Director, US Quality Operations

Director, US Quality Operations

Job . Location Topeka, Kansas, US. Travel 25% of time. On‑site work. Relocation assistance provided within country.

• Help create and drive the execution of the Colgate Quality Standards, Hill’s Food Safety Programs and Regulatory requirements in countries of product use.
• Oversee select US Sites as well as co‑lead Technology Transfer process and/or Hill’s Quality Excellence program.
• Drive operational excellence and continuous improvement for product quality across manufacturing sites.
• Monitor and improve Plant Quality Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) by providing regular feedback and guidance to manufacturing facilities.
• Collaborate with S&T, Supply Chain, and other cross‑functional teams to ensure Right First Time (RFT) design and execution in new and existing processes.
• Lead and implement quality improvement initiatives, aligning global standards with regional needs.
• Execute audits of Hill’s facilities and ensure 3rd party compliance readiness at each site.
• Develop employee skills in support of succession planning.
• Manage investigative process for consumer complaints, ensure completion of and report back to management on corrective and preventative actions concerning sensitive issues, production run alerts and trend alerts.
• Build strong cross‑functional collaborative relationships with key stakeholders such as operations, procurement, and R&D.

• Bachelor's degree in a scientific or related field.
• 10+ years experience in quality, manufacturing, regulatory, or food safety within the food or pet food industry.
• 7+ years experience managing teams across various disciplines.
• Thorough understanding of regulatory environment in the region (FDA and USDA).

• Master's Degree in Food Science, Microbiology, or related field.
• Experience with Google, Excel, Word, SAP, and plant floor systems.
• Ability to leverage data analytics and drive business outcomes.
• Extensive understanding of plant process systems, quality and food safety programs and controls.
• Comprehensive understanding and ability to execute audit schemes (GFSI, SQF, ISO, etc).
• Experience with Thermal Processing, Microbiology, and FSVP.
• Experience using continuous improvement tools (LEAN, Six Sigma, etc.) to impact positive change.

Salary Range $ – $ USD.

Benefits include comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, paid parental leave, disability coverage, 401(k) plan with company matching, minimum of 15 vacation/PTO days, 13 paid holidays, and sick leave per local laws.

Colgate is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, marital status, veteran status (US) or any other characteristic protected by law. Reasonable accommodation during the application process is available for persons with disabilities.