Quality Management System Specialist

The Asahi Kasei Group operates with a commitment of creating for tomorrow.  Our business sectors, Materials, Homes, and Health Care, contribute to the development of society by anticipating the changing needs of those around the world. We look for candidates that offer a fresh perspective and a variety of skills to help us achieve our commitment.

Asahi Kasei is a long-trusted supplier of lithium-ion battery separators – polymer-based microporous membranes that are a key component of the lithium batteries used to power electric vehicles, renewable energy storage systems, and more. We are currently seeking applications to fill the following job opening at Asahi Kasei Battery Separator Canada, where we are in the process of constructing a new lithium battery separator manufacturing facility to support increasing North American demand.

Company:

Asahi Kasei Battery Separator Canada Corporation

Job Description:

We are seeking a Quality Management System (QMS) Specialist to be a part of a new plant start-up based in Port Colborne, Ontario.   This position will be responsible for leading the development, implementation, certification readiness, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the organization’s QMS, with a primary focus on achieving and sustaining IATF 16949 certification. This position is a new role for AKBSCA.

• Sincerity – Being sincere with everyone.
• Challenge – Boldly taking challenges, continuously seeking change.
• Creativity – Creating new value through unity and synergy.

Management System Administration

• Develop and maintain management of system structures, workflows, templates, and governance processes.
• Serve as the owner and administrator of AKBSCA selected QMS software platform.
• Ensure effective document lifecycle management including creation, review, approval, revision, retention, and archiving.
• Lead IATF 16949 certification readiness activities and ensure alignment with ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, customer-specific requirements, and company requirements.
• Manage AKBSCA’s document control process and ensure version control accuracy by maintaining controlled documents including:
  • Policies
  • Procedures
  • Work instructions
  • SOP’s
  • Forms
  • Records
• Collaborate with Process Owners to define, document and update business processes.
• Plan, coordinate, and track IATF 16949 implementation activities, including gap assessments, action plans, process documentation, internal readiness reviews, and certification audit preparation.
• Monitor system effectiveness and recommend improvements.
• Lead and improve the change management process.

Audit & Compliance Support

• Lead Internal/External IATF audits and customer audits. Coordinate responses to internal and external audit findings.
• Track non-conformances and lead root cause analysis to solve system failures. Provide management system metrics and reports as required.
• Provide project status updates, risk escalation, and milestone tracking related to QMS implementation and IATF 16949 certification readiness.
• Complete pre-audit questionnaires for customer audits.

Training and Quality Awareness

• Provide QMS training to employees and management.
• Provide IATF and Core Tools training to internal auditors.
• Develop training materials related to quality processes and system requirements.
• Promote quality awareness and best practices throughout the organization.
• Support onboarding and competency assessments for quality-related processes.

Key Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Strong understanding of IATF requirements.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong facilitation and cross-functional coordination skills.
• Ability to interpret standards, procedures, and technical documentation.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 and quality management software.
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to develop implementation plans, manage milestones, coordinate cross-functional activities, track risks and actions, and drive projects to completion.
• Ability to influence and align process owners and functional leaders without direct authority to achieve certification and business process objectives.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellence

Education Background:

• Minimum Bachelor's degree in Quality Management, Engineering, Manufacturing, Business Administration, or related field.
• Certified Quality Auditor preferred.

Knowledge & Experience: 

• Plus, 5+ years of experience in quality assurance, quality systems, or compliance management within a manufacturing environment.
• Experience maintaining, or leading certification readiness for IATF 16949-certified management systems required.
• Experience leading external audits, certification audits, customer audits, gap assessments, and corrective action follow-up preferred.
• Demonstrated project management experience in quality system implementation, certification preparation, manufacturing start-up, process improvement, or cross-functional business process deployment is highly preferred.
• Experience in automotive, battery manufacturing, chemical, or highly regulated industries is considered an asset.

Expected Compensation:

• Salary based position with a range of $80,000.00 to $105,000.00 based on education and experience.  

Travel:

• Must hold a valid Passport and be willing to travel up to 5-10% internationally for training and visiting other company locations, predominately the United States of America and Japan. 

Schedule:

• Full-time 100% in-person position.
• Typical work hours are Monday to Friday, with flexibility to address urgent issues as needed 24/7. Attendance at meetings and trainings on off shifts may also be required periodically.

This position will be based in a temporary office on the construction site until the permanent office is built in 202. The final work environment will be at a 24/7 manufacturing operation.  This position is in support of manufacturing and requires working in a production environment around chemicals. The manufacturing facility will be a state of the art in terms of automation and being temperature and humidity controlled.  This will be a clean and comfortable environment due to the nature of the products being produced.

Asahi Kasei Battery Separator Canada is a pioneer in battery technology and a long-trusted supplier of lithium battery separators, which are polymer-based microporous membranes that are key components of lithium-ion batteries (LIB) used in consumer electronics and electric vehicles.

The company’s Hipore™ brand of separators has been commercially available since the lithium battery market’s inception in the early 1990s, and they are found primarily in electric drive vehicles (EDVs) as well as in consumer electronics (CE) such as smartphones, tablets and personal computers. Hipore™ membrane separators bring high porosity and excellent energy transfer, while contributing to battery safety and reliability, and they are especially well matched for the high-capacity batteries required for power plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and full battery (BEV) vehicles. 

Asahi Kasei is accelerating its next phase of global growth with proactive investment and capacity expansion in battery separators to meet increasing demand for electric vehicle applications. We are now in the early phases of staffing our new greenfield site, in Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada, which will further build our LIB separator infrastructure for automotive applications to meet growing demand in North America where significant expansion of electric vehicle production is forecasted. 

The Asahi Kasei Group is a diversified group of companies led by holding company Asahi Kasei Corp., with operations in the material, homes, and health care business sectors. With more than 49,000 employees around the world, the Asahi Kasei Group serves customers in more than 100 countries. We are Creating for Tomorrow!

For more information, go to www.ak-bsc.ca.

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As an equal opportunity employer, Asahi Kasei is dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce. Asahi Kasei believes that its diverse workforce strengthens the company’s ability to adapt and thrive in a changing world .