Position Overview:1440 Foods is seeking an experienced Manager, Co-Manufacturing Quality to own quality and food safety performance across our network of co-manufacturing partners producing bars, powders, snacks, and supplements. Operating with a high degree of independence, this individual will serve as the primary quality and food safety liaison to co-manufacturing partners, driving corrective action to closure, holding partners accountable to quality and performance expectations, owning launch readiness decisions for new products, and independently identifying and escalating risk to leadership. This person will represent the 1440 Foods brand at co-manufacturer facilities and ensure products consistently meet our quality, food safety, and regulatory standards, including GFSI-benchmarked certification programs, FDA, and CFIA requirements. The role reports to the Chief Innovation Officer, is expected to exercise sound, independent judgment in day-to-day decision-making, and requires approximately 25% travel to co-manufacturer and supplier locations.
If you thrive operating independently, building influence with external partners, and being the last line of defense on quality, we'd love to tell you more about this role.
Job Responsibilities:Manufacturer Partnership & Performance Ownership- Serve as a professional, knowledgeable representative of 1440 Foods and its brand while on-site at co-manufacturer facilities, supporting various product types including protein bars, snacks, powders, and RTD protein beverages.
- Own the ongoing quality and food safety performance of assigned co-manufacturing partners, tracking performance against defined expectations and holding partners accountable for sustained compliance and improvement.
- Build strong, collaborative, and influential working relationships with co-manufacturer quality and operations teams, while independently driving accountability when performance falls short of expectations.
- Meet with and connect regularly with key stakeholders at co-manufacturer plants to maintain strong partnerships and open lines of communication.
- Partner cross-functionally with internal 1440 Foods teams (Innovation, Operations, Supply Chain, R&D) to ensure quality expectations are understood and met, including advising on the quality and food safety implications of scaling and commercialization decisions.
Onboarding & Launch Readiness Ownership- Participate in the onboarding process for all new co-manufacturers, including document collection, review, and initial quality assessment.
- Own the launch readiness assessment for new product innovations at co-manufacturing partners, making the final quality and food safety go/no-go determination ahead of launch.
- Independently identify launch risks and drive resolution with co-manufacturer and internal teams ahead of key milestones, escalating unresolved risks that could impact launch timing or product integrity.
- Attend routine meetings to track and discuss the progress of new co-manufacturer onboarding and new product innovations at existing co-manufacturers.
Document & Compliance Management- Manage all co-manufacturer quality and food safety documentation within TraceGains, ensuring records are current, complete, and audit-ready.
- Ensure co-manufacturer programs and practices align with GFSI-benchmarked certification schemes (e.g., SQF, BRC, FSSC 22000) as well as FDA and CFIA regulatory requirements.
Audits, Risk Management & Escalation- Conduct internal audits of co-manufacturing partners to independently determine compliance outcomes and required actions against 1440 Foods standards as well as GFSI-benchmarked, FDA, and CFIA requirements.
- Independently identify, assess, and escalate quality and food safety risks across the co-manufacturing network to the Chief Innovation Officer and other stakeholders, recommending hold, release, or corrective action as warranted.
- Support 1440 Foods audits of co-manufacturers and, as needed, ingredient suppliers.
- Serve as the accountable quality and food safety decision-maker for co-manufacturers, answering questions and providing guidance grounded in regulatory and technical expertise.
- Support external/third-party audits as needed.
Corrective Action Ownership, Complaint Resolution & Continuous Improvement- Own corrective action plans for non-conforming product at co-manufacturing partners end-to-end, directing root cause analysis, approving corrective action plans, and independently verifying effectiveness prior to closure.
- Hold co-manufacturers accountable for timely, effective resolution of audit findings and non-conformances, escalating unresolved or recurring issues to leadership as needed.
- Lead consumer complaint investigations by partnering with co-manufacturers to determine root cause and drive resolution.
- Monitor trends in non-conformances, audit findings, and consumer complaints across the co-manufacturing network to identify recurring issues and independently drive preventive action.
- Own periodic reporting on co-manufacturer quality and food safety performance for the Chief Innovation Officer and other relevant stakeholders.
Qualifications & Skills:- Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Quality Assurance, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
- 7+ years of experience in food/beverage quality assurance, food safety, or supplier/co-manufacturer quality management.
- Demonstrated experience performing internal audits required; experience with external/third-party audits is a plus.
- Working knowledge of GFSI-benchmarked quality and food safety schemes (e.g., SQF, BRC, FSSC 22000) and FDA (21 CFR) regulatory and certification requirements.
- Solid understanding of HACCP/HARPC principles and food safety systems.
- Experience with TraceGains or similar quality/supplier document management systems preferred.
- Comfortable analyzing quality and food safety data and trends to identify risks and drive continuous improvement.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently and exercise sound, risk-based judgment with minimal oversight, including the authority to escalate significant quality or food safety risks.
- Track record of holding external partners accountable to quality commitments and driving corrective action to closure.
- Highly organized and detail-oriented, with strong follow-through on documentation and corrective actions.
- Influential and collaborative, with the ability to build trust and drive alignment with co-manufacturer teams as well as internal cross-functional stakeholders.
- Strong professional presence and communication skills; comfortable representing the company at co-manufacturer facilities.
- Ability to travel approximately 25% of the time, including to co-manufacturer and supplier sites across the U.S. and Canada.
- Certified auditor credential (e.g., SQF Practitioner, Lead Auditor) preferred but not required.
Salary for the Manager, Co-Manufacturing Quality role starts at $145,000.
Why Join Us?- Opportunity to lead a critical function in a growing mid-size CPG company.
- Collaborative and entrepreneurial work culture.
- Competitive compensation and benefits package.
- Career development and growth opportunities.
If you're a quality leader who thrives holding partners accountable, owns problems end-to-end, and wants the final say on what's ready to ship, we'd love to hear from you.
