Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Own and sustain the site Quality and Food Safety Management Systems end-to-end, including document control, compliance, daily execution, KPI tracking, trending, and communication.
• Serve as the site food safety authority and align all functions on food safety and quality priorities, responsibilities, and execution requirements.
• Serve as the SQF Practitioner and lead the development, implementation, verification, and sustainment of programs, processes, and procedures required to achieve and maintain SQF certification.
• Serve as HACCP Team Leader and owner of the site HACCP system, ensuring hazard analyses and HACCP plans are properly developed, implemented, validated, verified, and sustained.
• Maintain continuous audit readiness and lead external audits, including SQF certification, regulatory, and customer audits.
• Interpret applicable code, regulatory, and customer requirements and translate them into clear site policies, procedures, work instructions, standards, and controls.
• Verify implementation and effectiveness of food safety and quality programs through routine monitoring, verification, internal auditing, and follow-up.
• Own customer and vendor quality interactions, including issue response, technical communication, corrective actions, follow-up, and closure.
• Provide technical leadership to investigate, correct, and prevent food safety and quality issues using structured root cause analysis and corrective and preventive action processes.
• Continuously improve and mature the Quality Management System through control planning, sustainment routines, verification, auditing, and standardization.
• Develop and deliver training on food safety and quality systems, including SQF code requirements, HACCP, food defense, allergens, GMPs, and related policies, procedures, and programs.
• Directly supervise Quality Assurance and Sanitation personnel, establish clear expectations, develop team capability, and ensure effective execution of floor and system-based quality activities.
• Effectively delegate food safety and quality program responsibilities across the Quality Assurance team and cross-functional partners, and audit for compliance, completion, and effectiveness.
• Partner with Operations, R&D, and Supply Chain to support product development, establish product specifications and standards, and drive consistent execution of food safety and quality priorities.
• Provide technical support and leadership to the plant to address emerging food safety, quality, regulatory, supplier, and customer concerns.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications & Competencies

• Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Biology, or a related scientific discipline
• Minimum of 7-10 years of progressive food safety and quality experience in a manufacturing environment
• Demonstrated leadership experience managing Quality Assurance personnel and quality management systems.
• Strong knowledge of SQF, HACCP, GMPs, allergen management, food defense, and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Experience leading customer, regulatory, and third-party food safety and quality audits; SQF Practitioner experience preferred
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams, drive continuous improvement, and execute root cause analysis and corrective actions
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and quality data analysis, trending, and reporting