Senior Quality Manager Jobs in Illinois
Senior Quality Manager jobs in Illinois are in strong demand, concentrated in manufacturing, food and beverage processing, medical devices, and automotive supply chain, with openings at every level from quality engineer through director. The busiest hiring markets are Chicago, Rockford, and the Metro East corridor near St. Louis, where established employers like Abbott Laboratories, Caterpillar, and Kraft Heinz maintain significant operations and ongoing quality leadership needs. The most sought-after specialties include supplier quality, ISO and FDA regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement leadership. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 115,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.
Senior Specialist Quality Assurance
Working at Abbott
At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and your family, be your true self, and live a full life. You’ll also have access to:
Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of.
Employees can qualify for free medical coverage in our Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO medical plan in the next calendar year.
An excellent retirement savings plan with a high employer contribution
Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program, and FreeU education benefit - an affordable and convenient path to getting a bachelor’s degree.
A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries worldwide and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune.
A company that is recognized as one of the best big companies to work for as well as the best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists.
The Opportunity
At Molecular Diagnostics, we realize the potential of personalized care as the laboratory’s most trusted and preferred source for molecular diagnostic solutions. We are a division of Abbott Laboratories, a global, diversified healthcare innovator with a legacy of pioneering work in medical diagnostics.
The Senior Specialist, Quality Assurance role is part of our Molecular Diagnostics Business Unit and is based at either our Des Plaines, IL or Lake Forest, IL location.
This role will conduct quality-related activities in the area of Complaint Handling to deliver consistent, high-quality documents, services, products, and processes that add value to the business. The primary function of the Quality Specialist is to assist in maintaining the quality system.
What You’ll Work On
- Complaints Coordination, Postproduction Risk, CAPA, Surveillance and Maintenance, Field Actions, Metrics, etc.
- Assist with other support duties as assigned.
- Participate in the Corrective Action/Preventive Action (CAPA) process, including the investigation of failures or deviations as required.
- Maintain product complaint logs to identify and report recurring issues to Quality Assurance Management and Product Development. Collaborate with other internal groups to respond to product inquiries and issues.
- Write and revise SOPs, controlled forms, and related documents to ensure best practices and alignment with current operations.
- Collaborate with members of the Quality Assurance team working on special projects.
- Participate on permanent and temporary teams that are process- or project-driven.
- Become familiar with and serve as a subject matter expert on electronic support systems, including TraqWise, CMSNext, SmartSolve, SAP, and related platforms.
- Collect, analyze, and publish quality metrics.
- Assist in the preparation of distribution reports as needed for product information letters and field actions.
- Support the drafting of field action letters and other field action-related documentation.
- Reconcile and maintain field action files, ensuring all documentation is complete and appropriately filed in accordance with corporate/division standards to facilitate easy retrieval for audit support.
- Prepare 806 monthly status reports in support of 21 CFR Part 806 field action requirements.
- Track recall activities through closure and prepare final closure documentation for each field action file.
- Support audit readiness activities for internal (site, division, and corporate) and external (FDA, ISO, BSI, TUV, etc.) audits.
- Handle data requests from other departments pertaining to risk or field action data.
- Serve as a team member and/or leader on projects focused on continuous process improvement.
- May own CAPA activities for department CAPAs.
- Facilitate the post-production risk process in cases involving distributed nonconforming product and may support drafting post-production risk records.
Required Qualifications
- Apprenticeship or Bachelor’s degree in Life Science; Engineering; or closely related discipline is required OR relevant combination of education or experience.
- At least 3 years work experience in Quality or related field experience; Less experience may be appropriate with advanced degree.
- Direct experience in a Quality or Regulatory Affairs role in a GMP related industry
- Demonstrates understanding of how their function supports the business.
- Demonstrates technical and business competencies that drive results and continuous improvement.
