Director - Milk Quality and Care

Horizon Organic

$145K — $170K *
Food & Beverages
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Advanced degree in Animal Science, Food Science, Biology, Chemistry, or a related field.
  • 5-10 years of experience in the Dairy Industry.
  • Strong leadership and team development skills.
  • Experience with raw milk and cream testing methods.
  • Working knowledge of dairy microbiology, regulatory standards, and equipment.
  • Exceptional project management and organizational capabilities.
  • Passionate about milk quality and animal welfare.

Responsibilities

  • Oversee compliance and quality standards for farms and producers.
  • Manage and support the Milk Quality Team's development.
  • Collaborate cross-functionally to define quality standards.
  • Track and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs).
  • Manage relationships with cream suppliers and related operations.
  • Assist in problem-solving quality issues and non-conformances.
  • Initiate pilot projects to explore new evaluation methods for milk quality.

Benefits

  • Remote work options with a preference for proximity to Broomfield, CO.
  • Be part of a dedicated team focused on improving quality and welfare in dairy.
  • Opportunity to lead and influence industry standards.
  • Engage in strategic planning and continuous improvement initiatives.
  • Chance to develop and deliver educational resources.
Full Job Description
Director, Milk Quality & Care

About the Job:

We are currently looking to hire a full-time Director, Milk Quality & Care.

The Director, Milk Quality & Care will ensure that our farms and producers meet or exceed the standards on farm set by our Horizon Family Brands Quality and Food Safety Milk Team throughout the supply chain.

The Director, Milk Quality & Care will be responsible for managing the Milk Quality Team and supporting their needs and development. He/she will work cross-functionally to develop and set HFB's standards on farms and at the factory gate. This includes but is not limited to ensuring compliance with all company's certification requirements, tracking and trending KPIs, providing updates to the Horizon Leadership Team, on farm quality notifications and troubleshooting, providing support in times of outbreaks, supporting integration transitions, systems evaluations and recommendations, etc. This role will also be responsible for managing the Cream suppliers and other related items.

The Director, Milk Quality & Care will collaborate closely with the Milk Procurement team to approve and maintain farms, resolve quality issues and resolve quality non-conformances. He/she will support his/her direct reports in this endeavor, as well. He/she will work with the Milk Hauling team to ensure all standards are met from pick up to delivery of milk and cream. The successful candidate will become a trusted member of a team dedicated to driving meaningful improvement in quality and animal welfare across our network of farms. Work hours will be spent completing or assigning tasks critical for team functioning including submitting and tracking invoices, tracking on-farm milk quality data, and strategic planning and continuous improvement. He/she may also develop and support pilot projects exploring new methods to monitor or evaluate animal welfare and milk quality on organic dairy farms.

This position is part of the QFS Leadership Team and reports directly to the Head of Quality and Food Safety.

The role can be remote with a preference to be based in Broomfield, CO/hybrid.

The base compensation range for this position is $145,000 - $170,000 commensurate with experience.

About You:

Education and Experience:
  • Advanced Degree in Animal Science, Food Science, Biology, Chemistry, or related agriculture field

  • 5-10 years of experience in the Dairy Industry


Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

  • Ability to Successfully lead and develop a team
  • Ability to work well cross-functionally
  • Experience with Raw milk and cream test methods and relevance

  • Working knowledge of microbiology in the milk and dairy context
  • Grade A regulatory, technical, and scientific knowledge of dairy processes and equipment

  • Strong quality and analytical skills
  • Strong project management/organizational skills
  • Success in problem solving and critical thinking
  • Anticipates and is pro-active
  • Enjoys developing and delivering educational materials
  • Passion for excellence
  • Strong communication and motivational skills
  • Self-motivated with the ability to function with some autonomy
  • Passionate about milk quality and animal welfare
  • Working knowledge of the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance preferred
  • Aligns with Horizon Organic Dairy's culture, behaviors, and attitudes

  • Travel required up to 25% or as required by project success and schedule


Preferred:

  • Lead Auditor Certification
  • FARM Certification
  • Experience on farm

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