QUALITY & COMPLIANCE SPECIALIST

Quality & Compliance Specialist Hot Job BOX Home Office - Elgin, IL 60124 Salary Range $70,000.00 - $120,000.00 Salary/year Level Experienced Position Type Full Time Job Shift Day Education Level 4 Year Degree Travel Percentage Up to 25% Category Supply Chain Description Job Summary: The Quality & Compliance Specialist is responsible for ensuring that all products sourced, distributed, and sold by the company meet applicable quality standards, regulatory requirements, customer specifications, and internal expectations. This position works cross-functionally with Purchasing, Sourcing, Operations, Sales, Customer Service, and suppliers to maintain product integrity, minimize quality risks, resolve product issues, and drive continuous improvement throughout the supply chain. The ideal candidate is analytical, detail-oriented, collaborative, and experienced in quality systems within wholesale distribution, packaging, or manufacturing environments. Successful candidates will, in the first 12 months: Establish standardized supplier quality scorecards. Reduce customer quality complaints through proactive corrective actions. Build a centralized compliance document library. Improve response time for customer compliance requests. Develop executive quality dashboards with key metrics. Strengthening supplier qualification and audit processes. Ensure consistent regulatory compliance across all product categories. Drive measurable improvements in product quality and supplier performance. Duties/Responsibilities: Quality Assurance Develop, maintain, and improve the company's Quality Management System (QMS). Monitor supplier quality performance through scorecards, audits, corrective actions, and performance reviews. Review incoming product specifications to ensure compliance with customer and regulatory requirements. Conduct product inspections and quality evaluations as needed. Manage customer quality complaints from investigation through corrective action and closure. Analyze quality trends and identify recurring issues requiring process improvements. Regulatory Compliance Ensure products comply with applicable federal, state, and industry regulations, including where applicable: FDA Food Contact requirements Proposition 65 OSHA EPA CPSIA ASTM standards REACH RoHS TSCA California packaging regulations Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) requirements Sustainable packaging initiatives Maintain current knowledge of changing regulatory requirements affecting products and packaging. Supplier Compliance Maintain supplier qualification process. Review supplier certifications and documentation. Coordinate supplier audits. Verify testing documentation and Certificates of Compliance. Maintain approved supplier database. Ensure vendors meet company quality expectations. Documentation Management Maintain accurate records including: Product specifications Test reports Certificates of Analysis (COA) Certificates of Compliance (COC) Safety Data Sheets (SDS) Regulatory certifications Corrective Action Reports (CAPA) Non-Conformance Reports (NCR) Maintain document control procedures. Continuous Improvement Identify opportunities to improve quality systems. Lead root cause investigations. Facilitate corrective and preventive action (CAPA) programs. Assist with Lean and continuous improvement initiatives. Develop quality metrics and dashboards. Cross-Functional Collaboration Partner with: Purchasing Strategic Sourcing Product Management Warehouse Operations Sales Customer Service Supplier partners Provide guidance regarding product compliance and quality concerns. Customer Support Support customer requests by providing: Product certifications Compliance documentation Testing results Regulatory statements Quality questionnaires Assist Sales with large customer quality audits. Qualifications Required Skills/Abilities: Strong understanding of: ISO 9001 principles Root Cause Analysis CAPA Supplier audits Statistical process improvement Quality documentation Packaging materials Food-contact packaging requirements Product testing Regulatory compliance Technical Skills Proficient in: Microsoft Excel ERP systems Microsoft Office Quality management software Document management systems Preferred experience with: Tableau NetSuite Education and Experience: Bachelor's degree in or equivalent experience may be considered: Quality Management Engineering Supply Chain Industrial Technology Business Related field Experience 3–7 years in Quality Assurance, Compliance, Supplier Quality, or Regulatory Affairs Experience within wholesale distribution, packaging, plastics, manufacturing, or industrial products preferred Experience managing supplier quality programs Experience investigating customer quality complaints Preferred Certifications ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) ASQ Certified Quality Auditor (CQA) ASQ Certified Quality Improvement Associate (CQIA) Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt ISO 9001 Internal Auditor Certification Competencies Exceptional attention to detail Strong analytical thinking Problem-solving mindset Excellent organizational skills Project management Communication skills Ability to influence without authority Customer-focused Continuous improvement mindset Integrity and accountability Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Supplier defect rate Customer complaint rate Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ) Corrective Action closure time Supplier audit completion Regulatory compliance accuracy Product return rate Quality documentation accuracy First-pass approval rate On-time completion of compliance request Physical Requirements: Ability to work in both office and warehouse environments. Occasional lifting up to 25 pounds.