- Candidate should be flexible, have strong problem-solving skills, excellent written and oral communication skills, and be able to lead cross functional teams.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with post-market quality
- Experience participating in or supporting both internal and external audits
- Working knowledge of ISO 13485 (QMS), 21 CFR, IVDR 2017/746, MDR 2017/745, and other international regulations
- Experience with medical devices containing software
- Experience working with software management systems, such as ERP systems
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
- Must have the ability to support business needs across different time zones, as needed
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Strong organizational and prioritization skills
Apply Now
Learn more about our health and wellness benefits, which provide the security to help you and your family live full lives: www.abbottbenefits.com
Follow your career aspirations to Abbott for diverse opportunities with a company that can help you build your future and live your best life. Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to employee diversity.
Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott, and on Twitter @AbbottNews.
The base pay for this position is $78,000.00 – $156,000.00. In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.
See All 52 Senior Quality Manager Jobs in Illinois
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Find Senior Quality Manager JobsSenior Quality Manager Jobs by City in Illinois
Where Illinois roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Senior Quality Manager Job Market in Illinois
A snapshot from current Illinois openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring



Top Industries Hiring
- Consulting & Professional Services
- Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals
- Electronics & Hardware
- Distribution & Wholesale
- Manufacturing
What Illinois Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in senior quality manager jobs across Illinois.
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, science, or a related technical field required
- ASQ Certified Quality Manager or Certified Quality Engineer credential strongly preferred
- Seven or more years of quality management experience in a regulated industry
- Demonstrated experience leading root cause analysis and corrective action programs
- Proficiency with quality management systems such as ISO 9001, IATF 16949, or FDA 21 CFR
- Experience managing cross-functional teams and presenting quality metrics to senior leadership
Senior Quality Manager Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a senior quality manager in Illinois?
Reaching a senior quality manager role in Illinois typically requires a bachelor's degree in engineering, manufacturing, or a life sciences field combined with progressive quality experience in a regulated sector. Illinois does not issue a state license for quality managers, but employers in manufacturing and healthcare strongly favor candidates holding credentials from the American Society for Quality, particularly the Certified Manager of Quality and Organizational Excellence or Certified Quality Engineer designations, which you pursue through ASQ directly.
How much do senior quality managers make in Illinois?
Senior quality managers in Illinois earn a median of about $127,270 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $82,900 for the lowest 10% to over $205,310 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire senior quality managers in Illinois?
Employers hiring senior quality managers in Illinois right now include Medline Industries, AbbVie, and Abbott, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Illinois's dense concentration of food production, medical device, and industrial manufacturing facilities means demand for quality leadership roles remains consistent across both large corporations and mid-size contract manufacturers throughout the state.
Which Illinois cities have the most senior quality manager jobs?
Chicago, Lake Forest, and North Chicago account for the largest share of senior quality manager openings in Illinois. Chicago and its suburbs drive the most volume because the region hosts a high density of corporate headquarters, medical device companies, and food manufacturers, while Rockford's long-established machining and aerospace supply chain base generates consistent quality leadership demand outside the metro.
Are there remote senior quality manager jobs in Illinois?
Yes, but they're rare. Quality management at the senior level is heavily on-site because it involves floor audits, supplier visits, and hands-on production oversight that can't be done remotely. About 61% of senior quality manager openings tied to Illinois are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, and those positions are most often focused on quality systems, documentation, or supplier quality roles where the core work is analytical rather than production-floor based.
How can I get hired as a senior quality manager in Illinois with little or no experience?
The most realistic path is starting as a quality engineer or quality technician in Illinois's manufacturing sector and building toward senior roles from there. Large Illinois employers in food processing, medical devices, and industrial manufacturing regularly hire quality engineers at the associate level and promote from within. Earning an ASQ Certified Quality Engineer credential early gives a candidate a clear edge, and roles like production supervisor or process engineer in Illinois facilities often serve as lateral entry points that build the cross-functional experience senior quality manager roles require.
Where can I find and apply to senior quality manager jobs in Illinois?
You can find and apply to senior quality manager jobs in Illinois on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from Illinois employers. Search the listings to find roles that match your experience level, industry, and location, then apply directly to the ones that fit.
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