Sr. Quality Technician - 1st Shift - 6am to 2:30pm at AkzoNobel, Waukegan, IL

Sr. Quality Technician - 1st Shift - 6am to 2:30pm at AkzoNobel in Waukegan, IL. $33 an hour. Apply with swipeandhired.

Since 1792, we’ve been supplying the innovative paints and coatings that help to color people’s lives and protect what matters most. Our world class portfolio of brands – including Dulux, International, Sikkens and Interpon – is trusted by customers around the globe. We’re active in more than 150 countries and use our expertise to sustain and enhance the fabric of everyday life. Because we believe every surface is an opportunity. It’s what you’d expect from a pioneering and long-established paints company that’s dedicated to providing sustainable solutions and preserving the best of what we have today – while creating an even better tomorrow. Let’s paint the future together.

For more information please visit www.akzonobel.com

© 2026 Akzo Nobel N.V. All rights reserved.
About the Role

The Senior Quality Control Technician role is responsible for conducting advanced inspection, testing, and quality verification activities to ensure products and processes at the Waukegan site meet customer, regulatory, and company requirements.
This role serves as a technical resource for the Quality team, applying expertise in inspection methods, defect identification, data analysis, and problem-solving to support product conformity and manufacturing excellence.
The Senior Quality Control Technician partners closely with Operations, Engineering, Quality Assurance, and Supply Chain with other site stakeholders to identify quality risks, investigate nonconformances, support corrective actions, and drive continuous improvement initiatives.

Rewards & Benefits

• Pay: $33.00 per hour

• Benefits available Day 1 of employment, including:

• Medical insurance with HSA

• Dental insurance

• Vision insurance

• 401(k) retirement savings plan with 6% company match

• Annual bonus

• Generous vacation, sick, and holiday pay

• Progression (pay-for-skill) pay plans

• Short- and Long-Term Disability

• Paid Parental Leave after one year

• Career growth and development opportunities

• Active Diversity & Inclusion Networks

• Employee referral bonus

• Employee appreciation days

Key Responsibilities

• Perform batch inspections, testing, and quality evaluations of materials, components, and finished products.

• Serve as a expert for quality inspection methods, standards, and testing procedures.

• Support root cause investigations, corrective actions, and preventive actions.

• Provide coaching and technical guidance to Quality Control Technicians.

• Ensure compliance with customer specifications, regulatory requirements, and internal quality standards.

• Participate in audits, process reviews, and continuous improvement activities.

• Support the development and maintenance of inspection plans, procedures, and work instructions.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to resolve quality issues and prevent recurrence.

• Assist in validating process changes, new products, and quality improvement initiatives.

• Conducts tests including but not limited to viscosity, gloss, hardness, weight per gallon, non-volatile content, cleanliness, adhesion, and paint film properties.

• Tests raw materials.

• Evaluates off-specification batches and prepares adjustment recommendations in accordance with approved specifications, control limits, and operating procedures.

• Partners with Quality, Operations, and RDI stakeholders to troubleshoot manufacturing and product performance issues, identify root causes, and implement effective resolutions.

• Coordinates preparation and distribution of pre-shipment samples to support customer qualification, approval, and satisfaction requirements.

• Promotes a culture of workplace organization and operational excellence through active participation in 5S, laboratory housekeeping, and continuous improvement activities.

Decision-Making & Independent Judgment

• Reviews batch test results and authorizes release for filling upon verification that all product specifications and quality standards have been satisfied.

• Escalates nonconforming batch results to Quality management, RDI and Quality Assurance for evaluation, disposition, and resolution when product specifications are not achieved.

Minimum Qualifications

• Associate degree in a scientific related discipline (Chemistry, Biology, Engineering, Quality) with a minimum of two (2) years of laboratory experience.

OR
Five (5) or more years of laboratory, quality control, or manufacturing quality experience.

• Experience working within a regulated manufacturing environment.

• Proficient in basic mathematics and computer applications, including Microsoft Office Suite.

• Ability to stand and/or walk for extended periods throughout the work shift.

• Ability to safely lift and move materials weighing up to 50 pounds.

• Capable of wearing respiratory protection equipment and successfully passing required respirator fit testing.

• Strong attention to detail, organizational skills, and commitment to quality and safety standards.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Biology, Engineering, Quality, or a related technical field.

• Knowledge of quality systems, testing methodologies, and continuous improvement principles with a minimum of one (1) years of laboratory experience.

• Experience using laboratory instruments, data management systems, and quality-related software applications.

What We're Looking For

We are looking for an experienced, detail-oriented Quality Control professional who takes pride in accuracy, problem-solving, and maintaining high quality standards.
The ideal candidate brings strong technical knowledge, sound judgment, and a proactive approach to identifying and resolving quality issues. You should be comfortable working in a fast-paced manufacturing environment, collaborating across departments, and serving as a technical resource to other Quality Control Technicians.
Success in this role requires a commitment to safety, product quality, continuous improvement, and delivering consistent results for our customers.

Grow With Us

As a Senior Quality Control Technician, you'll have the opportunity to further develop your technical expertise in aerospace coatings, laboratory testing, quality systems, and manufacturing processes.
You'll gain valuable experience supporting root cause investigations, process improvements, and cross-functional initiatives while helping develop other members of the Quality team.
We encourage continuous learning and professional development, with opportunities to expand your skills and pursue future career opportunities within Quality Control, Quality Assurance, and other areas of our manufacturing organization.

At AkzoNobel we are highly committed to ensuring an inclusive and respectful workplace where all employees can be their best self. We strive to embrace diversity in a context of tolerance. Our talent acquisition process plays an integral part in this journey, as setting the foundations for a diverse environment. For this reason we train and educate on the implications of our Unconscious Bias in order for our TA and hiring managers to be mindful of them and take corrective actions when applicable. In our organization, all qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age or disability.