Senior Product Quality Manager

Where you will work

Augusta houses Clearwater Paper's largest paperboard facility and is home to more than 600 team members. Together, our team makes paperboard used in products across the United States, including food packaging, plates, cups and more. With nearly 65 years of operation, the mill spans 3,000 acres and runs two paper machines that collectively produce up to 1,940 tons per day.

Augusta is known worldwide for hosting The Masters golf tournament, but the city offers so much more. Located on the Savannah River on Georgia's eastern border, Augusta blends outdoor recreation with a vibrant arts and cultural scene. Explore the river walk, hike at the nearby wetlands, or the numerous downtown museums and restaurants.

Families benefit from strong public schools and nearby universities, including Augusta University-home to Georgia's only dental school and a nationally recognized medical college-plus technical colleges offering career-focused programs.

What you will do

The Sr. Product Quality Manager is responsible for leading and continuously improving the quality systems, processes, and culture within the Augusta integrated pulp and paper mill that produces Solid Bleached Sulfate (SBS) paper and board. This role ensures that all products meet internal standards, customer specifications, and applicable regulatory and certification requirements while supporting operational excellence, cost control, and customer satisfaction. The Sr. Product Quality Manager partners closely with Operations, Engineering, EHS, Supply Chain, Customer Service, and Sales to embed quality into pulp production, bleaching, papermaking, coating, calendaring, and finishing operations.

Quality Leadership & Strategy

• Lead the mill Quality function, setting clear expectations, priorities, and performance objectives aligned with mill and company goals.
• Drive a culture of built-in quality rather than inspection-based quality.
• Serve as the mill subject-matter expert for SBS product quality, customer requirements, and quality-related risk.
• Responsible for process control resources, fostering the ability to routinely evaluate systems and configurations within system standards for additions or enhancements to control systems and servers. This may include a baseline understanding and ability to troubleshoot Honeywell TDC 3000, Honeywell Experion PKS and Allen-Bradley PLC ladder logic.

Quality Management Systems

• Develop, implement, and maintain the mill Quality and Food Safety Management Systems, aligning with:
• ISO 9001
• FSC, PEFC, or other fiber certification programs
• FSSC 22000 Food Safety standard
• Product regulatory compliance (FDA, BfR, EU and other domestic and international standards)
• Ensure robust document control, specifications, procedures, and records management.
• Lead internal and external quality and certification audits and ensure timely closure of findings.

Process and Product Quality Control

• Oversee quality control throughout the integrated process:
  
  
  
  • Pulping, bleaching, and chemical quality
  • Wet-end chemistry and furnish control
  • Paper machine operations (basis weight, caliper, moisture, formation)
  • Coating, surface properties, and print performance
  • Finishing, sheeting, and roll quality
  
  
  
  
• Ensure effective use of statistical process control (SPC), control charts, and trend analysis.
• Partner with operations and engineering to reduce variability, defects, waste, and off-grade production.

Customer Quality & Complaint Management

• Own the customer complaint process from intake through root cause analysis and corrective action.
• Interface directly with customers, sales, and technical service on quality-related issues.
• Lead root cause investigations using structured problem-solving tools (e.g., 5-Why, Fishbone, DMAIC).
• Track and report customer satisfaction metrics, claims, and cost of poor quality.

Product Development & Change Management

• Support new product development, grade development, and customer trials.
• Participate in Management of Change (MOC) for raw materials, chemicals, equipment, and process changes.
• Validate product quality, specifications, and risk assessments prior to commercialization.

Laboratory & Testing Oversight

• Ensure accurate, reliable laboratory testing in accordance with TAPPI, ISO, and customer methods.
• Oversee calibration, sample handling, test reproducibility, and data integrity.
• Drive continuous improvement in laboratory efficiency, safety, and capability.

Continuous Improvement

Lead or support quality-related continuous improvement initiatives.

• Use data-driven decision-making to prioritize improvement opportunities.
• Reduce quality-related costs, including claims, rework, waste, and downtime.

Team Development & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Recruit, develop, and coach quality professionals and laboratory personnel.
• Provide quality training for operations, maintenance, and technical staff.
• Work closely with EHS to ensure product quality controls support safe and compliant operations.

Key Competencies & Attributes

• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
• Ability to influence across functions without direct authority
• Comfortable making data-based decisions in a fast-paced manufacturing environment
• Clear communicator with both technical and non-technical audiences
• Customer-focused mindset with strong business acumen
• Exceptional communication skills (written and verbal); leading and presenting complex materials for various audiences.

What you will need

To be successful in this position, we are looking for candidates with the following:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Pulp & Paper Science, Chemistry, Materials Science, or a related technical discipline.
• Advanced degree preferred but not required.
• Minimum 7-10 years of progressive experience in quality, technical, or manufacturing roles within pulp and paper or a highly regulated continuous process industry.
• Demonstrated experience in an integrated pulp and paper mill environment strongly preferred.
• Proven experience with coated paper or SBS paperboard is highly desirable.
• Prior people leadership experience required.
• Strong understanding of:
  
  
  
  • Pulping and bleaching processes
  • Papermaking and coating operations
  • Paper and paperboard testing methods (TAPPI/ISO)
  • Statistical process control and data analysis
  
  
  
  
• Working knowledge of fiber certification and food-contact packaging requirements.
• Ability to interpret customer specifications and translate them into operational controls.
• High speed manufacturing environment, sustained exposure to high frequency noises, multiple hours standing, walking on concrete surfaces.
• Personal Protective Equipment required in mill environment.
• Dirt, noise, odor, and temperature extremes.
• Climbing stairs, ladders, and scaffolding.
• Exposure to hazardous chemicals used in manufacturing process.
• Travel: ~10%

Total Rewards Details

We prioritize an exceptional workplace experience, offering a comprehensive total reward package. Compensation ranges are estimates based on market data. Actual offers account for internal equity and the candidate's job-related knowledge, skills, education, and experience. Benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and more, generally begin after 30 days. Our paid time off includes vacation days, personal days, and company holidays. For more on our compensation philosophy, please contact our Talent Acquisition Team at Talent.Acquisition@clearwaterpaper.com.

Clearwater Paper will not offer sponsorship for employment-based visa status (including, but not limited to, H-1B visa status and other employment-based nonimmigrant visas) for this position. Accordingly, all applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis and must not require Clearwater Paper's sponsorship to continue to work legally in the United States.

#ClearwaterPaper #Augusta

This role will be open for a minimum of 2 weeks or at the point a successful candidate is selected.