Supplier Quality (Packaging)

The Sterling Choice; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The Sterling Choice is seeking a Packaging FSQ Auditor for a global food manufacturer to own packaging supplier quality across North America. You will become the technical expert for packaging suppliers, working with manufacturing sites, Procurement and R&D to ensure materials meet the highest safety and quality standards.

This autonomous role offers ownership, visibility, and scope to influence supplier performance.

Qualifications

• Strong background in packaging quality within a regulated manufacturing environment (food, beverage, cosmetics or pharmaceuticals).
• Understands supplier auditing, packaging compliance, root cause analysis and supplier development.
• Ability to build relationships and influence suppliers across multiple stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Qualify new packaging suppliers and conduct technical audits.
• Assess supplier documentation and investigate non-conformances.
• Support CAPAs and troubleshoot packaging issues at plant level.
• Help ensure materials perform long after approval across North America.

Skills

Packaging quality

Supplier auditing

Root cause analysis

Quality systems

Job description

Most packaging roles are about creating the next pack.

This one is about making sure every pack that reaches production performs exactly as it should.

A global food manufacturer is looking for a Packaging FSQ Auditor to take ownership of packaging supplier quality across North America. You'll become the technical expert for packaging suppliers, working closely with manufacturing sites, Procurement and R&D to ensure packaging materials consistently meet the highest food safety and quality standards.

This isn't a packaging design role, nor is it purely an auditing position. It sits across the entire supplier quality lifecycle. You'll qualify new packaging suppliers, conduct technical audits, assess supplier documentation, investigate non-conformances, support CAPAs, troubleshoot packaging issues at plant level, and help ensure packaging materials continue to perform long after approval.

Whether it's validating a new supplier, supporting a material change, resolving print or ink performance issues, or helping a manufacturing site overcome a packaging challenge, you'll be the person everyone turns to when technical expertise is needed.

You'll work across a diverse supplier network supporting multiple manufacturing facilities throughout North America, giving you exposure to a wide variety of packaging formats, manufacturing processes and cross-functional projects. Innovation also plays a significant part in the role, partnering with R&D and Procurement to ensure new packaging materials can be introduced without compromising quality, compliance or manufacturing performance.

To succeed you'll already have a strong background in packaging quality within a regulated manufacturing environment such as food, beverage, personal care, cosmetics or pharmaceuticals. You'll understand supplier auditing, packaging compliance, root cause analysis and supplier development, but just as importantly you'll know how to build relationships, influence suppliers and work collaboratively across multiple stakeholders.

This is an autonomous position where you'll have genuine ownership, significant visibility across the business and the opportunity to become the recognised packaging quality specialist for North America.

The role is based in downtown Chicago on a hybrid basis, with three days in the office, two working remotely and approximately 40-50% travel across North America.

If you're looking for a role where your packaging expertise directly influences supplier performance, manufacturing reliability and the successful delivery of new products, I'd be delighted to tell you more in complete confidence.