Quality Lead

AppleOne Employment Services; Buffalo (NY); On-site; USD 77,366,000 - 83,097,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Leadership development

Career advancement

Machine vision exposure

Collaborative team environment

Job summary

AppleOne Employment Services seeks a Quality Lead for a temp-to-hire role in a fast-paced Buffalo, NY manufacturing facility. You will lead QA activities, support audits, analyze production data, and ensure compliance with GMP, HACCP, SQF, and ISO standards.

The position emphasizes leadership, machine vision systems, microbiological considerations, and data-driven improvements to product quality and customer satisfaction.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of QA experience in manufacturing.
• Strong knowledge of product inspection and documentation.
• Ability to interpret data, metrics, and quality records.
• Familiarity with GMP, HACCP, SQF, ISO, and food safety systems.
• Experience with SAP or similar ERP systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day Quality Auditor support and coverage planning.
• Perform product inspections, testing, and dimensional checks.
• Support investigations, corrective actions, and continuous improvement.
• Verify machine vision, spark testing, and related QA equipment.
• Maintain GMP, HACCP, SQF, ISO compliance and documentation.

Skills

Quality assurance

Auditing

Data analysis

Root cause analysis

GMP/HACCP knowledge

SAP or ERP experience

Machine vision

MS Excel

SPC trends

Education

University degree or college diploma in Quality Assurance, Engineering Technology, Manufacturing Technology, Science, or related

Tools

SAP

ERP system

Job description

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced Quality Lead for a temp-to-hire opportunity in a fast-paced manufacturing environment in Buffalo, NY. This onsite role is ideal for a quality assurance professional who enjoys leading quality activities, supporting auditors, analyzing production data, and helping ensure products meet customer, regulatory, food safety, and internal quality standards.

The Quality Lead will serve as a key technical and leadership resource within the Quality Assurance department, supporting product inspections, testing programs, compliance activities, automated inspection systems, microbiological requirements, and continuous improvement initiatives. This position offers a strong team environment, supportive leadership, exposure to advanced quality technologies, and the opportunity to make a direct impact on product quality, customer satisfaction, and operational performance.

This is a great opportunity for someone who wants stability, career growth, leadership development, and hands‑on involvement with quality systems, machine vision technology, laboratory testing, and manufacturing process improvement.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day Quality Auditor support, including scheduling, training, coaching, time-off coordination, payroll record processing, and coverage planning.
• Perform and coordinate product inspections and testing, including first-off, in-process, final inspections, dimensional checks, functional testing, and non-routine testing.
• Support product qualification, process monitoring, data analysis, root cause investigations, corrective actions, and continuous improvement projects.
• Verify and monitor automated inspection technologies, including machine vision systems, spark testing systems, ATEQ testing systems, and related quality monitoring equipment.
• Maintain compliance with GMP, HACCP, SQF, ISO, food safety, microbiological, environmental, and internal quality requirements.
• Manage quality documentation, SAP quality holds, COAs, retention samples, audit records, SPC reviews, testing results, and quality performance reporting.

Compensation and Benefits

• Pay rate: $27.00 to $29.00 per hour.
• Job type: Temp-to-hire.
• Work location: Onsite in Buffalo, NY 14225.
• Department: Quality Assurance.
• Full-time onsite position.
• Leadership development and career advancement opportunities.
• Exposure to advanced quality systems, machine vision technology, and automated inspection equipment.
• Collaborative team environment focused on quality, safety, and continuous improvement.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Lead quality assurance support activities across production, testing, inspection, documentation, and audit readiness.
• Coordinate Quality Auditor coverage, training, team support, and quality workflow priorities.
• Perform product verification, laboratory testing support, inspection system checks, and process data analysis.
• Support investigations, corrective actions, product qualifications, compliance programs, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• 3 or more years of Quality Assurance experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong knowledge of product inspection, dimensional verification, functional testing, laboratory testing, and quality documentation.
• Ability to interpret production data, SPC trends, process metrics, specifications, and quality records.
• Experience using Microsoft Excel, Word, quality management systems, and SAP or a similar ERP system.
• Familiarity with GMP, HACCP, SQF, ISO, food safety, or similar regulated quality systems.
• Strong analytical, mathematical, mechanical, troubleshooting, and problem‑solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to work cross‑functionally with Production, Maintenance, Engineering, and Quality teams.
• Strong organizational, time management, coaching, and leadership skills.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision in a fast‑paced manufacturing environment.
• University degree or college diploma in Quality Assurance, Engineering Technology, Manufacturing Technology, Science, or a related technical discipline preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading quality initiatives, testing programs, or quality teams.
• Injection molding manufacturing experience.
• Experience with automated inspection technologies, machine vision systems, spark testing systems, or advanced quality monitoring equipment.
• Experience supporting microbiological testing programs, food safety requirements, HACCP, SQF, GMP, or ISO audit preparation.
• Experience with root cause analysis, corrective actions, customer complaint investigations, recall exercises, and internal audits.
• Experience with SAP quality holds, inventory controls, COA verification, retention samples, and product traceability.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disabled / Protected Veterans

The Know Your Rights poster is available here: https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12.pdf

The pay transparency policy is available here: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ofccp/pdf/pay-transp_%20English_formattedESQA508c.pdf

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact your staffing representative who will reach out to our HR team.

We also consider for employment qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements, including, if applicable, the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. Pursuant to applicable state and municipal Fair Chance Laws and Ordinances, we will consider for employment-qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, including, if applicable, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. For Los Angeles, CA applicants: Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.