Quality Technical Manager (173179)

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

Job summary

Colgate-Palmolive, Piscataway, NJ, seeks a Quality Technical Manager to spearhead end-to-end quality strategy for a product category. You will partner with R&D, Marketing, Supply Chain, and Plant Operations to ensure manufacturability and scalable quality across internal sites and contract manufacturers.

The role requires 8+ years in quality/ manufacturing/R&D, with strong analytical and project-management skills and experience with external suppliers and cGMPs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related technical field.
• 8+ years of full-time experience in quality, manufacturing, R&D, or process engineering in consumer goods/pharma/food industries.
• Experience leading plant trials, scaleups, or technology transfers to manufacturing.
• FDA regulatory knowledge and cGMPs for cosmetics/personal care/OTC.
• Strong analytical and project-management skills and cross-functional influence.

Responsibilities

• Act as strategic liaison among R&D, Marketing, Supply Chain, and Operations to embed quality early in design.
• Provide day-to-day mentorship for Quality Tech Engineers at plants.
• Drive cross-functional project timelines and ensure milestones are met.
• Manage quality relationships with Contract Manufacturers and Co-packers, including audits.
• Escalate and troubleshoot technical issues in scale-up and manufacturing.
• Lead continuous improvement and AI/data analytics initiatives for quality and risk management.

Skills

Analytical reasoning

Project management

Interpersonal skills

Quality systems

Supplier management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field

Advanced degree (Master’s or MBA)

Tools

PLM software

SAP

Job description

Career Opportunities: Quality Technical Manager (173179)

Requisition ID173179-Posted09/28/2026-Quality-United States-New Jersey-Piscataway-Colgate-Palmolive-Travel - 25% of time-Hybrid

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.

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 characteristic protected by law.
Reasonable accommodation during the application process is available for persons with disabilities. Please complete this request form should you require accommodation.
For additional Colgate terms and conditions, please click here .
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