Interim Quality Manager
Interim Search has been commissioned to recruit an interim Quality Manager for a Swedish manufacturing company specializing in plant-based ingredients, with operations in western Sweden.
The company is currently in a phase where the appropriate certification and GMP standards need to be identified, decided upon, and implemented. This role is ideal for someone with experience in the cosmetics industry—particularly with ingredients and raw materials—and who has practical experience managing quality systems, certification, and audit readiness in a manufacturing environment. Equivalent extensive GMP experience from the pharmaceutical industry or other regulated ingredient production may also be relevant.
Main duties:
- Identify the appropriate quality standard or certification path moving forward—such as EFfCI GMP, C-GMP, or another relevant standard—based on customer requirements, market requirements, and the product’s intended use.
- Conduct a gap assessment and develop a practical implementation roadmap for certification, quality systems, documentation, processes, and audit readiness.
- Lead the implementation of selected quality requirements in production, including SOPs, document control, hygiene requirements, traceability, batch logic, release/disposition, and relevant customer documentation.
- Take strategic and operational responsibility for quality assurance at the plant and lead a small quality team.
- Conduct nonconformance management, root cause analysis, and CAPA, and ensure follow-up and verification of the effectiveness of implemented measures.
- Establish requirements for and monitor suppliers and external partners related to ingredients, raw materials, input materials, external laboratories, and processing/extraction partners.
- Work closely with production and R&D during testing, product launches, and scaling up to ensure that quality requirements are built in from the start.
To be eligible for the role:
- You have several years of experience in quality management in manufacturing operations within the cosmetics industry, preferably with a focus on cosmetic ingredients, raw materials, or the corresponding supply chain.
- You have practical experience with GMP and/or EFfCI GMP. Experience implementing or preparing operations for GMP/EFfCI certification is a particular priority.
- Alternatively, you have extensive and transferable experience in the pharmaceutical, biotech, API, or nutraceutical industries, or in other regulated manufacturing sectors where GMP, batch logic, documentation, and audit requirements are central.
- You have a solid understanding of QMS, traceability, batch management, release procedures, nonconformance management, CAPA, change control, and supplier quality.
- You have experience leading employees, providing clarity, and communicating confidently with production, R&D, purchasing, customers, suppliers, and external auditors.
- You are organized, decisive, and strong in operational matters, with the ability to balance regulatory compliance, business needs, and production realities.
Meritorious
- Experience with complex raw materials or substances for the cosmetics or biochemical industries.
- Experience in selecting, defining requirements for, and implementing relevant certification within an immature or growing quality environment.
- Experience with scaling up, product launches, or operations undergoing significant change.
About the process
The assignment is expected to last 6 months, with the possibility of an extension. It is a full-time position starting in week 26 (vacation weeks 28–31). Candidates will be interviewed in week 25.
