QA/QC Manager

Solugen

14549 Minetta St., Houston TX 77035

Position:

QA/QC Manager

About Solugen:

Solugen, Inc. is a revolutionary technology company seeking to use biology to transform the chemicals industry. Solugen was founded in 2016 and is a post-Series B venture-backed startup company supported by renowned venture capital firms including Temasek, Founders Fund, Fifty Years, Refactor, and Y Combinator. Located in Houston, Texas, Solugen is currently scaling up its manufacturing facility to use its chemienzymatic process to manufacture biobased chemistries for water treatment, agriculture, and personal care. Solugen currently has 90+ full-time employees.

Mission:

Solugen’s mission is to decarbonize chemicals manufacturing. As a first step, Solugen is building a 10,000 tpy first commercial plant with the potential to offset up to 37,000 tpy of carbon dioxide equivalents.

Reporting to the VP of Manufacturing, this individual will be responsible for support and management of the Quality Assurance and Quality Control Department. This position is critical for ensuring Solugen products are of the highest quality and that the necessary processes are in place to do so.

This position will be in Houston, Texas.

Key Outcomes:

Quality Management: Managing, challenging, and enforcing the Quality Management System in a manner to continuously improve it. Ensuring that processes are followed and updated if/when necessary. Properly archiving documents and ensuring availability of up-to-date versions. Performing audits of all units within the management system(s) (continuous). Meeting with upper management teams to set quality benchmarks. Creating standards in accordance with industry standards and customer expectations. Ability to identify and address quality control processes in a manner that ensures criteria are always met.

Leading New Quality Related Endeavors: Being the SME and point of contact for regulated quality functions pertaining to Food Safety Program and Certification (GFSI, cGMP, etc.). Providing guidance to teams, working alongside consultants, and providing status updates to upper management.

Inter- and Intra- departmental Communication: The Quality Unit works with a multitude of other departments to ensure the safety of employees and customers, reliability of products, and that proper shipping methods are utilized. Responsibilities include communicating via proper channels to provide updates on product status, as well as working with other members of the team, Operations, Procurement , R&D, and Logistics to resolve any issues that may arise.

Sample Retention Management : Ensuring proper retention of samples is performed and maintained. This will include that proper labeling and identification methods are utilized, and that samples are stored in the proper areas for the required amount of time and disposed of properly afterwards.

Management of Sample Shipment and Tracking: with sample management to abide by OSHA, GHS, FAA, and PHISMA requirements.

New Product Introduction Process: in conjunction with the Product Management team, ensure that regulatory obligations are met and necessary paperwork is complete to safely manufacture or sell new or existing products.

Key Competencies:

Job Specific:

• Well organized and extremely detailed oriented

• Ability to manage a team and maintain organization between cross-related departments

• Familiar with data entry platforms and can effectively learn and utilize online systems

Company Specific:

• Ask a lot of questions, be curious, and have insights into your work.

• Be nimble, embrace the speed and ambiguity of startup culture.

• A passion for green chemistry and fighting climate change.

• Ability to self-manage and set your own priorities and schedule.

• Be comfortable working in multiple roles.

• Emphasize safety above all else.

• Respect for others.

• Creative problem-solving.

• Willingness to learn and research new engineering/science concepts.

Qualifications:

Qualification Minimum:

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related STEM fields

• Minimum of 10 years of quality function experience in Chemicals or a Consumer Products industry

• Minimum of 5 years of experience leading cross functional or multi-site teams

• Experience as primary contact for notified body audits and regulatory inspections

• Proven ability to influence without authority

• Efficient independent leader with the ability to prioritize various activities in a rapid paced environment for a diverse team showing strong emotional intelligence

• Experience with ISO 9001 and other management systems including managing quality improvement projects

Preferred:

• Experience with product regulatory

• Project management experience

• Certified Quality Auditor Certification

• Certified Manager of Quality Certification

• Knowledge of GMP, HACCP, GFSI, TSCA and regulated product production