QA/QC Manager

Compensation: $75,000–$95,000/year, salaried (DOE, bonus programs also available). Full Time – Exempt Location: Lancaster, California – Fully In-Person Role & Responsibilities The QA/QC Manager is responsible for leading and growing Big Oil Co’s Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) department. Reporting directly to the Chief Science Officer (CSO), this role owns the full scope of the company’s electronic Quality Management System (eQMS), C15 Solutions, a 20+ module QMS platform built on Veeva Vault QualityOne that manages all aspects of the company’s QA/QC department across all departments within Operations. The QA/QC Manager will directly oversee the in-person QA/QC Technician I and up to two virtual assistant (VA) team members, providing leadership, mentorship, and performance management across the department. While well-established processes are already in place for the process of Product Batch Issuance & Release, significant opportunity exists to revamp and mature the broader eQMS. Many of the platform’s available modules—including document control, asset management, supplier quality, quality events, CAPA, change control, audit management, training management, risk management, and HSE—are underutilized or not yet fully configured. The QA/QC Manager is expected to take full ownership of the existing team and processes, activate and optimize all available eQMS modules, and drive continuous improvement across all departments within Operations to support the company’s rapid growth and long-term operational excellence. Primary Duties (including, but not limited to) Product Batch Issuance & Release Own full authority and accountability for the product batch release process, including reviewing and providing final digital signature to approve or reject the release of all product batches for Sales. Oversee the submission and management of work order requests (WKRs) for internal inventory management projects. Manage the performance of the QA/QC VA team responsible for processing all WKRs and digitally filing all paperwork received from the BHO, SHO, and Packaging departments. Complete or oversee mass balancing and yield reporting for each Product Batch Record (PBR) on C15 prior to release, ensuring mass balancing/yield reports are provided on each project’s associated ClickUp task. Lead and complete investigations for Incident Reports and other Quality Events as needed to document quality issues identified during batch record reviews, including but not limited to issues with product quality or safety, yield or loss, intake or PO variance, and other discrepancies. Analytical Testing Program Develop, maintain, and continuously improve the company’s analytical sampling protocol, ensuring alignment with industry best practices and DCC regulatory requirements. Ensure all samples are taken according to the established sampling protocol and coordinate with analytical labs to have samples sent out for analysis within 24 hours of batch completion. Review returned COA results to check for pass/fail outcomes; lead investigations and work with analytical labs to resolve any failures or variances. Maintain relationships with analytical laboratory partners, evaluating lab performance, negotiating testing service fees, and managing vendor accountability. Product Sampling Program Oversee, monitor, and manage the company’s product sampling program including trade samples and R&D samples, ensuring compliance with SOP-QUA-008 and current DCC regulations §15041.2 (Trade Samples) and §15049 (Track and Trace Reporting). Maintain all product sampling data collection spreadsheets and forms, updating them as needed to align with new product types or to improve data quality. Notify Sales/Marketing and the broader Operations team if any product batches are found to be low quality. Maintain the library of acknowledgements received from participants in the product sampling program. QMS Ownership & Development Own and manage the company’s electronic Quality Management System (eQMS) of C15 Solutions, built on Veeva Vault QualityOne, serving as the system administrator and primary point of accountability for QMS integrity, accuracy, and compliance across all 20+ modules. Assess the current state of all eQMS modules and develop a phased roadmap to fully activate, configure, and mature underutilized modules, including but not limited to: Document Control: Establish and enforce document control procedures including version control, approval workflows, lifecycle states, retention management, and archival processes. Quality Event Management: Formalize workflows for deviations, non-conformances, complaints, investigations, product recall management, and loss/theft reporting. CAPA (Corrective & Preventive Actions): Implement full CAPA workflows including risk classification, root cause analysis, effectiveness verification, and trending reports. Change Control: Configure multi-step change control approval workflows linked to asset records, controlled documents, CAPAs, and supplier records. Training Management: Coordinate and collaborate with the People Operations Manager to maintain and develop role-based training curricula, configure classroom/webinar/SOP-based training delivery, build quiz assessments, and manage all company training and periodic retrainings needed in each department. Audit Management: Establish internal/external audit programs, product and materials inspection workflows, and GMP certification tracking to prepare for potential certification in the future. Supplier Quality Management: Coordinate and collaborate with the Supply Chain Manager to build out and/or optimize supplier qualification processes, approved vendor lists, incoming material inspection protocols, supplier corrective action requests (SCARs), and supplier performance monitoring. Asset Management & Calibration (CMMS): Develop and implement equipment management, preventive maintenance scheduling, calibration tracking and records, and equipment qualification processes. Risk Management: Configure risk registers, risk assessments, and risk classification frameworks for enterprise-wide quality risk management. HACCP / Food Safety: Develop and maintain food safety plans for edible product lines as needed, including hazard analysis and critical control point documentation. Health, Safety & Environment (HSE): Coordinate and collaborate with the People Operations Manager to manage employee health and safety tracking, workplace safety investigations, and OSHA compliance documentation. Product Lifecycle Management: Oversee Annual Product Reviews. Reporting & Dashboards: Build and maintain leadership dashboards, customizable quality reports, and real-time analytics for all QMS modules. Develop and maintain QA/QC standard operating procedures (SOPs), ensuring all procedures are current, compliant with DCC regulations, and aligned with GMP best practices. Drive the company toward GMP readiness and continuous improvement in quality systems maturity. Regulatory Compliance & Reporting Ensure all QA/QC activities maintain compliance with California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) regulations, including California Code of Regulations, Title 4, sections 15000 through 17905. Serve as the department’s primary point of contact for quality-related regulatory inquiries, audits, and inspections. Prepare and present regular quality performance reports to the CSO, Leadership, and Executive team, including batch release metrics, quality event trends, CAPA effectiveness, and testing program KPIs. Monitor changes to DCC regulations and industry standards, proactively updating QMS procedures and practices to maintain compliance. Data Analytics Develop and maintain quality dashboards and KPI tracking systems to provide real-time visibility into QA/QC department performance. Analyze quality data trends and patterns to identify systemic issues, drive root cause investigations, and recommend process improvements. Oversee the integrity and accuracy of all quality data across the eQMS, Google Sheets, ClickUp, and other platforms used by the department. Other duties and responsibilities as assigned. Minimum Qualifications: A bachelor’s degree in Quality Assurance, Quality Management, Chemistry, Biology, Food Science, Engineering, or a related scientific or technical discipline is required. A minimum of 3 years of experience in a QA/QC role within a manufacturing, CPG, pharmaceutical, food safety, or similarly regulated environment. At least 1 year of experience in a QA/QC supervisory or management capacity with direct reports. Demonstrated experience working with electronic Quality Management Systems (eQMS), including document control, quality event management, and batch record review processes. Strong working knowledge of GMP documentation practices, COAs, root cause analysis (RCA), corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs), and product batch management. Proficiency in data analysis tools such as Google Sheets, Excel, and familiarity with SQL, Power BI, or similar platforms. Must be at least 21 years of age. Must be able to pass a background screening for employment within the CA cannabis industry after the company makes a conditional job offer. Preferred Skills/Knowledge: Previous experience in the cannabis industry, including familiarity with California’s Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) regulations and compliance requirements, is strongly preferred. Experience with C15 Solutions, Veeva Vault QualityOne, or similar enterprise-grade eQMS platforms is preferred. ASQ certifications such as Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE), Certified Quality Auditor (CQA), or Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) are preferred. Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification is preferred. #J-18808-Ljbffr