Product Quality Manager

About Us 

At Covalent Lithium, we are genuinely passionate about creating a clean energy future and supporting our teams who enable this vision. 

Following the commissioning of our mine and concentrator at Mt Holland in 2024, we recently celebrated our first production of battery -grade lithium hydroxide at our Kwinana Refinery. We are now a fully integrated mine-to-refinery operation, supplying high quality lithium hydroxide to global markets and enabling approximately 1 million electric vehicles to go on the road, every year for the next 50 years.

We are proud to foster a culture where people with different skills, experiences and backgrounds are welcomed and set-up for success.

Employee Benefits

We support, empower and reward our people with a range of benefits:
•    Competitive remuneration, and annual incentives for eligible employees
•    Access to discounts, recognition and rewards
•    Access to flexible work arrangements
•    Dedicated wellbeing program support and discounted health insurance
•    Equal access to paid parental leave, financial support, return to work and parenting room
•    Salary sacrifice options for superannuation and novated leasing

The Role

The Product Quality Manager is responsible for delivering key quality outcomes across the business, while providing expert support to cross-functional teams including Laboratory, Operations, and Procurement.

This role oversees quality performance across both the Kwinana lithium hydroxide refinery and the Mt Holland spodumene concentrator, including:

•    Overseeing the quality of lithium hydroxide monohydrate, spodumene concentrate and saleable refinery co-products.
•    Implementing and maintaining ISO 9001 certification, along with other standards such as MAQMSR to support excellence in operational standards and products.
•    Overseeing laboratory operations, ensuring all systems are in place to achieve safety, productivity, and cost targets.
•    Engaging with laboratories, operations and procurement to ensure all necessary processes are in place for quality management and product compliance requirements.
•    Identifying and developing areas/units requiring improvement.
•    Review quality specifications for products and raw materials and ensure required deliverables are achieved.

This is a permanent, full-time position based at our Kwinana Refinery, with occasional travel required to our Mt Holland site.

Key Responsibilities 

•    Ensure all work is undertaken in a safe and efficient manner, in accordance with statutory requirements and Covalent policies & procedures.
•    Ensure all health, safety and environmental incidents are reported.
•    Implement and maintain ISO 9001 certification.
•    Serve as the Management Representative and as process owner of the Management Review and Internal Auditing processes.
•    Oversee quality of lithium hydroxide monohydrate, spodumene concentrate and saleable refinery co-products.
•    Ensure rigorous quality control and assurance systems are maintained, improved and followed by all personnel.
•    Interface with Covalent’s clients regarding quality requirements and address any issues or concerns.
•    Lead investigations involving quality issues in compliance with industry best practice methodologies, particularly 8D method.
•    Identifying and implementing quality continuous improvement system aimed to satisfy requirements for sub-tier suppliers to the automotive industry (OEMs), such as those identified in the product approval process by OEMs.
•    Lead qualification process for products to customers in the automotive industry.
•    Ensure effective communication and coordination between laboratory and plant operations to meet quality requirements.
•    Ensure robust quality standards are applied and followed by purchasing, operations and laboratory personnel through Key Performance Indicator (KPI) reporting process.
•    Oversee laboratory operations ensuring all quality control systems are in place to provide reliable results to operations.
•    Implement continuous improvement systems to ensure laboratory capabilities remain up to date with required industry standards.
•    Implement laboratory certifications to comply with requirements of shareholders and internal and external clients.
•    Ensure effective working relationships are built and maintained with other departments and stakeholders, both internal and external.
•    Lead the laboratory teams to deliver a quality service to internal and external clients.
•    Engage with operations and procurement to ensure all necessary processes are in place for quality management.

Role Requirements

•    Relevant tertiary qualifications – scientific or engineering degree preferred
•    A Valid Driver’s License
•    5+ years of Quality Management experience.
•    Strong knowledge of ISO 9001.
•    Strong working knowledge of quality management, preferably in a chemical/processing or similar industry.
•    Experience in hard rock lithium processing desired but not essential.

A competitive remuneration package commensurate with the role, candidate experience, skills and qualifications will be offered.  

Our team members are encouraged to bring their whole selves to work. Candidates from all backgrounds and ages are encouraged to apply, including First Nations People, those who identify as LGBTIQ+, people with disabilities and those with neurodiverse, intersectional, or multiple diverse characteristics.

Covalent Lithium is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer, with a focus on our employees. We recognise skills, expertise, commitment and living our values of Purpose, Care, Accountability and Collaboration. Our goal is to attract, develop, motivate, reward, and retain the best people in the industry. 

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