Quality Control Manager

Quality Control Manager – Plastics & Color Manufacturing

Gastonia, NC - Must have US Citizenship or a fully executed Green Card

This is an opportunity for a hands-on quality and laboratory leader who enjoys solving technical manufacturing challenges, improving processes, and working closely with production in a fast-paced plastics environment.

We’re looking for someone who understands both the science behind polymer testing and the operational realities of manufacturing. The right person will have a strong background in plastics, masterbatch, color concentrates, additives, compounding, or injection molding and will be comfortable leading a laboratory team while remaining technically involved in day-to-day quality operations.

This role offers strong visibility across the plant and the opportunity to directly influence product quality, manufacturing performance, customer satisfaction, and continuous improvement initiatives.

What You’ll Be Responsible For

• Leading and developing a QC laboratory team supporting production and manufacturing operations

• Managing daily laboratory testing, quality verification, and analytical testing activities

• Supporting injection molding and manufacturing operations through in-process quality checks, troubleshooting, and color approvals

• Partnering with Production, Process Engineering, Product Development, Sales, and Customers to resolve quality and process-related issues

• Driving CAPA, root cause investigations, and continuous improvement initiatives related to customer complaints and manufacturing nonconformances

• Establishing and maintaining laboratory KPI’s, testing procedures, and quality documentation

• Ensuring laboratory and manufacturing instrumentation calibration schedules remain compliant and up to date

• Supporting ISO quality systems, regulatory compliance, and manufacturing best practices

• Helping improve efficiency, consistency, and overall quality performance across the operation

Technical Skills Needed to Be Successful

Strong candidates will have hands-on experience with analytical testing and laboratory equipment commonly used in plastics, polymers, color concentrates, additives, or injection molding environments, including:

• Spectrophotometer operation and color matching

• Color management and color measurement systems

• Melt Flow Index (MFI) testing

• Moisture analysis

• Ash testing

• Pigment dispersion testing

• Heat stability testing

• Polymer, resin, additive, and masterbatch quality analysis

• Laboratory instrumentation calibration and maintenance

• Root cause analysis and CAPA investigations

• ISO-regulated manufacturing laboratory environments

• Quality troubleshooting within manufacturing and production operations

Experience with the following is also highly valued:

• Injection molding process support

• SPC and statistical analysis

• Visual defect analysis and dimensional inspection

• Resin processing and polymer behavior

• Continuous improvement initiatives

• Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies

What We’re Looking For

• 5 years of quality laboratory leadership or supervisory experience within plastics manufacturing, compounding, masterbatch, additives, polymer processing, or injection molding

• Strong technical understanding of polymer testing and manufacturing quality systems

• Experience leading laboratory or QC personnel in a production environment

• Ability to prioritize testing activities and support manufacturing demands in a fast-paced operation

• Strong communication and problem-solving skills with the ability to work cross-functionally across operations, technical teams, and customers

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and laboratory documentation systems

• Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry, Polymer Science, Materials Science, Engineering, or related technical field preferred

• Six Sigma and/or Lean Manufacturing certification is a plus

Why This Opportunity Stands Out

• High-impact leadership role with visibility across manufacturing operations

• Opportunity to work in a highly technical plastics and color manufacturing environment

• Strong collaboration with production, engineering, and commercial teams

• Ability to influence process improvements and quality strategy

• Stable first-shift schedule with long-term growth potential

If you enjoy combining technical problem-solving, laboratory leadership, and manufacturing support within plastics and polymer manufacturing, we’d love to connect.