Quality Control Inspector III
Job title: Sr. Quality Improvement Lead Location: Chicago, IL Shift hours: 7AM - 3PM Job Overview: As part of the Quality Team, the Senior Quality Improvement Lead is a line-embedded quality leadership role responsible for driving quality loss prevention, reduction, and eradication across assigned Cracker lines and Ingredient Handling. This role provides senior-level, line-focused quality leadership, balancing strong day-to-day execution with sustained quality improvement and system governance. The role partners closely with assigned Line-Centric organizations to identify, prioritize, and eliminate systemic and recurring quality losses by applying IL6S ways of working and deploying Quality Pillar tools, including process maps, quality matrices, defined work processes, and structured problem-solving. A core focus of the role is to reinforce line ownership of quality while owning the work process for Quality Matrices, ensuring risks, controls, and preventive actions are clearly defined, embedded into standard work, and sustained on the floor. This position also provides advanced quality leadership during complex quality events, ensures quality learnings are translated into standard work, drives horizontal application of improvements across applicable lines and areas, and includes people leadership responsibility for coaching, development, and performance management of a Quality Improvement Specialist. Role Responsibilities: Partner with Section Leads and Line-Centric Organization to identify and prioritize recurring quality losses (e.g., holds, deviations, rework, instability) across Cookies and Repack in partnership with line teams. Support line-owned problem-solving using IL6S methodologies (RCA, 12-step Kaizen, FI) to eliminate root causes. Use DMS routines to track actions, milestones, and effectiveness, ensuring timely closure and sustainable results. Evaluate quality findings or improvements identified on one line and support extension of learnings across other Crackers and Ingredient Handling lines to prevent recurrence and reduce systemic risk. Support deployment, use, and sustainment of Quality Pillar tools, ensuring these tools are actively used to guide execution, escalation, and decision-making on the floor. Own the Quality Matrices work process, including defining standards, governing deployment, and ensuring effective use and sustainment across the bakery. Own IQS governance for the bakery, including system setup, user onboarding and training, troubleshooting, and ensuring consistent, effective use to support quality performance management. Provide advanced quality leadership during complex quality events, including support for risk assessments, investigations, and disposition decision-making in alignment with established standards. Support and coach on-shift Quality Leads during escalated quality events to ensure consistent application of standards and sound quality risk assessment. Ensure quality learnings and improvements are evaluated and extended across other applicable lines and Ingredient Handling to reduce systemic risk. Partner with site and line leadership to develop quality culture action plans for assigned areas and monitor progress through DMS routines. Reinforce quality culture through consistent floor presence, coaching, and engagement to ensure actions translate into observable behavioral and execution improvements on the line. Lead, coach, and develop a Quality Improvement Specialist, including setting clear expectations, providing feedback, supporting development, and ensuring alignment to IL6S ways of working and quality standards. Act as a consistent, line-embedded quality partner for Crackers Lines 4, 6, 7 and Ingredient Handling, ensuring alignment between daily execution and longer-term quality improvement priorities. Qualifications: Bachelors Degree in Quality Assurance, Food Science, Biology, Microbiology, Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field. Minimum 5 years of experience in a food manufacturing environment within Quality, Food Safety, or Process Engineering roles. Strong understanding of manufacturing processes and equipment behavior. Experience leading or supporting quality improvement initiatives in a manufacturing environment. Experience with consumer complaint management, quality losses, and root cause analysis. Ability to translate quality data and technical information into practical operating standards. Demonstrated ability to influence without direct authority. Strong collaboration and communication skills. Familiarity with continuous improvement methodologies (IL6S, Lean, Six Sigma) preferred. Ability to support operations across shifts as needed.
