Marcus Stephens
Newnan,GA
Summary
A proven business leader with vast experience across the realm of Quality Assurance with deep knowledge and understanding in the application of GxP and regulatory requirements. QA leadership experience spans across organizational boundaries, meeting R&D related compliance needs through meeting QA compliance needs in manufacturing and distribution. Forward thinking, and goal-oriented with considerable expertise working on cross discipline leadership teams. Strong analytical capability and skilled in teaching continuous improvement methodologies and tools and application to solve problems. Skilled in Learning & Development (building and delivering content, creating assessment, and LMS management and maintenance).
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Educator – Middle Grades
Coweta County School District
08.2021 - Current
- Prepare and implement lesson plans covering required course topics.
- Keep classroom environments consistent and focused on learning by establishing and enforcing clear objectives. Responsible for maintaining safe and engaging learning environment and reporting student progress
- Utilize multimedia strategies and technology to convey information in fresh and interesting ways.
- Job requires agility, analysis of learning styles, and creativity with instructional practices to deliver improvement year on year against County and school goals. Only one of two schools in County to improve GMAS Math results (+2.5% vs. 1YA)
- Responsible for parent engagement and academic intervention as necessary to help students achieve academic success
Independent Consultant
Self-Employed
05.2018 - 05.2021
- Organized and analyzed primary and secondary research to understand industry, market and company trends. Provide technical analysis and expertise about industry practices in Distribution Operations technology, manufacturing trends, and specific packaging technologies and suppliers
- Researched latest market trends to provide current knowledge to clients.
Quality Assurance Director
North America Distribution
01.2017 - 04.2018
- Responsible for Quality Assurance governance and compliance oversight for six large Distribution Centers in North America. All sites audited by external agencies received no deviations.
- Implemented company-wide Quality Management System (eQMS) for Warehouse & Distribution operations, maintaining compliance with Food, OTC Drug, Cosmetics, and Medical Device regulations and enhancing internal outcomes.
- Worked with R&D customization packaging group to resolve technical standards concerns and implemented improvements to Quality Alert system
- Enforced compliance with government regulations and company policies.
- Established and tracked quality department goals and objectives.
- Trained operations contractors on internal auditing and how to report findings to department heads for improvements. Collaborated with audit clients and action owners to apply root cause analysis guidance and establish effective corrective action plans. Delivered $100K savings by moving operations contractor to self-release.
- Interfaced directly with high-level executives within client companies, addressing concerns and correcting perceived faults to maintain smooth customer relationships.
- Executed quality assurance initiatives to increase compliance, eliminate losses, and improve customer experience. Delivered 20% reduction in OS&D
- Scheduled and chaired quality review meetings to review effectiveness of performance mitigating risk, improving throughput and achieving customer satisfaction.
Global Beauty Materials and Supplier Quality Director
Procter & Gamble Co
02.2012 - 12.2016
- Responsible for supplier quality assessment program management and compliance standards and practices across OTC Drug, Cosmetics, and Personal Care portfolio of products.
- Responsible for establishing, coordinating and monitoring corrective action & Kaizen work collaborating with internal P&G resources and supplier resources. Saved $30K per year eliminating audit duplication of key Global ingredient supplier
- Also responsible for direct consulting with R&D for compliance with product registration, ingredient and packaging material technical standards compliance
- Developed quality planning for multiple new product launches by verifying customer requirements and implementing in design and production.
- Direct manager for nine (9) supplier quality auditors located across Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia
- Established and led Beauty business first compendia compliance forum which brought together R&D packaging, materials development and quality assurance to meet USP materials and test methods compliance
- Led massive update to technical standards categorization to support company divestiture of Cosmetics and Fragrances. Transitioned over 4000 material standards in 6 weeks to meet divestiture team time table.
- Co-architect for organization renewal for the Global P&G Supplier assessment program which resulted in $800K cost avoidance through consolidation of regional multi-sector assessment teams. Also a member of the work team which transformed the supplier audit repository to Trackwise
- Generated $30K/year savings through innovative program for auditing with large global supplier of chemical ingredients
- Led strategy development and technology implementation plans across global Beauty packaging operations to eliminate mis-label, mis-pack and mis-print related defects. Built extensive database to monitor compliance and progress of implementation of project improvements. Responsible for providing URD, managing and integrating stakeholder input to design and create test scenarios to support off-shore software contractor work
- Education & Training Leader for Quality Assurance Training and Qualification systems across P&G Beauty business. Applied best practices to build, modify, and refresh training delivery process and training content to ensure 1100+ QA resources globally meet skill capability objectives. Pioneered use of web base training modules which reduced time to deploy new or revised standards from 6 months to 4 weeks.
