Quality Control Specialist

Quality Control Specialist

The Quality Control Specialist is responsible for hands-on inspection, testing, and evaluation of products throughout the production process to ensure that finished goods meet established specifications, customer requirements, and regulatory standards. Unlike Quality Assurance, which focuses on process-level compliance and system governance, the Quality Control Specialist operates directly on the production floor — detecting, documenting, and responding to defects and nonconformances at the product level. This role is critical to preventing nonconforming products from reaching customers and maintaining the quality and reputation of Steven Label Group.

Essential Functions

• Assist in overseeing the in-process and final product inspections at defined checkpoints throughout the production workflow, including pre-press, press, and finishing operations, verifying conformance to job tickets, approved proofs, and customer specifications.
• Provide required approval on detailed visual and dimensional inspections of printed labels and packaging materials, evaluating color accuracy, registration, print quality, substrate integrity, die-cut tolerances, lamination, and finishing quality.
• Operate and maintain quality control equipment such as densitometers, spectrophotometers, loupes, calipers, and adhesion/peel-strength test instruments in accordance with established calibration schedules.
• Identify, tag, segregate, and document nonconforming materials or finished products; initiate nonconformance reports (NCRs) and coordinate with production supervisors to quarantine suspect product.
• Record and log inspection data, measurement results, and defect observations accurately in designated systems (STAT, quality logs, or inspection forms), maintaining traceability throughout the production run.
• Communicating defect findings and quality concerns clearly and promptly to press operators, shift supervisors, and production managers to enable real-time corrective action and minimize waste.
• Perform first-article inspections (FAI) on new jobs or job restarts to confirm setup accuracy before full production runs are approved to proceed.
• Monitor and verify that correct substrates, inks, adhesives, and other raw materials are in use per job specification prior to and during production runs.
• Support the review and disposition of nonconforming product, working with the Quality department to determine rework, reprint, or scrap decisions in alignment with customer and business requirements.
• Assist in maintaining an organized and accurate record of defect trends, rejection rates, and scrap data by job, press, shift, and product type to support data-driven improvement efforts.
• Participate in root cause analysis (RCA) activities when recurring or significant defects are identified, providing direct observational input and inspection data to support investigation.
• Verify that corrective actions resulting from prior nonconformances have been implemented correctly at the production level and are sustaining the expected quality outcome.
• Ensure that production floor personnel follow documented work instructions, quality checkpoints, and control plans; escalate deviations to supervisors and the Quality department.
• Support internal and external audit activities (ISO, customer) by providing inspection records, demonstrating inspection processes, and maintaining organized documentation at assigned workstations.
• Maintain reliable and predictable attendance.
• Support order approval process as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• A high school diploma or equivalent is required.
• A bachelor's degree in business, Operations, Quality Management or similar is preferred but not required.
• A minimum of two years of experience in the printing, packaging, or manufacturing industry (labels, cartons, flexo, offset, or digital preferred).
• Strong knowledge of printing and printing support systems and processes.
• Experience working within an established Quality Management System. Previous ISO 9001 or ISO 13485 experience is strongly preferred. Thorough understanding of Quality concepts.
• Ability to read and interpret job tickets (Work Order), specifications, drawing/blueprints, and proofs.
• Intermediate computer skills with ERP experience
• Excellent organizational and communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to train and motivate others.
• Prior leadership or lead experience.
• Bilingual (English and Spanish) is a plus but not required.
• Ability to read and understand work instructions in English.
• A valid driver's license and reliable transportation with the ability to travel locally between the company sites up to 30% of the time.

Steven Label is an equal-opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, sex, age, physical or mental disability, veteran or military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, military status, order of protection status, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state, or local law.