Quality Assurance Specialist

Company Summary:

At Plastic Ingenuity, our mission is to deliver quality products and services to our customers that will exceed their expectations and anticipate their needs. The products and insights provided by Plastic Ingenuity create meaningful impact in industries such as medical devices, food safety, and tamper evident packaging. We work as a team to maintain a strong engineering and technological focus, with an emphasis on continuous improvement. We pride ourselves on a solutions-oriented culture based on the fundamental principles of teamwork, integrity, and respect. We focus on the use of green technologies and environmentally conscious support systems to minimize our carbon footprint. As part of the team, each contribution is integral to the overall success of the company.

Role Summary:

The Quality Assurance Specialist is a hands-on member of the production and extrusion quality team, supporting thermoforming operations to ensure product quality, process consistency, and compliance with customer and regulatory requirements. This role leads product and process qualification activities, supports new job launches, and assists the Quality Manager with daily quality assurance functions. 

Maintaining a consistent presence on the production floor, the Quality Assurance Specialist partners closely with operators, supervisors, engineering, and leadership to monitor quality at the source, provide real-time feedback, and support data-driven problem solving. Success in this role requires strong organizational skills, effective communication, technical proficiency with inspection and SPC tools, and the ability to build trust while upholding quality standards in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. 

Personality and Interest Profile - You may enjoy this role if you:

• Appreciate complex challenges
• Have a superior eye for detail
• Thrive on improvement and collaboration

Key Responsibilities:  

1. Production Floor Quality Support 

• Maintain a consistent presence on the production floor to support quality at the source.
• Partner with operators, leads, and supervisors to ensure quality standards and specifications are understood and met. 
• Provide real-time coaching and guidance on inspection methods, documentation, and quality expectations. 
• Respond promptly to quality concerns raised by production or extrusion teams. 
• Assist production and extrusion QC coverage when needed. 

2. Inspection, Testing & SPC 

• Perform product inspections using standard measurement equipment (calipers, micrometers, Magna-Mikes, Keyence IDMS, vision systems, etc.). 
• Verify product conformance to specifications, prints, and customer requirements. 
• Develop and maintain SPC programs; analyze data trends to identify risks and improvement opportunities. 
• Document inspection results and maintain accurate, traceable quality records. 
• Conduct process audits as assigned. 

3. Qualification & Job Launch Activities 

• Lead new part and job qualification activities, including running qualification studies and collecting required data. 
• Prepare new jobs for QC checks, including development of inspection criteria. 
• Support validation efforts and ensure qualification documentation meets internal and customer requirements. 
• Represent Quality on PDCA and continuous improvement projects related to products or processes. 

4. Nonconformance & Corrective Action 

• Lead or actively participate in root cause investigation for defects and nonconforming product. 
• Determine disposition of nonconforming material in alignment with company procedures and Quality Manager guidance.  
• Support implementation and monitoring of corrective and preventive actions. 
• Verify effectiveness of corrective actions using data-driven methods. 

5. Compliance & Auditing 

• Serve as an internal ISO auditor and support SQF practitioner responsibilities as assigned. 
• Assist with internal and external audits and support audit preparation activities. 
• Support adherence to ISO, SQF, GMP, and other applicable regulatory or customer requirements. 

6. Training & Quality Culture 

• Train production employees on quality standards, inspection methods, and documentation requirements. 
• Reinforce quality procedures and best practices across shifts. 
• Communicate quality issues clearly, constructively, and professionally. 
• Promote a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement. 

Minimum Qualifications:

• Associates degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience. 
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and comfortable with data entry and basic analysis. 
• Strong project management and documentation skills. 
• Ability to work cross-functionally with operations, maintenance, design, and compliance teams. 
• Strong written and verbal communication skills. 
• Detail oriented. 
• Strong problem solving and analytical abilities. 
• Must model the highest degree of moral and ethical behavior. 
• Keeps commitments; exhibits candor and courage - is not afraid to establish a visible presence and point of view, to engage in spirited and constructive debate, to hold others accountable. 

Desired Qualifications:

• 1-3 years of experience in quality systems, quality assurance, or compliance within a manufacturing environment.  
• Extensive familiarity with quality assurance processes and procedures. 
• Experience with ERP, QMS, or compliance software systems. 
• Ability to proactively identify opportunities to improve departmental processes and procedures to increase efficiency and effectiveness 
• Knowledge of HACCP, food defense, FDA, ISO, and GMP requirements. 

Physical Demands:

• Frequent Keyboard use/data entry
• Prolonged periods of seated work