Site Quality Assurance Manager
Procter & Gamble
07.2007 - 01.2012
- Developed and implemented comprehensive quality assurance plans to monitor product quality and adherence to regulatory standards and company QA standards.
- Responsible for ISO 9001 Certification, supplier quality management, digital solutions for eQMS, all training and development of quality and process engineering staff, expense budget and capital budget forecasting and cost control.
- Leader of fifteen (15) process engineering and quality engineering managers and quality assurance technicians
- Investigated customer complaints and performed corrective actions to resolve quality issues.
- Developed and implemented comprehensive quality assurance plans to monitor product quality and adherence to regulatory standards. Delivered 42% reduction in product defect level and 20% reduction in consumer complaints
- Assured consistent quality of production by implementing and enforcing automated practice systems.
- Implemented new quality assurance and customer service standards. Coordinated and hosted a work session with R&D, Corporate QA and Manufacturing QA to renew technical standards and control plans.
- Scheduled and chaired quality review meetings to review effectiveness of performance mitigating risk, improving throughput and achieving customer satisfaction.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to develop and implement process and system improvements. Delivered $1M cost savings project which was nominated and received Duracell Presidents award.
Sr Engineering Manager
Procter & Gamble Co
02.2005 - 06.2007
- Technical engineering leadership to design and install company’s largest automated warehouse system
- Created technology options, prepared technical specifications, vendor selection, bid evaluation, and created budget and managed three (3) major contracts with value nearly $65 million
- Also direct manager for 5 P&G mechanical and electrical engineers
- Project was delivered 18% below budgeted cost and system reliability more than 10X better than current company benchmark
- Project nominated and received top recognition of Ohio Project Management Association for Best Project Execution
- Upgraded ASRS system design features in line with Autonomous Maintenance and Progressive Maintenance requirements
Plant Engineering Manager
Procter & Gamble Co
08.2002 - 01.2005
- Scope of responsibility included Health, Safety, & Environmental management and compliance, Design Engineering systems, Capital management systems, Construction and Project Management, and Controls & Information Systems
- Collaborated with Corporate Engineering and Facilities contractors to create and execute site facilities Master Plan.
- Responsible for stewardship of an $8 million annual expense budget with $10MM - $15MM annual capital. Built capability of project managers through training and understanding P&G's capital management systems.
- Manager for staff of seventeen (17) technician and engineers
- Engineering start-up leadership for consolidation of volume at Augusta Plant. Project increased volume by 25%, packing line rate increase by 40%, while SKU count increased by 259%. Project was delivered on-time and on budget
- Increased department productivity by 15% through improvements in work allocation and skill development
- Owner for implementation of TPM Initiative Management Pillar and driving initiative success
- Taught TPM concepts and coached several improvement teams in operations. Delivered design improvement to Unit Load Formers which resulted in 69% reduction in unplanned machine stops.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Chemical Engineering
Howard University
Washington, DCSkills
- Quality Assurance
- ISO 9001
- Project Management
- Certified Math Teacher for Middle Grade Levels
- Lean Manufacturing
- Supplier Quality Management
- Stakeholder Communications
- Knowledge of Auditing Systems
- Corrective Actions
- Complaint Investigations
- Measurements and Analysis
Certification
- Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
- PMP - Project Management Professional
- COBIT
- ITIL
- Scrum Master
Timeline
Educator – Middle Grades
Coweta County School District
08.2021 - Current
Independent Consultant
Self-Employed
05.2018 - 05.2021
Quality Assurance Director
North America Distribution
01.2017 - 04.2018
Global Beauty Materials and Supplier Quality Director
Procter & Gamble Co
02.2012 - 12.2016
Site Quality Assurance Manager
Procter & Gamble
07.2007 - 01.2012
Sr Engineering Manager
Procter & Gamble Co
02.2005 - 06.2007
Plant Engineering Manager
Procter & Gamble Co
08.2002 - 01.2005
Bachelor of Science - Chemical Engineering
Howard University