settings, with leadership experience and knowledge of QA systems. Onsite work in Cordova with travel up to 10% is required.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma/GED (completed and verified prior to start).
• Three (3) years of experience in manufacturing, quality, research & development and/or laboratory in a private, public, government or military environment.

Responsibilities

• Quality Lab Operations: oversee quality control and wastewater labs; manage lab team and shift coverage; coordinate sample testing with production.
• Quality Lab Training Program: ensure technician training remains current and compliant; oversee progression and onboarding.
• Safety & Environmental Support: serve as HRP champion; ensure HRP+ usage; identify safety/environmental improvements; liaise with EHS audits.
• Cost Management: identify cost-reduction opportunities; work with chemists and technicians on cost of poor quality; ensure efficient utilization of resources.
• Continuous Improvement: lead kaizen events; coach on Lean, 5S; perform daily lab audits; share best practices.

Education

Bachelor’s Degree or higher in sciences and/ or engineering

Job description

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.

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:

• High School Diploma/GED (completed and verified prior to start)
• Three (3) years of experience in manufacturing, quality, research & development and/or laboratory in a private, public, government or military environment.

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).

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).

To comply with these laws, 3M must help assess candidates' U.S. person status.

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.

Supporting Your Well-being

3M offers many programs to help you live your best life – both physically and financially. To ensure competitive pay and benefits, 3M regularly benchmarks with other companies that are comparable in size and scope.

Applicable to US Applicants Only: The expected compensation range for this position is $95,591 - $116,834, which includes base pay plus variable incentive pay, if eligible. This range represents a good faith estimate for this position. The specific compensation offered to a candidate may vary based on factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s relevant knowledge, training, skills, work location, and/or experience. In addition, this position may be eligible for a range of benefits (e.g., Medical, Dental & Vision, Health Savings Accounts, Health Care & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, Disability Benefits, Life Insurance, Voluntary Benefits, Paid Absences and Retirement Benefits, etc.). Additional information is available at: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/careers-us/working-at-3m/benefits/.

All US-based 3M full time employees will need to sign an employee agreement as a condition of employment with 3M. This agreement lays out key terms on using 3M Confidential Information and Trade Secrets. It also has provisions discussing conflicts of interest and how inventions are assigned. Employees that are Job Grade 7 or equivalent and above may also have obligations to not compete against 3M or solicit its employees or customers, both during their employment, and for a period after they leave 3M.

Responsibilities of this position include that corporate policies, procedures and security standards are complied with while performing assigned duties.

Safety is a core value at 3M. All employees are expected to contribute to a strong Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) culture by following safety policies, identifying hazards, and engaging in continuous improvement.

Pay & Benefits Overview: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/careers-us/working-at-3m/benefits/

3M does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.