Quality Technical Manager

Colgate-Palmolive; Piscataway Township (NJ); Hybrid; USD 124,000 - 174,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k) match

Paid vacation

Parental leave

Job summary

Colgate-Palmolive, Piscataway, NJ, seeks a Quality Technical Manager to lead end-to-end quality strategy for an assigned product category. You will partner with R&D, Marketing, Supply Chain and Plant Operations to embed quality in design and scale improvements across plants and contract manufacturers.

You will mentor Quality Engineers, drive multi-site scale-ups, manage supplier relationships, and champion data analytics and AI for predicting quality trends and proactive risk management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering (Chemical, Mechanical, Industrial), Chemistry, or closely related field.
• 8+ years of full-time experience in Quality, Manufacturing, R&D, or Process Engineering within consumer goods/FMCG/pharma/food-beverage industries.
• Experience leading plant trials, scale-ups or technology transfers from lab to manufacturing.
• Formula knowledge in Oral Care, Personal Care or Home care.
• Strong analytical reasoning and project management skills for multi-site scale-ups.
• Experience managing external suppliers, Contract Manufacturers, Co-packers, including audits and QTA.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional influence skills.
• Working knowledge of cGMPs and FDA regulatory requirements.

Responsibilities

• Act as strategic liaison between R&D, Marketing, Supply Chain, and Plant Operations to embed Quality early in product design.
• Provide day-to-day mentorship and prioritization for Quality Tech Engineers at plants.
• Partner with Network Operations to develop timelines for major projects and launches; ensure milestones are met.
• Manage end-to-end quality relationships with Contract Manufacturers and Co-packers; oversee qualifications, quality standards, audits, and release.
• Serve as escalation point for technical issues; provide troubleshooting and formulation expertise.
• Drive Right First Time initiatives to ensure robust technology transfers and minimize waste.
• Lead investigation and resolution of consumer/customer complaints related to formula or manufacturing deviations.
• Drive continuous improvement and data-driven insights to optimize processes and enable proactive risk management.

Skills

Quality assurance

cGMP knowledge

FDA regulations

Supplier management

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering

Master’s Degree in Engineering

Tools

SAP

PLM software

Job description

No Relocation Assistance Offered

Job Number #173179 - Piscataway, New Jersey, United States

Who We Are

Colgate-Palmolive Company is a global consumer products company operating in over 200 countries specializing in Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care, Skin Care, and Pet Nutrition. Our products are trusted in more households than any other brand in the world, making us a household name!

Join Colgate-Palmolive, a caring, innovative growth company reimagining a healthier future for people, their pets, and our planet. Guided by our core values—Caring, Inclusive, and Courageous—we foster a culture that inspires our people to achieve common goals. Together, let's build a brighter, healthier future for all.

The Quality Technical Manager is a strategic leader responsible for driving the end to end quality strategy for an assigned product category. Acting as the primary Technology Quality partner for cross functional teams (R&D, Marketing, Supply Chain, and Network Operations), this role ensures that new innovations are designed for manufacturability and seamlessly scaled across internal plants and/or Contract Manufacturers.. The Manager will oversee the Technology Transfer pipeline, manage the quality relationship with external vendors, resolve complex consumer complaints, and provide day to day technical mentorship to the site embedded Quality Engineers to ensure consistent On Shelf Quality in North America.

Core Responsibilities

• Act as the primary strategic liaison between R&D, Marketing, Supply Chain, and Plant Operations during go to market and feasibility meetings to ensure Quality is embedded early in product design.
• Provide day to day technical mentorship, guidance, and task prioritization for the Quality Tech Engineers located at the plants
• Partner closely with Network Operations teams to help develop timelines for major projects and product launches, actively driving cross functional adherence to ensure milestones are met.
• Manage the end to end quality relationship with Contract Manufacturers and Co packers within the assigned category. This includes Qualification, implementing Quality Standards, conducting ESM audits, and authorizing finished goods release.
• Serve as the primary technical escalation point for internal plant operations, providing advanced troubleshooting and formulation expertise to resolve complex scale-up roadblocks.
• Drive Right First Time initiatives across the category to ensure robust technology transfers, minimize operational waste, and guarantee quality compliance during initial production runs.
• Coordinate, manage, and oversee the investigation and resolution process for consumer and customer complaints related to formula or manufacturing deviations.
• Drive continuous improvement and Fueling the Growth initiatives across the category, partnering cross functionally to streamline and improve processes and optimize operational efficiencies without compromising product quality.
• Champion the adoption of AI tools and advanced data analytics to predict quality trends, modernize the technology transfer workflow, and leverage data driven insights for proactive risk management.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering (Chemical, Mechanical, Industrial), Chemistry, or a closely related technical/scientific field.
• 8+ years of full time working experience in Quality, Manufacturing, R&D, or Process Engineering within the consumer goods (FMCG), pharmaceutical, or food/beverage industries.
• Proven, hands on experience participating in or leading plant trials, new product scale ups, or technology transfers from a laboratory environment to a manufacturing floor.
• Formula knowledge of one or more of the following categories: Oral Care, Personal Care and Home care.
• Strong analytical reasoning and project management skills to handle complex, multi-site scale-ups and high-level quality investigations.
• Experience managing external suppliers, Contract Manufacturers, Co-packers, including conducting quality audits and supporting Quality Technical Agreements.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to translate complex R&D requirements into practical manufacturing steps, and the ability to influence cross functional teams (Operations, R&D, Quality).
• Working knowledge of cGMPs and FDA regulatory requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree (Master’s or MBA)
• Deep understanding of FDA regulatory requirements and cGMPs related to cosmetics, personal care, and/or OTC pharmaceuticals.
• Prior experience mentoring or directly managing technical teams.
• Familiarity with the technology transfer process.
• Experience utilizing Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software and/or SAP.
• Formulation experience

Compensation and Benefits

Salary Range $124,000.00 - $174,000.00 USD

Pay is determined based on experience, qualifications, and location. Salaried employees may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, profit-sharing, and long-term incentives for Executive-level roles.

Benefits: Salaried employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, basic life insurance, paid parental leave, disability coverage, and participation in the 401(k) retirement plan with company matching contributions subject to eligibility requirements. Additional benefits include a minimum of 15 vacation/PTO days (hourly employees receive a minimum of 120 hours) and 13 paid holidays (vacation days are prorated based on the employee's hire date within the calendar year). Paid sick leave is adjusted based on role and location in accordance with local laws. Detailed information regarding paid sick leave entitlements will be provided to employees upon hiring and may be subject to adjustments based on changes in legislation or company policies.

Our Commitment to Inclusion

Our journey begins with our people—developing strong talent with diverse backgrounds and perspectives to best serve our consumers around the world and fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels a true sense of belonging. We are dedicated to ensuring that each individual can be their authentic self, is treated with respect, and is empowered by leadership to contribute meaningfully to our business.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Colgate is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, marital status, veteran status (United States positions), or any other character protected by law.

Reasonable accommodation during the application process is available for persons with disabilities. Please complete this request form (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdaxk_eF4utznQoVHlxmL9jVFJbOkM4Oe5CAdKOg-h9EPdLfg/viewform) should you require accommodation.

For additional Colgate terms and conditions, please click here (https://www.colgatepalmolive.com/content/dam/cp-sites/corporate/corporate/en_us/corp/locale-assets/pdf/colgate-terms-and-conditions-2023.pdf) .

#LI-Hybrid