Rocky Mountain Soap Company
Quality Assurance Manager
Quality - Canmore, AB, Canada - Full Time
Who we are
At Rocky, we feel our best in nature and we feel our best when we nurture ourselves with nature. That's why for over 25 years we've been students of this glorious Earth — formulating everyday essentials that nurture your skin, body, and hair, all crafted with care here in the Canadian Rockies.
Our 14 locations nationwide are designed to bring nature indoors. Crafted from natural materials, they guide customers through immersive sensorial experiences anchored by our signature sink — unique to each location.
Growing our culture-focused team means finding those who share the belief that we are a part in the greater ecosystem, working together to make a positive impact in our communities and for the Earth.
Are you a natural fit for the new world of Rocky?
The position
The Quality Manager is responsible for leading Rocky's Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) functions and for developing and maintaining a robust quality management system across manufacturing, warehousing, and related operations. The role is accountable for ensuring product quality, safety, consistency, regulatory compliance, and customer satisfaction while driving a proactive culture of prevention and continuous improvement.
This position works Monday through Friday from our workshop in Canmore, Alberta.
What you'll be doing
- Maintain independent authority over quality decisions, including product disposition, release, rejection, quality holds, deviations, and CAPA requirements
- Ensure production, cost, or service objectives do not compromise product quality, safety, or regulatory compliance
- Lead and maintain the Quality Management System (QMS), ensuring compliance with cosmetic GMPs, Health Canada, and other applicable regulatory requirements
- Drive a culture of quality by establishing systems that ensure product safety, consistency, and regulatory compliance across manufacturing operations
- Develop, implement, and monitor quality policies, procedures, and key performance indicators
- Establish and maintain a formal change control process for materials, formulas, specifications, packaging, equipment, processes, and quality systems
- Assess quality and regulatory impacts of proposed changes and ensure appropriate validation, documentation, and approvals prior to implementation
- Establish quality requirements and specifications for raw materials, packaging, and external suppliers.
- Partner with Procurement and Research & Development (R&D) to qualify and monitor suppliers based on quality and risk
- Define and manage overall QC testing framework and protocols with ongoing monitoring based on risk assessment methodology
- Ensure QC testing processes, approvals and records for all formulas, raw materials, and packaging are maintained and accurate
- Ensure testing is within budget, accurate and on time
- Lead the overall investigation, documentation, and resolution of customer complaints related to product quality, safety, and regulatory concerns
- Ensure complaint investigations are completed thoroughly, identify root causes, implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs), and communicate outcomes to stakeholders
- Monitor complaint and adverse reaction trends to identify opportunities for continuous improvement and risk mitigation
- Develop and support implementation and continuous improvement of cleaning and sanitation programs that meet regulatory and company standards
- Lead sanitation validation, verification, inspections, and audits, addressing deficiencies through corrective actions
- Provide coaching and training to team members on cleaning, sanitation, and hygiene best practices
- Monitor sanitation performance metrics and drive continuous improvement initiatives to reduce quality and safety risks
- Monitor, interpret, and ensure compliance with Canadian and US cosmetic regulations
- Review and approve product labels, packaging, and promotional materials to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, including ingredient listings, warnings, claims, and cosmetic allergen labeling
- Assess the safety, efficacy, and regulatory status of cosmetic ingredients to ensure compliance with applicable regulations
- Build, develop, and lead a high-performing Quality team with clear accountability, performance expectations, technical development, and continuous improvement objectives
- Foster a culture where quality, product safety, and customer trust are foundational to every decision
- Establish clear roles, responsibilities, standards, and performance expectations within the Quality function
- Develop technical capability and succession within the Quality team
Does this sound like you?
- Accredited Educational background in Science (Chemistry, Biochemistry, Pharma, Biology), or another quality related field
- 7+ years of progressive experience in Quality Assurance and/or Quality Control within a regulated manufacturing environment, preferably within cosmetics, consumer products, pharmaceuticals, food, natural health products, or other GMP-regulated industries
- Minimum 3 years of people leadership experience, including coaching and development
- Strong working knowledge of quality management systems, GMP, risk management, root cause analysis, CAPA, deviations, change control, auditing, complaints, and quality control testing
- In depth knowledge and experience with Health Canada cosmetic regulations
- Experience leading teams towards Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) best practices
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to use quality data to identify trends, prioritize risks, and drive improvement
- Experience with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), quality management, documentation, or other digital systems used to manage quality records and processes
- Must be able to work in a highly scented environment
What's in it for you?
- Significant product discounts and quarterly allowances
- Subsidized group medical and dental benefits for you and your family
- Share in Rocky’s success - The Great Game profit sharing program
- Generous paid annual vacation and personal days
- Healthy lifestyle support through an annual allowance
- Access to a dedicated Rocky coach to help you optimize your potential
- The opportunity to participate in Culture Club organized activities
Application
- We are accepting applications for the Quality Manager position until a suitable candidate is found.
- Eligibility: Candidates must be legally authorized to work in Canada.
