Food Safety & Quality Assurance Director

The Director of Food Safety & Quality Assurance is a key leadership position responsible for ensuring that all products meet the quality standards, comply with regulatory requirements, and are produced in a safe, hygienic environment.

The ideal candidate will be a strong leader, and collaborator possessing in-depth knowledge of food safety regulations, and quality assurance practices, a proven track record of successfully partnering with stakeholder teams to achieve operational excellence, creating and managing best-in-class processes, ensuring compliance with all relevant food regulations.  This role will lead and manage our food manufacturing plant’s food safety, quality assurance, customer expectations, SQF certification requirements, sanitation programs and training in support of.  This position requires an experienced leader who can work independently with minimal direction and will report directly to the Vice President of FSQA.

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership, Team Management & Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of quality systems professionals, cultivating a high-energy and hands-on culture that encourages team collaboration, growth, and continuous improvement.
• Serve as the subject matter expert for food safety and quality assurance, offering expert guidance and support to internal teams, including production, R&D, operations, and all other departments.
• Provide FSQA updates to Operations, Executive Leadership, and other departments on FSQA key initiatives, challenges, failures, and improvements.
• Managing relationship with plant inspection personnel and serve as the programs subject matter expert for food safety and quality assurance.
• Mange the PHIS admin functions, responding to regulatory non-compliance and collaborating internally.

Food Safety & Quality Program Management and Development

• Develop, and manage FSQA programs, including the HACCP Program, Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures, Pest Control, Good Manufacturing Practices, Traceability, Food Defense, and Security. Ensure compliance with all relevant food safety regulations (e.g., FDA, USDA, HACCP, FSMA, Identity preserved materials – Halal, Kosher, GAP).
• Manage the regulatory compliance, and quality systems procedures for all products (raw and cooked) across the company, not limited to product nonconformance RCA/CAPA, holds & release, quality reporting and KPIs, food safety programs and all associated pre-requisite and preventive control programs.
• Create effective training programs and adjust as necessary to address emerging food safety and quality challenges in support of execution teams.
• Responsible for the development of written procedures (SOP), work instructions as appropriate and training on new and existing procedures.
• Support and lead as needed, the team in food safety audits, inspections, and assessments, both internal and external, to ensure ongoing compliance and readiness.
• Support QA managers to ensure adherence to food safety standards, proactively identifying and mitigate potential risks to maintain a compliant production environment.
• Regularly review the programs and support development identifying improvement opportunities for effective execution for product quality standards, specifications, and testing procedures.
• Manage the development and maintenance of quality documentation, including product specifications, process work instructions, test results, internal audit reports.
• Responsible for KPIs and FSQA Metrics in collaboration with QA managers to prepare and present as needed regular reports to VP FSQA and leadership on food safety, quality metrics, audit results, and compliance status.
• Participating and lead as needed, regular internal audits to ensure compliance with QMS and regulatory requirements and understand opportunities for training development.
• Collaborating with R&D team on red-folder approvals, product validation processes.
• Verify, approve, and ensure required documentation and record keeping of all new and revised formulas and specifications. Assists in product commercialization and plant trails.
• Support export process training and development with internal stakeholders.
• Support QA managers in troubleshooting events in sanitation, product performance, and quality or food safety issues.
• Partner with QA manager in facilitation of verification and validation activities associated with food safety and quality plans.
• Oversee sanitation program performance, documentation, validation and verification of the sanitation program. Lead periodic sanitation audits against the consistent application and execution of procedures and related sanitation practices.

Supplier Quality Management

• Responsible for supplier approval program management in collaboration with the procurement team.
• Oversee the supplier FSMA compliance activities with guidance to the Quality systems manager in Food Logiq management.
• Provide guidance on supplier activities related to quality, food safety, and product safety to ensure compliance with company standards and regulations. Supplier onsite visits as needed.
• Play key role in supplier deficiency improvement process, problem-cause identification and correction.

**If you’d like to hear more about this opportunity and others we are currently working on, please contact Jeff Fee at jfee@cps4jobs.com.

JO:  35.25JF
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Salary

$145,000 - $165,000

Benefits

Full medical, dental, 401(k)

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in food science, Food Safety, Microbiology, Chemistry, or a related field; or equivalent professional experience that demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of industry and job-specific knowledge, skills, and practices.
• 8-10 years of experience in food safety and quality assurance within the food manufacturing industry, with at least 5 years in a leadership role, direct management experience, including experience managing Managers.
• Experience with raw, ready-to-eat meat and/or poultry is required.
• HACCP, SQF Practitioner and Preventive Controls Qualified Individual certifications required.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• In-depth knowledge of food safety regulations (FDA, USDA, FSMA, GMP, HACCP) and other industry-specific standards.
• Strong experience in managing diverse teams, fostering a positive culture, and collaborating effectively across multiple departments.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to identify problems, analyze data, and implement effective solutions, and the ability to handle multiple projects to ensure timely completion.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced and changing environment while interacting with staff at all levels.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Redzone, FoodLogiq, ERP and quality management software.
• Strong, positive team leadership and collaboration skills.
• Experienced in SPC development and understanding system capabilities.
• Experience in development, implementation, training, and administration of GMP, SQF, HACCP, FDA, USDA Organic, Kosher or other regulatory or industry certification program development and administration.
• Demonstrated strength in process improvement, SOP documentation and plant employee training.
• Understanding of sanitation systems, techniques, and procedures.
• Possesses understanding of the basics of change management.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, projects, and simultaneous user needs.
• Strong project management skills.
• Mental demands include multi-tasking, decision making, problem solving, comparing, computing, compiling, analyzing, coordinating, and synthesizing data.
• Attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate well cross-functionally and work well at all levels of the organization.
• Strong analytical skills, troubleshooting and judgment skills.

**If you’d like to hear more about this opportunity and others we are currently working on, please contact Jeff Fee at jfee@cps4jobs.com.

JO:  35.25JF
#LI-JF1