Quality Manager, Plant — Right First Time Champion

Hill's Pet Nutrition; Tonganoxie (KS); On-site; USD 150,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision benefits

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Job summary

Colgate-Palmolive is seeking a Quality Manager for Hill’s Pet Nutrition at our Tonganoxie, KS facility. You will oversee Corporate Quality Assurance and Food Safety programs, drive Right First Time (RFT), and lead site audits while collaborating with Manufacturing, S&T, and Engineering to ensure product integrity across shifts.

You will manage KPIs, CAPA, and regulatory compliance, fostering a culture of quality and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field.
• 8+ years of Quality Management experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience leading teams of Quality professionals.
• Experience participating in or leading quality and regulatory audit/inspection activities.
• Strong knowledge of Food Safety and cGMPs.
• Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional teams and drive continuous improvement initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement site Quality Systems and Food Safety Plans to reduce variation, minimize waste, protect the business, and ensure consistent product quality.
• Drive the local execution of the Right First Time (RFT) program, championing RFT principles and establishing quality at the source as the standard across the plant.
• Champion, implement, and oversee Quality Operational Excellence and continuous improvement initiatives at the local manufacturing site, identifying process gaps and opportunities to prevent defects and improve quality performance.
• Foster a strong culture of quality, food safety, and continuous improvement by engaging and developing manufacturing teams to take ownership of quality in their daily work.
• Identify opportunities to leverage digital and automation solutions on the plant floor to strengthen quality controls, improve process capability, and enable proactive quality management.
• Ensure compliance with Colgate/Hill’s, local, and international regulatory standards; partner with regulatory agencies to address and resolve issues.
• Track and report site Quality KPIs to internal and external stakeholders on a monthly (or required) basis, using data and insights to identify trends, prioritize actions, and drive business outcomes.
• Serve as a key member of the Site Leadership Team to drive continuous improvement and deliver upon plant strategy.
• Own daily execution of key Quality Systems such as Incoming Component & Finished Product Inspection & Release, Validation, CAPA, Change Control, Internal Audits, Laboratory Management, and Documentation Management.
• Manage the site Quality Audit program to ensure conformance with standards, quality-related regulatory requirements, cGMPs, and continuous improvement expectations; lead action plans to address internal and external quality or food safety audit findings.
• Lead site consumer satisfaction programs, including consumer complaint tracking, root-cause analysis, and reduction of plant-controllable complaints.
• Partner cross-functionally with Manufacturing, S&T, Engineering, Supply Chain, and other site teams to proactively identify and mitigate quality and food safety risks.
• Administer Performance Management and Coaching/Feedback activities and provide effective career development and planning for Quality team members.
• Prepare and manage operating budgets for variable and fixed overheads for the Quality Team.

Skills

Quality Management

Team Leadership

Audit & Inspection

Regulatory Compliance

Data Analysis

Cross-functional Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Advanced degree in Food Science or related field

Job description

Colgate-Palmolive is seeking a Quality Manager for Hill’s Pet Nutrition at our Tonganoxie, KS facility. You will oversee Corporate Quality Assurance and Food Safety programs, drive Right First Time (RFT), and lead site audits while collaborating with Manufacturing, S&T, and Engineering to ensure product integrity across shifts.

You will manage KPIs, CAPA, and regulatory compliance, fostering a culture of quality and continuous improvement.