Quality Control & Improvement Lead

Job Title: Quality Control & Improvement Lead Location: Vårgårda Role: Permanent Reporting to: Quality Manager Quality Control & Improvement Lead We are looking for a Quality Control & Improvement Lead to contribute to oral product excellence. The role will lead quality control, process improvements, and food safety standards across factory operations. Acting as a Subject Matter Expert (SME), it will partner with cross-functional project teams and directly upskill quality operators to ensure compliance, mitigate risks, and foster a culture of continuous improvement. Position: As the Quality Control & Improvement Lead, you will: Analyze consumer complaints, production data, and Quality Improvement Plans (QUIPs) to identify quality trends, defect patterns, and improvement opportunities. Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions using problem-solving methodologies to eliminate defects at the source. Drive continuous improvement initiatives to reduce quality losses, rejects, rework, and consumer complaints. Monitor CAPA effectiveness and ensure timely closure of quality actions. Conduct quality coaching sessions and Behavior-Based Observations (QBOS) to strengthen quality culture and shopfloor performance. Collaborate with Production, CST, QA, and other stakeholders to improve product quality and operational performance. Provide clear quality metrics and insights to production teams, supporting accountability and continuous improvement. Support ISO 9001 and Food Safety standards through the development, implementation, and maintenance of quality procedures and SOPs. Partner with QA to identify, track, and eliminate contamination risks, micro-risks, and product defects. Assess training needs, develop training materials, and deliver quality-related training across the organization. Lead and contribute to site quality improvement projects and Quality Pillar workstreams, supporting capability building and IWS quality tool deployment. Requirements: Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Science, or equivalent experience gained in the food/tobacco industry. Master's degree will be an advantage. 3-5 years of experience working in tobacco, food production and quality, with experience leading teams. English proficiency in speaking and writing. Excellent knowledge of MS Office, QIMS, and SAP. Knowledge of Continuous Improvement methodologies (Lean, Kaizen, etc.) or IWS experience and tools will be an advantage. Record of quality improvement experience will be an advantage. What to expect: Expect growth opportunities, training, good compensation package, and social security package. For more details on local policies, speak with the Talent Advisor.