Quality Assurance Manager - Food Production

We are seeking a dynamic FSQA Leader to champion our food safety culture and drive operational excellence. You will serve as our resident expert on regulatory compliance, product quality, and process authority. In this role, you will lead a dedicated team, manage your own department budget, and collaborate directly with Sales and Operations to bring new products to life safely and efficiently.

Key Responsibilities

Regulatory & Quality Leadership

• SQF Practitioner: Lead our Safe Quality Food program and spearhead the crisis management team.
• Process Authority: Act as the company’s official Process Authority for Acidified Foods.
• HACCP Team Chair: Lead the food safety team to execute root-cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Audit Management: Oversee third-party food safety audits to satisfy customer and corporate standards.
• Executive Backup: Support and cover for the VP of Operations on critical regulatory matters.

Key Relationships

You will actively engage with customers, brokers, material suppliers, equipment manufacturers, auditors, all internal company functions, and industry technical sources.

Operations & Supplier Management

• Pest Control Officer: Direct and manage all Integrated Pest Management functions.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Sales and Operations on new product development and cost-saving initiatives.
• Specification Control: Maintain ingredient and finished product specifications, including supplier approvals.
• Procurement Approval: Collaborate with Operations to approve and order supplies, equipment, and ingredients.

Team Development & Innovation

• Team Leadership: Supervise, mentor, and develop a team of approximately three quality professionals.
• Budget Ownership: Prepare and manage the annual Food Safety, Quality Assurance, and Pest Control budget.
• Training Programs: Design and implement food safety training for employees, contractors, and suppliers.
• Continuous Learning: Maintain technical knowledge through workshops, industry networks, and publications.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science or a related technical field.
• Experience: Minimum of 10 years in the food industry, including a strong supervisory background in quality.
• Skills: Exceptional communication skills with a proven ability to lead cross-functional teams.
• Travel: Ability to travel on a limited basis as required by business needs.
• HACCP and SQF Certifications Preferred.