Quality and Compliance Coordinator

Job Summary:

The Quality & Compliance Coordinator role is located at the Associated Packaging, Inc. headquarters in Gallatin, TN. This entry-level role maintains the customer compliance and quality program related to regulatory and other customer requirements — including the growing volume of food-contact products API sells and the customer compliance portals, product audits, and warehouse audits that come with them. The role keeps that work organized, accurate, and on time, and supports the Operations, Sales, and Technical Service departments to retain existing business and support new business growth.

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

1. Receive, review, and log customer requests for compliance declarations and documents. Requests come through a variety of customer compliance portals or directly from current or prospective customers via API’s branch offices, and may relate to FDA food-contact requirements, OSHA, California Proposition 65, REACH, RoHS, Conflict Minerals, PFAS, heavy metals, allergen statements, Certificates of Origin, Certificates of Insurance, implementation of new regulations, etc.
2. Maintain API’s profiles in customer compliance portals — upload documents, monitor expiration dates, and resolve outstanding portal items so nothing lapses.
3. Coordinate with internal resources, suppliers, API’s insurance company, and others as needed to obtain required documentation, including generating requests to suppliers through email campaigns.
4. Review all documentation supplied by suppliers to ensure it properly addresses the customer’s compliance request and meets customer expectations. Communicate with customers to correct deficiencies and escalate technical or regulatory questions for review.
5. Complete routine customer questionnaires and surveys accurately and within customer-imposed deadlines, using approved information.
6. Build and maintain a centralized, well-organized compliance library by product and supplier — FDA food-contact letters of guaranty, specification sheets, SDS, certificates of analysis/conformance, and related declarations — with a renewal calendar to track expiration dates.
7. Identify and maintain the supplier’s compliance contact database.
8. Coordinate with Inventory Management & Purchasing on the flow-down of API customer compliance requirements to suppliers. Flag suppliers that are unable or unwilling to demonstrate compliance for re-sourcing review and assist with the development of a supplier qualification process.
9. Coordinate with the EH&S Specialist and Technical Service leadership on service technician training to meet specific customer training requirements and expectations.
10. Prepare for and support customer, third-party, and regulatory audits of products and warehouses — assemble documents, schedule participants, and organize audit records.
11. Assist with internal branch audits (GMP, food-grade storage, sanitation, pest control, traceability) using standard checklists and recording results.
12. Support root cause identification and the development of corrective actions resulting from audits and customer complaints; track corrective actions with branch and corporate owners until closed.
13. Support lot traceability lookups and mock recall exercises in NetSuite.
14. Maintain training records for GMP, food safety, and quality training in coordination with the Corporate Operations training program.
15. Stay current with upcoming regulatory changes, assess how they may affect API and our supply chain, and share findings and recommendations with management.
16. All quality-related and compliance activities shall be recorded and maintained in the ERP system to ensure traceability and compliance with applicable regulatory requirements.
17. Perform other related duties to support quality, compliance, and Corporate Operations.

Education and/or Experience:

1. High school diploma or equivalent required. Bachelor’s degree in Business, Science, Supply Chain, Food Science, EH&S, Criminal Justice, or a related field preferred; Associate’s degree in Paralegal Studies acceptable.
2. 0–2 years of related administrative, customer service, quality, or compliance experience preferred, ideally in manufacturing, food, packaging, or distribution.
3. Research experience, training in investigations, or investigations experience is a plus.
4. Exposure to quality or regulatory documentation, audits, or GMP; experience with NetSuite or a comparable ERP; and familiarity with web-based compliance portals are a plus.

Competencies:

• High ethical standards
• Ability to analyze, investigate, and determine an appropriate course of action; knows when to escalate
• Ability to effectively prioritize and adhere to customer-imposed deadlines
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with customers, suppliers, and internal teams
• Above-average analytical skills
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail; keeps accurate, audit-ready records
• Ability to work independently as experience grows
• Ability to adapt to a changing regulatory and business environment
• Proficient computer skills, including MS Office Suite (especially Excel and Outlook); comfortable learning new systems
• Willingness to learn and tackle new challenges

Work Environment: (The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.)

• Office environment
• Warehouse environment, not climate controlled; required PPE worn in warehouse areas
• Noise level in this environment is usually moderate
• Some domestic travel (approximately 10%) to any of API’s (10) branches