Quality Engineer - Continuous Improvement

We are Nature’s Bakery, one of the fastest growing snack brands in the category and have recently joined KIND, a healthy snacking leader, and the Mars family of companies, to accelerate the growth of our healthier snacking platform. We have a bright future ahead of us. Come bake with us and create a world of snacking that is both good, and good for you.

About the Role:

As the Quality Engineer, you will be responsible for leading quality improvement initiatives, investigating customer complaints, and supporting manufacturing operations to enhance product quality. This role will collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify root causes of quality issues, implement corrective actions, and optimize processes for increased efficiency and compliance.

What you'll do:

1. Continuous Improvement & Root Cause Analysis

• Lead and implement data-driven quality initiatives to reduce non-conformances and improve first-pass yield.
• Utilize Six Sigma, FMEA, SPC, and root cause analysis tools to identify and eliminate recurring quality issues.
• Collaborate with manufacturing and operations teams to optimize production processes for higher efficiency and lower defects.
• Support the implementation of Lean Manufacturing and Kaizen principles to drive the process of excellence.

1. Customer Complaint Management

• Investigate customer complaints and product quality concerns by conducting in-depth failure analysis and trend assessments.
• Partner with cross-functional teams (Operations, R&D, Supplier Quality) to implement preventive and corrective actions.
• Track complaint data, identify systemic trends, and develop proactive solutions to improve customer satisfaction.
• Develop and refine complaint investigation workflows and response protocols.

1. Product Quality & Compliance

• Support the development and refinement of quality control processes to ensure consistent adherence to product standards.
• Monitor and analyze key quality metrics (yield, defects, waste, customer feedback) and generate reports with actionable insights.
• Work closely with QA, R&D, and Manufacturing teams to ensure compliance with regulatory and food safety standards (e.g., FSMA, SQF, FDA, GMPs).
• Drive improvement initiatives in sanitation, allergen control, and regulatory compliance.

1. Support for Manufacturing & R&D

• Assist in new product introductions (NPIs) by ensuring quality considerations are incorporated into design and production processes.
• Partner with R&D and Operations to conduct process validation, shelf-life studies, and raw material evaluations.
• Collaborate with suppliers to address raw material quality issues and ensure incoming material consistency.

1. Data Analysis & Reporting

• Leverage data analytics tools to track quality trends, identify risks, and provide predictive insights.
• Develop real-time dashboards and quality reports to drive decision-making at leadership levels.
• Implement early detection mechanisms for product quality concerns.

What you'll need:

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in food science, Engineering, Quality Management, or a related field.
• 3+ years of experience in Quality Engineering, Continuous Improvement, or Food Manufacturing Quality.
• Experience with FMEA, Root Cause Analysis, SPC, Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt ASQ certified preferred).
• Experience in food, beverage, or CPG manufacturing environments is highly preferred.
• Ability and willingness to travel up to approximately 25 % of the time to Hazelwood, MO

Skills & Competencies

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with an ability to lead investigations.
• Proficiency in data analysis tools (Minitab, Excel, Power BI, or similar).
• Knowledge of food safety regulations (FSMA, SQF, HACCP, FDA,).
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills to influence cross-functional teams.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and drive initiatives to completion.

What we offer you:

Our team members' physical and mental health is important to a thriving workplace. That’s why we offer the following benefits to full-time employees:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance offered for eligible employees
• 401(k) plan with a company match that vest on day 1 of eligibility
• Paid vacation 
• Paid time off 
• Holiday pay 
• Paid short-term disability