Facility Technical Manager

As the largest pureplay adhesives company in the world, H.B. Fuller’s (NYSE: FUL) innovative, functional coatings, adhesives and sealants enhance the quality, safety and performance of products people use every day. Founded in 1887, with 2023 revenue of $3.5 billion, our mission to Connect What Matters is brought to life by more than 7,000 global team members who collaborate with customers across more than 30 market segments in over 140 countries to develop highly specified solutions that enable customers to bring world-changing innovations to their end markets.

H.B. Fuller is seeking an experienced Facility Technical Manager who will have responsibility for managing the quality effort for the Wilmington and Irvine, CA facilities. The Facility Technical Manager reports to the Plant Manager and is the in-plant expert concerning production of the facility’s product line and manages the laboratory staff. This position will ensure that the customer experience and business financial performance are aligned and improved through the reduction of quality incidents and improvement of quality processes across the facility and all functions. 

Primary Responsibilities

• Function as the in-plant expert concerning product quality and product disposition. 

• Manage and develop a quality control team of up to 5 employees and manage day-to-day quality control operations including incoming raw materials and finished products.

• Manage and improve the facility ISO 9001/ AS9100/NADCAP quality system

• Drive continual improvements through productivity, yield, and quality.

• Primary product quality point of contact for customer service and sales. 

• Lead, troubleshoot, and coordinate the timely resolution of internal and external quality issues and corrective actions

• Recommend and implement process and formulation improvements to new and existing products.

• Assist in the identification and implementation of manufacturing “best practices.”

• Enforce safe manufacturing practices and assist in the compliance with all-application safety and environmental rules, regulations and procedures.

• Develop and implement quality policies and procedures and interface with R&D for quality control specifications, test methods, raw material substitutions, and new product commercialization activities

• Manage general lab services and housekeeping.

• Manage and update batch tickets including Bill of Materials, recipes, master data, PI sheets and rework.  

• Responsible for managing waste/disposals/slow moving inventory and budgeted cost.  

• Responsible for the maintenance of all quality records, including test data, material disposition, ISO training documentation and maintenance and calibration of laboratory equipment.

• Lead internal / external audits, customer visits, and benchmarking

• Develop, lead, and implement a plant quality assurance plan to reduce COPQ by conducting gap analysis, identifying the strategy and tactics to bridge the gap using tools such as SPC, control charts, Pareto diagrams, and 8D to analyze, monitor, and improve plant metrics.

• Assist R&D chemist and production operator as required with new product scale up, batch validation, process design and development.

Minimum Requirements

• BS/BA Degree in Chemistry, or Chemical Engineering, or related area

• 3 years’ experience in the chemical industry, in a Process Engineer or Technical Manager position, or equivalent 

• Experience with Aerospace Quality Management systems; AS9100, ASQ ISO 9000, NADCAP, or ISO 9000-2000

• 3 years management experience

• Proven track record of quality program management and quality improvement

• Excellent organizational skills and ability to plan and meet deadlines

• Familiarity with Microsoft Word and Excel

• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively

• Ability to carry up to 30 pounds

• Open to future relocation opportunities

Preferred Requirements

• MBA

• Adhesives experience

• Process control experience within the batch manufacturing process

• Experience with regulatory matters: OSHA, NIOSH, RCRA, TOSCA, DOT

• Six Sigma certification (Green or Black Belt), experience in design for Six Sigma DFSS

• Exposure to applications using continuous improvement techniques; 8D, TQM, Problem Solving DMAIC, Fault Tree Analysis, FMEA’s, Lean Manufacturing and 5S

• Knowledge, experience and demonstrated results improving process capability, monitored and controlled via a Capability Index. K