Michael Foods, Inc.

Senior Manager - xQFS (Co-Manufacturing)

Michael Foods, Inc.$102K — $159K *
Food & Beverages
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in engineering, food science, food safety, or related field.
  • Preventive Controls Qualified Individual certification.
  • At least 10 years of food manufacturing experience in quality and food safety.
  • Knowledge of food safety regulations such as 21 CFR Part 117 for Human Food or 21 CFR Part 507 for Animal Food.
  • Experience with co-manufacturers or external manufacturing partners is preferred.

Responsibilities

  • Set the strategic direction for food safety and quality in the external supply chain.
  • Lead and develop a team of technical professionals in risk assessment and supplier management.
  • Strengthen partnerships with external manufacturers through shared objectives and metrics.
  • Guide food safety readiness for product launches and network expansions.
  • Direct the external audit program with a focus on risk prioritization and corrective actions.
  • Establish performance governance through scorecards and trend analysis.
  • Lead responses to quality issues and emerging risks.

Benefits

  • Collaborative culture that values team-first mindset and big-company opportunities.
  • Opportunity to influence quality outcomes across the external supply chain.
  • Chance to work in a role involving both Human Food and Pet Food industries.
  • Scope for career-building experiences within a transforming organization.
Full Job Description
Location Description

Post Consumer Brands corporate headquarters in Lakeville, Minnesota, is about 20 miles south of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Lakeville has all the benefits of smaller town living with access to everything a large metropolitan area has to offer. Join more than 400 team members collaborating on the two-building campus to help put breakfast on the tables of millions of consumers in North America.

Responsibilities

At Post Consumer Brands, we believe meaningful careers offer both the resources to do big things and the opportunity to make your mark. We are looking for a strategic, hands-on quality leader to help shape how we protect food safety, strengthen external partnerships, and continuously improve performance across our co-manufacturing and warehousing network.

About the Role
As Senior Manager - External Quality & Food Safety (Co-Manufacturing & Warehousing), you will provide strategic and executional leadership across domestic and international external manufacturing and third-party warehousing locations. Your work will support both Pet Food and Human Food businesses, helping ensure compliance with food safety, quality, and regulatory requirements while enabling commercialization, network growth, and continuous improvement.
This is an opportunity to lead a specialized team, influence partners across the external supply chain, and build stronger systems, metrics, and ways of working. You will collaborate closely with Quality & Food Safety, Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, R&D, and external partners to turn risk insights into action.

Key Responsibilities
  • Set the strategic direction for food safety and quality across the external co-manufacturing and warehousing network.
  • Lead and develop a team of technical professionals while building capability in risk assessment, auditing, supplier management, and relationship leadership.
  • Strengthen partnerships with external manufacturers and warehousing providers by establishing shared objectives, performance metrics, and continuous improvement roadmaps.
  • Guide food safety and quality readiness for product launches, reformulations, technology transfers, and network expansions.
  • Direct the external audit program, including risk-based prioritization, scope, execution strategy, corrective actions, and systemic improvement.
  • Own the external network risk portfolio across product design, manufacturing, storage, distribution, and warehousing.
  • Establish meaningful performance governance through scorecards, trend analysis, executive-level reviews, and clear accountability.
  • Lead cross-functional responses to escalations, nonconformances, damaged product, claims, and emerging risks.
  • Sponsor improvement initiatives that strengthen quality systems, improve efficiency, and deliver measurable business value.
  • Help build consistent, best-in-class ways of working across Pet Food and Human Food operations.

Qualifications

What We're Looking For
  • Bachelor's degree, preferably in engineering, food science, food safety, or a related field.
  • Preventive Controls Qualified Individual certification.
  • At least 10 years of food manufacturing experience in quality and food safety.
  • Practical knowledge of at least one of:
    • 21 CFR Part 117, including Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food.
    • 21 CFR Part 507, including Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Food for Animals.
  • Experience working with co-manufacturers, suppliers, external manufacturing partners, or distribution networks is preferred.
  • Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, and develop technical professionals.
  • Strong cross-functional leadership and the ability to influence partners without relying on direct decision-making authority.
  • Experience supporting commercialization, launches, audits, change management, or quality system improvement.
  • Strong project management, organization, communication, and problem-solving skills.
  • A results-oriented approach, sound judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to act with urgency.
  • Intellectual curiosity and the confidence to identify knowledge gaps, engage subject-matter experts, and find the right path forward.


Why You'll Love This Role
This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of External Quality & Food Safety across a diverse co-manufacturing and warehousing network spanning both Human Food and Pet Food businesses. You'll have the chance to build stronger systems, elevate performance standards, and influence quality outcomes across every stage of the external supply chain, from product commercialization through distribution. As part of a team in transformation, you'll help define new ways of working, strengthen strategic partner relationships, and implement best-in-class risk management and performance programs.

If you're energized by leading through influence, solving complex challenges, driving meaningful change, and leaving a visible mark on a growing organization, this role offers the scope, autonomy, and career-building experience to do just that, all within a collaborative culture that values both big-company opportunity and a close-knit, team-first mindset.

Location & Travel
This role is based in Lakeville, Minnesota, and requires the ability to work effectively with colleagues and external partners across locations.

Travel within the United States and internationally may be required up to 25% of the time to support external manufacturing and warehousing partners, audits, relationship management, launches, and business priorities.

Ready to Make an Impact
If you are energized by transformation, passionate about food safety and quality, and ready to lead through collaboration and influence, we would love to hear from you. Bring your experience, curiosity, and big-picture thinking to Post Consumer Brands, where you can help build stronger partnerships, protect trusted products, and create lasting value across our external supply chain.

The pay range for this position is $102,093 - $159,265 per year.

About Michael Foods, Inc.

Michael Foods is a leading producer and distributor of value-added food products. The company's products include egg products, refrigerated potato products, and cheese and dairy products. Michael Foods' egg products are used in a variety of food products, including baked goods, soups, sauces, and prepared meals. The company's potato products are used in a variety of food products, including mashed potatoes, hash browns, and potato pancakes. Michael Foods was founded in 1905 and is headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
Learn more about Michael Foods, Inc.
Size
3,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1908

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