Required Qualifications:Manage the Food Safety Plan and regulatory compliance- Structure food safety programs to ensure compliance with the requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act and regulatory agencies applicable (such as FDA, USDA, County health department, National School Lunch Program standards, etc.)
- Develop and implement all programs necessary to comply with customer regulatory and company standards (such as Vendor Certification, Incoming Good Inspection, Loading and Outgoing Inspections, Sanitation, HACCP, Pest control, GMPs, Product Recall, etc.)
- Maintain all SOPs, quality assurance and safety procedures so that documentation is up-to-date, reflective of actual Operational activities, and always inspection ready.
- In connection with potential proposed acquisitions, oversee the due diligence review of the target's regulatory, quality and food safety practices and programs.
- Serve as a key resource for operational quality and food safety professionals handling inspections from regulatory agencies and third-party auditors.
- Participate in industry associations and maintain good relations with government agencies.
- Support ongoing regulatory compliance for subsidiary company and assist with potential handover to new operators.
Enhance Supplier and Customer Partnerships- Develop and implement a Vendor Certification program that mitigates risk by ensuring that all materials brought into our facilities meet the agreed product specifications.
- Review the certifications, third party audit results and HACCP / Food Safety plans from raw ingredient and packaging suppliers.
- Provide guidance and oversight for supplier activities relating to quality and food safety.
- Conduct documentation review and audits, when necessary, at vendor plants to ensure specifications meet guidelines and standards.
- Measure, analyze and report supplier quality performance against standards through specification compliance, complaints, defect rates and other performance measures.
- Oversee the customer complaint feedback program including coordinating and resolving the response to consumer complaints involving quality or food safety.
Support onsite FSQA teams- Lead the onsite FSQA Managers and their teams, whom oversee all aspects of daily FSQA duties across the operation, ensuring that our products meet or exceed food safety and quality standards.
- Measure statistical data, report findings and Key Performance Indicators and report findings and resulting corrective actions to mitigate and eliminate risks.
- Conduct relevant inspections and tests on raw materials, production equipment and tools, storage containers, etc. as needed per specifications.
- Provide guidance and leadership where deviations have occurred, or a potential risk has been identified related to food safety and quality attributes.
- Develop organizational strategies, KPIs and actions to deliver safe quality product and drive continuous improvement year over year.
Assist with Product Development activities- Serve as Program Manager for the development of additional Allergy Free meal recipes. Ensure the production of those meals follows all appropriate protocols.
- Consult with the Procurement and Menu and Nutrition teams with the sourcing of and subsequent usage of new food ingredients (ideally improving the health benefits of our offerings.
Foster an internal culture for Food Safety - Serve as the senior authority on quality, food safety and regulatory compliance, with responsibility for advising senior leaders on all issues.
- Establish and grow an internal culture of food safety and drive continuous quality improvement in all areas of the facility.
- Organize training lessons for new company procedures and reinforce existing procedures.
- Serve as the point person for product investigations that have the potential to lead to external actions. Oversee a product incident committee and facilitate quality and product safety activities including investigations, root cause analysis, and corrective actions.
Preferred Qualifications: - Bachelor's or Master's degree in Food Science and Technology or related discipline.
- Must have at least 10 years of experience in quality assurance and/or food safety management systems, including significant leadership roles relating to food safety, quality assurance and/or regulatory compliance.
- Experience with and/or proficiency in FSMA (GMP's and HARPCs) and how they apply to food processing; HACCP certified, PCQI certified, SSOPs, cGMPs and related food safety standards.
- Experience working within the food industry, specifically knowledge of raw material and ingredient functionality and with regulatory agency representatives.
- Strong leadership and management skills, with experience leading teams and driving results.
- Excellent organizational, planning, and project management skills.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders at all levels.
- Proficiency in English, both in verbal and written communication. Bilingual proficiency in a Spanish is a plus.
- Up to 20% travel (typically within California) required.
Pay range:Min $120K- Mid $132K-Max 145K