Quality & Process Manager

Quality & Process Manager

Label Aid is a family-owned manufacturer of pressure-sensitive labels, tags, and tape based in Huron, Ohio. Since 1984, we have partnered with startups, established brands, and manufacturers to deliver dependable packaging solutions backed by quality, service, and industry expertise.

Our capabilities include digital and flexographic printing, specialty materials, and premium label embellishments for customers across consumer, industrial, chemical, automotive, and other markets.

Label Aid is seeking an experienced Quality & Process Manager to lead and continually improve quality systems across prepress, printing, finishing, and production. This is a hands-on leadership role focused on preventing defects, strengthening process controls, improving consistency, and ensuring customer-approved requirements are accurately carried through every stage of production. A major focus of this position will be improving controls from approved artwork through prepress, RIP/DFE processing, press setup, first-piece approval, in-process inspection, finishing, and final product release.

The Quality & Process Manager will collaborate closely with Prepress, Production, Customer Service, Sales, and Management to identify quality risks, investigate issues and root causes, improve workflows, and implement practical solutions that strengthen quality and reduce the potential for human error.

Preferred candidates will have experience in quality, prepress, technical operations, or process control within pressure-sensitive labels, flexible packaging, folding cartons, commercial printing, or a related print manufacturing environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and continuously improve quality systems across prepress, printing, finishing, and production.
• Develop and maintain controls to ensure artwork, specifications, revisions, and production files remain accurate throughout the manufacturing process.
• Improve workflows and system integration between MIS, prepress, RIP/DFE, and production equipment to reduce manual handling, version errors, duplicate data entry, and other opportunities for error.
• Establish and maintain effective preflight, file-release, first-piece approval, in-process inspection, finishing inspection, and final quality procedures.
• Investigate customer complaints, spoilage, reruns, internal defects, and recurring issues using root-cause analysis and corrective/preventive action.
• Establish quality standards and checkpoints for print quality, color, registration, copy accuracy, barcodes, variable data, die cutting, finishing, and embellishments.
• Identify opportunities to improve quality through workflow automation, automated preflight, file comparison, barcode verification, inspection technology, and system integration.
• Monitor quality performance and trends, including complaints, nonconformances, spoilage, reprints, recurring defects, and customer escapes.
• Maintain quality documentation and train employees on quality standards, inspection procedures, process discipline, and problem escalation.
• Conduct process audits, support customer quality requirements, and promote a company-wide culture of quality ownership and continuous improvement.

Qualifications:

• Experience in quality, prepress, process control, technical operations, or production leadership within labels, flexible packaging, folding cartons, commercial printing, or a related print manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of print-production workflows from approved artwork through prepress, RIP processing, printing, finishing, inspection, and shipment.
• Working knowledge of prepress, color management, RIP/DFE systems, file/version control, barcodes, variable data, and production proofs.
• Experience identifying print defects, conducting root-cause analysis, and implementing corrective and preventive actions.
• Familiarity with digital and/or flexographic printing, label converting, materials, coatings, laminates, die cutting, and related finishing processes is preferred.
• Experience with automated prepress/workflow platforms such as Esko Automation Engine, HYBRID CLOUDFLOW, Kodak Prinergy, or comparable systems is a plus.
• Ability to analyze quality and production data, identify trends, and translate findings into measurable process improvements.
• Strong communication, documentation, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to establish and consistently enforce quality standards.
• Experience with ISO 9001, Lean, Six Sigma, FTA FIRST, G7, ASQ, CAPA, or similar quality methodologies is a plus.

What We Offer:

• A hands-on role where you can make a measurable impact on quality, efficiency, and continuous improvement.
• The opportunity to help shape processes, technology, training, and quality standards across the organization.
• Room to grow professionally and take on greater responsibility as the company expands.

Benefits:

• 401(k) matching and profit sharing
• Medical, life, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid time off & holiday pay

Our Company & Culture:

Label Aid is a family-owned company with a strong focus on quality, teamwork, accountability, and continuous improvement. We value people who take ownership, solve problems, and look for better ways to work.

We believe quality should be built into every step of the process. This role will help us strengthen that approach by improving systems, addressing root causes, and preventing problems before they reach the customer.