The Manager of Supplier & Copacker Quality is responsible for ensuring that all third-party suppliers & external copackers consistently meet the company's quality, food safety, & regulatory standards. This role serves as the primary QFS liaison between the organization and external manufacturing partners, driving compliance, continuous improvement, & risk mitigation across the supply chain. They will align supplier quality objectives with the business, foster a culture of accountability & continuous improvement, & mitigate risk throughout the supply chain.
Accountabilities:- Supplier & copacker qualification, onboarding, & suspension
- Manages auditing & compliance to ensure corporate quality standards are met through audit program
- Maintains records of supplier audits, certifications, quality agreements (CoA, Letter of Guarantee, Allergen Statements, etc.)
- Leads & manages supplier development programs to improve quality, education, & efficiency
- Drives corrective action management across suppliers & copackers with accountability to acceptable CAs at the agreed timeline
- Performance monitoring through KPI tracking
- Cross-functional collaboration with critical partners to support risk mitigation & escalation
- Supports governance & maintains documentation for supplier expectations & QFS policies
- Supports continuous improvement initiatives, aligning with corporate strategies that streamline routines
- Consumer complaint investigation & accountability with co-packers
Key Metrics & Financial Targets:- RFT - Right the First Time
- CCs/1M cases
- COQ (cost of quality)
- GFSI Compliance
- Supplier & Copacker Qualifications & Compliance
- Supplier Scorecards - Quality
- CA Closure
- NCR Closure
Own:- Identify & mitigate quality risks in the supply chain
- Corporate quality standards for suppliers and copackers
- Supplier, vendor, & copacker qualifications & monitoring/auditing program
- CA management for quality incidents across suppliers & vendors
- Reporting supplier quality performance to senior leadership, effectively communicating expectations & improvement plans internally & externally
Influence:- Procurement, Logistic, & Distribution supplier strategies, supporting contract negotiations
- Sourcing decisions based on quality performance
- Culture of accountability & continuous improvement
- Copacker QFS improvement
Veto:- Onboarding of new suppliers & copackers based off audit findings.
- Suspend the use of or eliminate current supplier or vendor from approved list due to audit findings
Critical Stakeholders & Relationships:- Procurement
- Operations and Brewing Teams
- Supply Chain & Logistics
- Customer experience/ Consumer Affairs
- Copacker & Supplier partners
- Corporate & Site Quality
Qualifications, Education, & Expereince:- Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Packaging, Supply Chain, Engineering, or related field
- 5+ years of experience in QA, Packaging, Warehousing in food/ beverage industry
- 3+ years of experience in CPG food safety auditing
- Strong knowledge of food safety regulations, GMPs, packaging standards, & warehousing best practices
- PCQI for Human Food, Internal Auditor, & Foreign Supplier Verification Program qualifications
Skills Needed To Be Successful:- Technical & functional skills
- Leadership & strategic skills
- Soft skills
- Highly organized
- Continuous improvement mindset
- Ability to be proactive & address risks quickly & effectively
Compensation:Compensation offered to prospective Team Members has taken internal equity into consideration and can vary depending on a positions' location. The final agreed upon wage may vary based on the job-related knowledge, skills, and experience of the individual.
- Competitive annual salary from $106,000 to $133,000 based in Chicago, IL
- Bonus plan designed to recognize company performance and individual contributions
- Comprehensive health and welfare benefits
- Company matching 401(k) contributions
- Paid time off including annual leave, paid sick time and holidays
- Extensive opportunities for training, development, and career growth
