Job Details

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
• Paid life insurance
• Banfield Pet Insurance Discounts
• Wellness Benefits and Discounts
• Employee Assistance Program

EEO

We are committed to an inclusive workplace where diversity in all its forms is championed. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and we are an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status.

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