Quality Assurance Compliance Specialist

SUMMARY 

About Ketjen 

Ketjen Corporation is a provider of advanced catalyst solutions to leading producers in the petrochemical, refining, and specialty chemicals industries. Our company is driven by a strong set of core values: curiosity, care, collaboration, humility, accountability, and integrity. These values guide our decisions, shape our culture, and define how we work together to deliver exceptional value to our customers and communities. 

About the Role 
The Quality Assurance Compliance Specialist is responsible for championing Ketjen’s quality mindset by driving compliance with Quality Work Processes, leading internal and external audit activities, and maturing formal quality systems across the organization. This role plays a critical part in strengthening customer satisfaction, ensuring regulatory and certification compliance, and driving continuous improvement across global operations.

This position reports directly to the Quality Manager and is based in Houston, TX. The ideal candidate brings hands-on quality assurance experience within a manufacturing environment, proficiency in auditing and root cause analysis, and the ability to influence cross-functional teams in a global organization.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 

Quality Systems & Compliance 

• Drive compliance with Ketjen Work Process (WP) Quality procedures and standards across all functions and sites, including standardizing informal or inconsistent practices.

• Manage and maintain an effective document control system across QHSE, ensuring accessibility and integrity of policies, procedures, and guidelines.

• Provide subject matter expertise to support ISO and Responsible Care (RC) certifications, interfacing with external auditors as required
•  Support customer questionnaires and audit responses in collaboration with functional stakeholders.

Audit & Issue Management

• Execute Ketjen’s Internal Audit program, including development of assessment tools, audit planning, KPI tracking, and stakeholder communications.

• Coordinate and perform internal audits of Houston-area sites and support external audits as needed.
• Facilitate Quality Issue management using SAP QN or related systems, partnering with coordinators and task owners.
• Monitor and analyze audit findings and quality issue data to identify systemic gaps and root causes.

Continuous Improvement & Collaboration

• Lead effective root cause investigations for customer, vendor, and internal quality issues using structured methodologies.

• Identify gaps in work processes and develop corrective actions or improvement project charters to enhance compliance and performance.
• Support quality oversight of third-party and toll manufacturers, including qualification, performance assessment, and alignment with procurement contracts.
• Establish and monitor KPIs to assess process effectiveness and ensure sustained improvement.
• Train and mentor functional leaders to effectively understand and implement quality work processes.
• Prepare and present KPI summaries and quality issue reports to cross-functional and global stakeholders.

QUALIFICATIONS 

Required Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree (or Master’s degree) in Quality Management, Business Operations, Engineering, Chemistry, Biology, or a related technical discipline; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Minimum 5 years of experience in a chemical or related manufacturing industry.
• At least 2 years of demonstrated experience leading quality improvement initiatives with global, cross-functional teams.
• Experience leading implementation projects with technical or systems components.
• Strong alignment with Ketjen’s core values: curiosity, care, collaboration, humility, accountability, and integrity 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Demonstrated competence in root cause analysis methodologies and their practical application.

• Experience managing multiple concurrent projects in a multi-site, multi-business organization.
• Proven ability to influence and drive compliance across functional teams. 
• Experience with quality systems software and acting in a superuser or application owner capacity.