Quality Engineer - Operational Excellence

Quality Engineer – Operational Excellence

Saturn Petcare is a state-of-the-art pet food manufacturing facility committed to delivering safe, high-quality products in compliance with regulatory and customer requirements.

The Quality Engineer – Operational Excellence plays a critical role in driving continuous improvement initiatives across the site. This position operates within a cross-functional team focused on process optimization, root cause analysis, corrective and preventive actions (CAPA), and data-driven decision-making.

This role ensures that all improvement activities are executed in alignment with food safety, SQF, FDA, and low-acid canned food (LACF) regulatory requirements, while improving process capability, reducing waste, and enhancing operational performance.

This role reports to the Quality Control Manager with a dotted line to the Operational Excellence Director

Essential duties and responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Lead and support cross-functional improvement projects targeting process efficiency, scrap reduction, and product quality.
• Facilitate and execute root cause analysis (RCA) using structured methodologies (e.g., 5-Why, Fishbone, Fault Tree).
• Develop, implement, and verify Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA) to ensure sustainable resolution of issues.
• Analyze production and quality data to identify trends, variability, and improvement opportunities.
• Partner with Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Quality to ensure process improvements are practical, validated, and sustained.
• Ensure all changes and improvements comply with:
• SQF Code requirements
• FSMA Preventive Controls
• FDA LACF (21 CFR 113) regulations
• Support process validation and verification activities, including thermal process capability and critical control points.
• Drive standardization through work instructions, SOPs, and best practices.
• Participate in and support internal audits, customer audits, and regulatory inspections.
• Lead or support non-conformance investigations.
• Utilize statistical tools to evaluate process performance and capability.
• Collaborate with R&D and Engineering on new product and process introductions, ensuring food safety and quality risks are addressed.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

None

Qualifications and Duties:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The Quality Engineer should possess knowledge, skills and abilities listed below:
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Engineering, Microbiology, Chemistry, or related field.
• 3–7+ years of experience in food manufacturing (pet food strongly preferred).
• Demonstrated experience in process improvement, RCA, and CAPA systems.
• Working knowledge of: SQF, HACCP, FSMA, FDA LACF requirements (21 CFR 113)
• Experience with Lean, Six Sigma, or Operational Excellence methodologies (certification preferred).
• Strong data analysis capability (Excel, Minitab, SPC tools).
• Experience with SAP and document management systems.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Ability to translate data into actionable insights and practical solutions.
• Effective cross-functional collaboration and communication to various levels of the organization.
• Project management and prioritization skills.
• Ability to operate in a fast-paced manufacturing environment while maintaining compliance.
• ASQ Quality Engineer Certification preferred
• Experience in wet pet food and/or low-acid canned food (LACF) preferred.
• Ability to interpret thermal processing data and process capability preferred.

Computer

Skills:

The successful candidate must be proficient in MS Office applications, Minitab (or equivalent statistical software), SAP and a DMS program.

Language

Skills:

Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions and procedural manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of the organization. German language speaking skills is another advantage.

Mathematical

Skills:

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