Director, US Quality Operations

Relocation Assistance Offered Within Country
Job Number #169864 - Topeka, Kansas, United States

Who We Are

Colgate-Palmolive Company is a global consumer products company operating in over 200 countries specializing in Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care, Skin Care, and Pet Nutrition. Our products are trusted in more households than any other brand in the world, making us a household name!

Join Colgate-Palmolive, a caring, innovative growth company reimagining a healthier future for people, their pets, and our planet. Guided by our core values—Caring, Inclusive, and Courageous—we foster a culture that inspires our people to achieve common goals. Together, let's build a brighter, healthier future for all.
 

The Director, Regional Quality Operations is responsible for leading the execution and continuous improvement of Corporate Quality Assurance and Food Safety programs at designated U.S. manufacturing sites. This role involves building strong relationships with Plant Quality Managers, Plant Managers, Science & Technology (S&T) Managers, and other cross-functional leaders. The Director oversees U.S. Technology Transfer and/or Quality Excellence programs, and ensures compliance with Hill’s/Colgate Quality Standards through various initiatives, including regulatory compliance, technology transfer, supplier management, contract manufacturing, product and ingredient non-conformance, microbiology & food safety, training, and product and process quality. Furthermore, the position reviews and helps resolve consumer and pre-consumer complaints related to products manufactured at these sites.

Responsibilities:

• Help create and drive the execution of the Colgate Quality Standards, Hill’s Food Safety Programs and Regulatory requirements in countries of product use.
• Oversees select US Sites as well as co-lead Technology Transfer process and/or Hill’s Quality Excellence program.
• Drive operational excellence and continuous improvement for product quality across manufacturing sites.
• Monitor and improve Plant Quality Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) by providing regular feedback and guidance to manufacturing facilities.
• Collaborate with S&T, Supply Chain, and other cross-functional teams to ensure Right First Time (RFT) design and execution in new and existing processes.
• Lead and implement quality improvement initiatives, aligning global standards with regional needs.
• Execute audits of Hill’s facilities and ensures 3rd party compliance readiness at each site.
• Develops employee skills in support of succession planning.
• Manage investigative process for consumer complaints, ensure completion of and report back to management on corrective and preventative actions concerning sensitive issues, production run alerts and trend alerts.
• Build strong cross-functional collaborative relationships with key stakeholders such as operations, procurement, and R&D.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in a scientific or related field.
• 10+ years experience in quality, manufacturing, regulatory, or food safety within the food or pet food industry.
• 7+ years experience managing teams across various disciplines.
• Thorough understanding of regulatory environment in the region (FDA and USDA).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's Degree in Food Science, Microbiology, or related field.
• Experience with Google, Excel, Word SAP, and plant floor systems.
• Ability to leverage data analytics and drive business outcomes.
• Extensive understanding of plant process systems, quality and food safety programs and controls.
• Comprehensive understanding and ability to execute audit schemes (GFSI, SQF, ISO, etc).
• Experience with Thermal Processing, Microbiology, and FSVP.
• Experience using continuous improvement tools (LEAN, Six Sigma, etc.) to impact positive change.

Compensation and Benefits
Salary Range $151,000.00 - $189,000.00 USD

Pay is determined based on experience, qualifications, and location. Salaried employees may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, profit-sharing, and long-term incentives for Executive-level roles.

Benefits: Salaried employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, basic life insurance, paid parental leave, disability coverage