Quality Assurance Manager

SUMMARY 

This role ensures adherence to the Sartori Quality System by leading a team responsible for food safety and quality programs, driving continuous improvement, and maintaining compliance with customer, regulatory, and third-party standards. The position supports operational performance and product integrity through quality oversight, team leadership, training, and cross-functional partnership. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following.  Other duties may be assigned. 

• Leads implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the Sartori Quality System and Safe Quality Foods (SQF) programs to ensure compliance with regulatory and company standards.  

• Develops and delivers training programs through UKG Learning to ensure adherence to food safety, good manufacturing practices, allergen control, food defense, and quality system requirements.  

• Drives continuous improvement by leading cross-functional teams in root cause analysis, corrective actions, and problem solving using tools such as statistical process control and A3 methodology.  

• Manages non-conformance processes, including evaluation, disposition, and documentation of affected products to ensure compliance and minimize risk.  

• Investigates, documents, and resolves customer complaints, ensuring timely closure and alignment with company and regulatory requirements.  

• Analyzes and communicates quality-related issues, providing clear, data-driven responses and recommendations to stakeholders.  

• Partners with cross-functional teams to define and implement quality standards for new products and processes; updates quality systems, policies, and work instructions accordingly.  

• Leads onboarding and ongoing quality orientation for team members, including supervisors and leaders, to build capability and reinforce quality expectations.  

• Plans and leads regulatory, customer, and third-party audits, ensuring site readiness and successful outcomes.  

• Collaborates with production leadership to improve processes, enhance product consistency, and strengthen operational performance.  

• Leads food safety and food defense programs, including facilitating routine team meetings and driving awareness across the facility.  

• Partners with site leadership to achieve quality performance metrics and support overall manufacturing objectives.  

• Ensures timely review and resolution of product and raw material holds, maintaining inventory compliance and meeting defined service level expectations.  

• Immediately reports food safety or quality issues to management or authorized personnel and takes appropriate action to mitigate risk. 

SQF Backup Provision:  In the absence of the Quality Assurance Manager, the Operations FSQ Manager - Converting will fulfill the responsibilities of the Quality Assurance Manager.  

DIRECT REPORTS 

This position directly leads a team of Food Safety and Quality Team Members  

QUALIFICATIONS  

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE  

• Bachelor’s Degree in Biology, Microbiology, Food Science, Nutrition, or related field, required.   

• 5+ years of related experience in a food facility, experience in quality systems, required. 

• Experience in a dairy facility, preferred.  

• Experience implementing and applying quality tools (CAPA, Root Cause Analysis, FMEA) and auditing experience, preferred.    

• Knowledge of basic scientific principles and microbiological principles and techniques and quality control principles and procedures, required. 

• Knowledge of adult learning principles, required. 

• Strong computer skills to include proficiency in Word, Excel, Outlook, JD Edwards or related ERP, required. 

• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, to establish goals, convey ideas and provide clear direction, required. 

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES 

• Empathetic: Demonstrates understanding of others’ feelings and perspectives. 

• Assertive: Communicates viewpoints confidently and respectfully. 

• Articulate: Communicates clearly and effectively in written and verbal formats. 

• Constructive Feedback: Provides timely, specific and respectful feedback. 

• Judgment: Forms sound opinions and make solid decisions. 

• Ethical: Acts with integrity and aligns behavior to organizational values. 

• Quality Commitment: Consistently strives to meet high standards of excellence. 

• Balances Stakeholders: Understands, anticipates, and balances the needs of multiple stakeholders. 

• Collaborative: Partners with others to realize better results. 

• Coaching: Uses questions and dialogue to guide others toward solutions. 

• Initiative: Takes proactive action without being prompted. 

• Resilient: Recovers quickly from setbacks and maintains focus during change. 

• Detail-oriented: Ensures accuracy and precision in work output. 

• Prioritizes Effectively: Identifies and focuses on the most critical responsibilities. 

• Information Seeker: Proactively gathers relevant information to inform decisions. 

• Innovative: Applies original thinking to develop practical improvements. 

CERTIFICATIONS 

• HACCP Certified 

• PCQI Certified  

• SQF Practitioner  

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt preferred 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

WORK LOCATION 

This role is expected to be onsite at the Sartori Whey location in Plymouth, WI on a regular basis. 

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS  

Occasional Travel (up to 10%) – Limited travel for training, meetings, or visits to other Sartori facilities. 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS  

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a Team Member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.   

This role requires extended periods of sitting and standing, movement between work areas or locations, climbing stairs, climbing ladders or platforms, bending or stooping, crouching or squatting, kneeling, twisting, reaching at various heights, and working in fixed or restricted positions. The role may involve lifting or carrying up to 50 pounds and applying forceful exertion to operate tools, levels or machinery. The role requires repetitive hand or arm movements, frequent grasping or gripping, fine finger manipulation, precise hand coordination, and sustained use of hands or arms. The role requires the ability to see details at close range, see at a distance, distinguish colors, perceive depth, hear alarms, signals, or verbal instructions, and communicate verbally. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT  

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a Team Member encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

This role is performed in both an office and non-office setting. The typical noise level for this role is moderate to loud. The role may require on-call availability based on operational needs 

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by Team Members assigned to this work.  This is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. Sartori Company reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet organizational and business needs as necessary.