Project Leader, Ingredient Supplier Quality - Columbus, OH

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 115,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

Nourish the world and your career as part of the Nutrition team at Abbott.

Our Nutrition business develops science-based nutrition products for people of all ages, from helping babies and children grow, to keeping adult bodies strong and active. Millions of people around the world count on our leading brands – including Similac®, PediaSure®, Pedialyte®, Ensure®, and Glucerna®– to help get the nutrients they need to live their healthiest life.

Our Global Supplier Quality Assurance (GSQA) group in Columbus, OH currently has an opportunity for a Project Leader, Ingredient Supplier QA.

The primary function of the GSQA group is to ensure a high-quality supply of incoming materials through evaluation, monitoring and development of Abbott Nutrition ingredient and packaging suppliers worldwide.  GSQA is responsible for working and communicating with suppliers as part of an ongoing supplier management process.  GSQA supports systems such as: supplier qualification, supplier development, supplier monitoring, and supplier event management.  In addition, GSQA supports the plant quality assurance, operations and purchasing groups globally to ensure that incoming material documentation involving acceptance, testing/release, and CAPA are compliant to Corporate and regulatory requirements.

WHAT YOU’LL DO  

The Project Leader, Ingredient Supplier QA will exhibit excellent communication and leadership skills and support the training and development of others in the department, along with our suppliers.  The Project Leader will be expected to manage projects and responsibilities of a potentially complex nature, including:

• Support strategic projects and continuous improvement activities associated with department and organization initiatives and goals
• Maintain GSQA policies and procedures, ingredient specifications and acceptance plans, and ensure that these documents are current and compliant to internal policies and regulations
• Monitor supplier performance and initiate supplier improvement activities, when needed
• Ensure that proposed changes to supplier processes or ingredients are assessed, approved and compliant to specifications, and make changes when necessary

• Maintain/control the status of ingredient suppliers and support supplier certification program activities
• Lead ingredient supplier qualification and for-cause audits, as well as supplier assessments, and work with suppliers on continuous improvement activities, where needed
• Lead supplier event management activities to troubleshoot and resolve supplier processing or ingredient issues; support and influence suppliers to drive to root cause and implement effective CAPA when issues arise
• Provide support to AN manufacturing plants by resolving incoming material issues in a timely manner
• Qualify new suppliers/supplier locations 

This role will report to the North America Ingredient Sr. Regional Manager. The position will not have budget responsibilities or direct reports.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE, YOU’LL BRING  

Required:

• Bachelor’s Degree in food science, physical or life science, engineering or related degree
• 3 years or more of experience in supplier quality assurance programs or related experience in operations or quality assurance in the food manufacturing industry
• Thorough knowledge of food manufacturing processes and quality assurance principles
• Technical understanding of different technologies, product quality systems and supplier programs, and be able to provide consultation and recommendations to help suppliers improve their performance

Preferred:

• Master's Degree
• Ability to work independently and/or function with minimal supervision
• Ability to manage several activities/projects at once, to organize/prioritize work, to meet deadlines and to prepare plans and reports
• Ability to maintain a high degree of accuracy and analytical thinking
• Ability to effectively organize and communicate technical information
• Ability to successfully interact and communicate with internal and external cross-functional teams, and all organizational levels
• Experience in performing/leading supplier audits and working independently through troubleshooting supplier issues

Travel:

• 10% of the time

WHAT WE OFFER  

At Abbott, you can have a good job that can grow into a great career. We offer: 

• Training and career development, with onboarding programs for new employees and tuition assistance  
• Financial security through competitive compensation, incentives and retirement plans  

• Health care and well-being programs including medical, dental, vision, wellness and occupational health programs 
• Paid time off  
• 401(k) retirement savings with a generous company match 
• The stability of a company with a record of strong financial performance and history of being actively involved in local communities 

Learn more about our benefits that add real value to your life to help you live fully:  www.abbottbenefits.com  

Follow your career aspirations to Abbott for diverse opportunities with a company that provides the growth and strength to build your future. Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to employee diversity. 

Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter @AbbottNews and @AbbottGlobal.

The base pay for this position is $68,000.00 – $136,000.00. In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.