Quality & Continuous Improvement Technician in Libertyville, Illinois at AHEAD

Perform daily floor observations across operations to identify quality escapes, process deviations, and recurring defects.

Serve as a first-responder for quality issues impacting product flow or order completion, working to resolve problems quickly and minimize downstream impact.

Document non-conformances, root causes, and corrective actions in the company’s internal ERP/WMS system.

Collaborate with supervisors, leads, and technicians to implement process improvements and standardize operating procedures.

Identify training gaps and partner with the training team to develop or update work instructions and standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Work with departments to gather and review quality metrics (defect rates, error types, rework frequency) to identify what improvements need to be made, sharing findings and recommendations with the quality team.

Track and trend quality metrics (defect rates, error types, rework frequency) and present findings to the Quality Manager.

Support internal QMS audits and assist with preparation for external quality assessments.

Participate in continuous improvement initiatives using structured problem-solving approaches (e.g., root cause analysis, 5-Why, PDCA).

Work cross-functionally with Quality Engineers to support data collection, inspection activities, and project-level improvement efforts.

*Other job duties as assigned

Minimum Required – High school diploma or GED; 1–3 years of experience in a warehouse, manufacturing, or technology integration environment with exposure to quality or process improvement activities.

Preferred – Associate’s degree in a technical or related field; experience working within an ISO 9001-certified quality management system; familiarity with Lean or continuous improvement concepts.

Working knowledge of ISO 9001 quality management principles and documentation practices.

Experience using ERP or WMS software for logging, tracking, and reporting; comfortable learning and navigating internally developed systems.

Ability to read and interpret work instructions, SOPs, order documentation, and assembly drawings or test procedures as applicable.

Strong observational and analytical skills, able to identify patterns in defects or process gaps and communicate findings clearly.

Effective written and verbal communication skills; able to collaborate across operations, quality, and training teams.

Detail-oriented with a proactive mindset, identifies and escalates issues before they impact product or customer delivery.

Comfortable working in a fast-paced, on-site environment with shifting priorities.

Basic proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) for documentation and reporting.

Ability to safely and successfully perform the essential job functions consistent with the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state and local standards, including meeting qualitative and/or quantitative productivity standards.

Ability to maintain regular, punctual attendance consistent with the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state, and local standards.

Must be able to stand and walk for extended periods on the facility floor.

Ability to occasionally lift and carry up to 20 lbs.

May require use of hands for fine manipulation of components or assemblies.

This is a fully on-site role; daily presence in the facility is required.