Quality & Operations Specialist - Personal Care

Role Overview

This position keeps product quality under control from the moment raw materials arrive until finished goods are released to customers. Working across a manufacturing site that produces tissue, wet wipes and soap products, the quality professional owns the checks, tests and documentation that prove every batch meets specification — and steps in fast when something drifts out of tolerance. The role matters because a single formulation or process deviation in chemical-based consumer products can mean rejected stock, unhappy buyers, or a regulatory problem, so this person acts as the practical link between the lab bench and the production floor.

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain, review and continuously improve the site's quality control standards, testing protocols and record-keeping so that every batch is traceable and defensible.
• Sample and evaluate incoming raw materials and packaging against approved specifications, checking supplier documentation and flagging any material that fails to meet requirements before it enters production.
• Run in-process checks across mixing, blending, converting and filling stages, monitoring parameters such as formulation ratios, pH, viscosity, moisture, basis weight and seal integrity.
• Perform finished-product testing and release inspections, including physical, chemical and microbiological checks relevant to tissue, wet wipes and soap products, and manage retention samples for shelf-life verification.
• Partner with procurement and suppliers to resolve material quality complaints, support supplier evaluation, and follow through on agreed corrective actions.
• Support formulation development, scale-up and process optimisation trials alongside production and technical teams, documenting results and recommending adjustments.
• Lead investigations into deviations, customer complaints and out-of-specification results — establishing root cause and driving corrective and preventive actions through to closure.
• Keep the quality management system audit-ready, including calibration of laboratory instruments, staff training records, and compliance with applicable product safety and regulatory requirements.

Requirements & Qualifications

• A degree or diploma in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Chemistry or a closely related scientific discipline.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience in a quality control or quality assurance function within tissue, wet wipes or soap manufacturing — familiarity with the specific chemistry and processing quirks of these product lines is essential.
• Solid grounding in chemical formulation, mixing and production processes, plus the laboratory testing techniques used to verify them.
• Working knowledge of quality management systems, statistical process control and structured continuous-improvement methods.
• Comfort operating across departmental boundaries — able to hold a firm technical line while collaborating productively with production, procurement and operations colleagues.
• Sharp analytical and troubleshooting instincts, with the discipline to notice small inconsistencies in data, samples and documentation before they become larger problems.
• Strong written and verbal communication for specifications, investigation reports and corrective action documentation.