Summary Description:

Reporting to the Plant Manager, the Manager of Quality Assurance/SQF Practitioner oversees the quality assurance department with responsibility for total product/package quality, cost management, safety, compliance, GMPs, and executing all Quality Assurance protocols to ensure Plant Quality objectives are met.

Key Accountabilities:

The following are essential duties and responsibilities for this position:
• Responsible for direct management of all Quality Assurance associates.
• Responsible for ensuring Food Safety and Food Quality policies and procedures are adhered to including but not limited by SQF Code, CFIA, HACCP, Refresco Quality and any customer quality requirements.
• Responsible for direct management and utilization of laboratory (analytical and microbiology), water treatment, syrup blending, sanitation, microbiological equipment, raw materials, and all quality processes.
• Optimize resources while ensuring raw materials and finished product meet specifications and manufacturing standards and in accordance with FDA, CFIA, GMP's, HACCP, and all other governmental policies, procedures, and regulations.
• Oversee daily Quality Assurance inspections to ensure all products are meeting compliance.
• Write, update, and maintain SOP's (Standard Operating Procedures) for the Quality Assurance Program.
• Champion internal audit process through continuous improvements, shared best practices, and teamwork.
• Leads the development and implementation of Food Safety Fundamentals, the Food Safety Plan and Food Quality Plan.
• Oversee development, implementation, review and maintenance of SQF program.
• Communicate to relevant personnel all information essential to ensure the effective implementation and maintenance of SQF.
• Responsible to ensure that all SQF documents are safely stored, maintained and accessible.
• Responsible for departmental non-conformances and implementation of corrective action ensuring all corrective actions are documented and outstanding actions closed in timely manner.
• Ensure compliance to all OHSA and environmental regulatory and corporate standards. Investigate and identify root causes of any non-compliance.
• Accountable for a safe working environment through the development of strategies focused on accident reduction as well as energy and waste minimization.
• Oversee effective deployment of human resources throughout the department and ensure the correct administration of the collective Bargaining Agreement.
• SQF Practitioner for the Calgary facility.

Skills/Qualifications:
• Experience in Food/ Beverage Manufacturing preferred
• Proficient in Excel, Word, SAP and Power Point
• Ability to analyze and solve problems, results oriented
• Organized and detail oriented, adaptable to change
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, verbal and written

Education and Experience:
• BS Degree or Engineering preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of direct management experience in Quality within a manufacturing environment
• SQF Practitioner certification preferred.
• Have completed HACCP training and be experienced in implement and maintain HACCP based Food Safety plans.
• Quality Assurance management systems, food safety and security standards, and governmental regulatory relating to the food / beverage industry

Working Conditions: • Physical-Continuously standing or walking. • Visual/Sensory-This position requires regular need to give moderate attention with one or two senses at a time. • Work environment- Work and environment are very repetitive. • Mental Stress- There is pronounced pressure from deadlines, production quotas, accuracy or similar demands.