The
Quality Manager, located at the PLZ food plant in St. Clair, MO, is responsible for leading the site's food safety, regulatory compliance, and quality assurance programs to ensure full compliance with FDA, USDA (as applicable), SQF, HACCP, FSMA, and other federal, state, and customer requirements. This role serves as the site's regulatory subject matter expert and is accountable for maintaining a robust food safety management system, ensuring audit readiness, managing regulatory inspections, and driving a culture of compliance, quality, and continuous improvement. The position partners closely with Operations, Supply Chain, R&D, Corporate Quality, and external regulatory agencies to proactively identify risks, implement corrective actions, and ensure products consistently meet all legal, regulatory, and customer expectations. The ideal candidate brings strong business and regulatory acumen, leadership and collaboration skills, and a hands-on, execution-oriented mindset to support growth, and operational excellence.
Key Responsibilities:Regulatory Compliance & Food Safety Leadership- Serve as the site expert on food regulations, including FDA regulations, FSMA requirements, HACCP principles, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), food defense, sanitation, labeling, traceability, and preventive controls.
- Ensure ongoing compliance with all applicable federal, state, local, and customer food safety and regulatory requirements.
- Lead regulatory inspections, customer audits, and third-party food safety audits, including SQF certification activities.
- Monitor and interpret evolving food regulations and industry standards, ensuring timely implementation of changes within the facility.
- Develop, maintain, and continuously improve food safety and quality management systems.
Quality Assurance & Risk Management- Oversee daily quality assurance operations to ensure safe, compliant, and high-quality products are manufactured and released to customers.
- Manage preventive controls programs, environmental monitoring, microbial testing programs, allergen management, sanitation verification, and product traceability processes.
- Lead root cause investigations, corrective and preventive actions (CAPA), and risk mitigation initiatives related to food safety and quality concerns.
- Ensure process controls, quality metrics, trending analyses, and cost-of-quality measures are established, monitored, and improved.
Audit & Supplier Management- Lead all internal, customer, regulatory, and certification audits while ensuring the facility maintains a constant state of audit readiness.
- Manage supplier quality and vendor compliance programs to ensure materials meet regulatory and food safety requirements.
- Ensure documentation systems support regulatory compliance, traceability, record retention, and audit requirements.
Culture, Training & Continuous Improvement- Develop and deliver regulatory, food safety, and quality training programs for all levels of the organization.
- Coach leaders and employees on food safety responsibilities and regulatory expectations.
- Foster a culture of compliance, accountability, and continuous improvement throughout the facility.
- Partner with Corporate Quality to implement company-wide food safety and quality initiatives.
Qualifications: - Minimum 5 years of quality assurance, food safety, or regulatory compliance leadership experience within food manufacturing, food packaging, or consumer packaged goods industries.
- Extensive knowledge of FDA regulations, SQF, FSMA, HACCP, GMPs, preventive controls, food defense, sanitation, and food labeling requirements.
- Experience leading regulatory inspections and third-party food safety audits.
- Bachelor's degree in food science, Microbiology, Chemistry, Biology, Food Engineering, or a related scientific discipline.
- Preferred Certifications: Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI), HACCP Certification, SQF Practitioner Certification, Food Defense Certification, Internal Auditor Certification, Other recognized food safety or regulatory compliance certifications
Knowledge, Skills & Competencies Regulatory & Technical Expertise- Comprehensive knowledge of food regulations and regulatory compliance requirements.
- Advanced understanding of food safety management systems, SQF, HACCP, and FSMA.
- Strong knowledge of audit preparation, compliance documentation, and regulatory risk management.
- Ability to assess, interpret, and implement changing regulatory requirements.
Leadership & Business Skills- Strong leadership and people management capabilities.
- Excellent problem-solving and root cause analysis skills.
- Exceptional communication and influence skills across all organizational levels.
- Strong organizational, project management, and execution skills.
- Ability to drive change and build a sustainable food safety culture.
PLZ Corp offers a robust suite of benefits including:- Medical, Dental & Vision benefits.
- Company paid Life and Short-Term disability.
- Voluntary benefits including additional life, disability, and hospital/accident insurance.
- 401k & company provided match.
- Paid Time Off
- Bonus incentive programs (Note, bonuses are subject to the rules governing the program, whereby an award, if any, depends on various factors, including, without limitation, individual and organizational performance.)
