FSQA Manager

Job Description:

JOB PURPOSE:

The Manager, Food Safety and Quality Assurance (FSQA) has the primary responsibility of managing and continuously improving the plant’s food safety and quality systems to ensure compliance with all corporate requirements to produce safe, quality, and wholesome pet food products. This includes direct supervision of QA Supervisor and/or Sanitation Supervisor, and indirect supervision of QA Technicians and Sanitation Technician.  Develops and implements inspection, sampling, testing, and monitoring programs to assure all the products manufactured by the plant meet customer specifications. The FSQA Manager serves as the site SQF Practitioner and Food Safety Team Leader. The FSQA Manager informs plant management/personnel of the latest changes to relevant legislation, scientific and technical developments, emerging food safety issues, and relevant industry codes of practice.  The FSQA Manager oversees the performance of the site QA laboratory and site sanitation programs.  Oversees and improves cGMPs, Foreign Material Control, Pest Control, Food Defense programs and compliance.  Ensure the site programs and procedures meet customer requirements and specifications.  Accountable for Food Safety and Quality program performance metrics.

DESCRIPTION OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Drive the corporate Food Safety and Quality Objectives outlined in the company’s Management Policy.
• Manage the food safety and quality systems (including current Good Manufacturing Practices, other prerequisite food safety programs, and Food Safety Plan) to meet the requirements of the SQF Food Safety Code for Manufacturing.
• Use statistical process control (SPC) and/or other quality tools to reduce process variation and drive root cause analysis of non-conformities.
• Manage the Food Safety Plan to ensure compliance with FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requirements.
• Ensure regulatory requirements and standards such as NIST Handbook 133, labeling is met.
• Assist and oversee work of QA Supervisor and/or Sanitation Supervisor, QA Laboratory Technicians, and Sanitation Technicians
• Ensure food safety/quality policies, SOP’s, SSOP’s, and schedules are implemented, understood, routinely assessed, improved upon, and well maintained.
• Assure that the environmental monitoring and sampling/microbiological testing of finished product programs are implemented, routinely assessed, improved upon, and well maintained, as directed by company policies.
• Coordinate direct process control, product evaluation/inspection and analytical testing & activities.
• Collect, analyze, and interpret relevant data.
• Coordinate external and internal food safety/quality audits and inspections for the facility.
• Lead cross-functional teams in the investigations of customer/consumer complaints and write or review complaint investigation reports (CIRs).
• Identify, investigate failures, “not in specification” incidents, nonconformance’s, unusual occurrences and collaborate with cross-functional teams to take appropriate corrective/preventive actions.
• Review trends in quality complaints.
• Manage QA Hold Program and inventory.
• Actively contribute to the achievement of plant KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). Maintain and report all site-specific food safety/quality KPI’s.
• Travel to other Alphia locations, suppliers, or customers, as needed.
• Identify relevant food safety and quality-related training needs, develop/implement employee training program.
• Function as a technical resource for operations team and other departments regarding product food safety and quality.
• Train, mentor and coach food safety, quality, and sanitation personnel to foster the team spirit.
• Coordinate maintenance and calibration of laboratory equipment.
• Develops and is accountable for site Food Safety and Quality budget.
• Manage organic and export programs for the plant.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS:

• B.S. degree in food science, chemistry, microbiology, engineering, or related science with a minimum of 3 years’ experience in the food industry - Preferred
• And/or B.A. degree in a science discipline or a bachelor’s degree in a non-science discipline with at least 5 years’ experience in the food industry - Required
• And/or 10 years’ experience in the food industry in a Food Safety and Quality Management leadership role - Required
• Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) certified or will complete a course within 3 months of hire.
• Experience overseeing on-site QA Laboratories and instrumentation is preferred.
• Experience overseeing food facility sanitation programs is preferred.
• Experience overseeing food facility Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs is preferred.
• Experience in auditing, inspections, and quality assurance.
• Technical knowledge of food safety and quality systems.
• Good problem solving and corrective action/resolution skills.
• Strong organizational, leadership and communication skills.
• Ability to work well as a member of a cross-functional team.
• Strong computer skills with experience using Microsoft Office Suite.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: (The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential function. The phrases “occasionally,” “regularly,” and “frequently” correspond to the following definitions: “occasionally” means up to 25% of working time, “regularly” means between 26 and 75% of working time, and “frequently” means 76% and more of working time.)

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear, walk, and move from place to place. The employee is occasionally required to sit, use foot/feet to operate machine, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl or reach above shoulders. The employee is frequently required to stand and use hands to finger, handle, or touch. The employee must be able to climb stairs and ladders and walk the plant floors that could exceed one mile of travel, per day.
• The employee must exert 20 to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and / or up to 10 to 25 pounds of force frequently, and / or greater than negligible up to ten pounds of force constantly. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: (The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions).

• The employee may be frequently exposed to allergens and/or airborne particles in the production area. Production employees are exposed to temperatures ranging from 50 to 115 degrees, depending on the season and workstation, and may be working near moving mechanical parts. Occasional exposure to outdoor weather conditions may occur.
• The noise level in the work environment may be loud while production equipment is running.
• Food Safety and Good Manufacturing Practices, including appropriate safety equipment apply. Personal Protection Equipment (including, but not limited to, boots, gloves, safety glasses, and/or face shields) is required during various processes in the production area. Ear plugs and bump caps are always required in the production area.

Alphia is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.