Description

We are looking for a Senior QA Manager to join our mission-driven team. As an integral part of the Operations department, this role will report to the Director, Supply Chain and play a key role in maintaining the quality, safety, and integrity of Purple Carrot's meal kit, Ready-to-Eat, and Grocery programs.

We are looking for candidates who are passionate about food safety, quality systems, and the critical role that precision plays in delivering an exceptional plant-based meal experience.

This position will partner closely with Supply Chain, Culinary, R&D, Procurement, CX, and fulfillment partners to ensure every product that reaches our customers is safe, accurately labeled, and delicious. This role will support shelf life testing, new product development, supplier documentation, customer-facing quality concerns, and ongoing quality improvement.

As the Senior QA Manager, you will be focused on owning production tool accuracy, allergen compliance, ingredient substitution validation, quality KPI reporting, shelf life testing, food safety documentation, and cross-functional quality issue resolution across our fulfillment, manufacturing, culinary, and supplier partners.

We greatly thank all applicants; however, only those under serious consideration will be contacted.

Location

• This role is based in Chicago, IL, with on-site presence at our fulfillment partner 3-4 days per week.
• Our hybrid approach gives teams the best of both flexibility and collaboration. Many team members choose to come in more often - it's a great way to stay inspired and engaged with the team.

On the Plate

• Own the weekly production export tool accuracy process, conducting multi-stage cross-checks between Galley, recipe cards, and the Purple Carrot website across an 8-week planning horizon to minimize fulfillment and quality errors.
• Lead allergen, net weight, and label accuracy reviews for new and existing Ready-to-Eat products, validating Nutrition Facts Panel documentation and coordinating with fulfillment and manufacturing partners for final label sign-off.
• Manage the weekly ingredient substitution workflow, confirming actual ingredient usage, providing allergen, shelf life, and quality guidance to fulfillment partners, and equipping CX with accurate customer-facing communications.
• Conduct on-site QA checks, including retain reviews, spot checks, quality holds, product inspections, and quality reviews for new Ready-to-Eat, Grocery, and meal kit product launches.
• Compile and distribute weekly Quality KPI reports to partners, including full context on spoilage, bloat, damage, warm box data, and other quality trends for meal kit and Ready-to-Eat programs.
• Manage the Quality Management Board in Asana, investigating customer-facing quality tickets and driving resolution with CX, suppliers, and fulfillment partners across meal kit, Ready-to-Eat, and Grocery programs.
• Lead food safety and quality issue investigations, including supplier or fulfillment partner follow-up, root cause documentation, corrective/preventive actions, and clear communication with CX, Procurement, Culinary, and fulfillment partners.
• Support Grocery program onboarding by vetting supplier food safety documentation, reviewing allergen statements and shelf life data, approving product labels, and performing on-site quality checks for new perishable product arrivals.
• Partner with Culinary and R&D to support in-house shelf life testing, coordinating sample logistics with manufacturing partners and maintaining accurate records to inform product development and launch decisions.
• Maintain and support food safety documentation, including ingredient hazard analyses, allergen audits, HACCP-related records, supplier documentation reviews, and periodic audit support.
• Assist with ad-hoc projects and tasks as necessary.

Main Ingredients for the Role

• 4+ years of experience in quality assurance, food safety, supplier quality, or a related role in the food industry.
• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Nutrition, Biology, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Strong proficiency in Google Workspace, including Sheets, Drive, and Docs, and project management tools such as Asana.
• Demonstrated knowledge of food allergen labeling regulations and food safety standards, such as FSMA and HACCP.
• Experience investigating quality concerns, documenting root cause, and partnering cross-functionally to resolve customer-facing, supplier, or fulfillment-related issues.
• Strong attention to detail and comfort reviewing product labels, specification sheets, ingredient statements, supplier documentation, and quality data.

Extra Special Sauce

• Experience with recipe management systems, such as Galley, or other production/ERP tools.
• Background in meal kit, Ready-to-Eat, CPG, grocery, or direct-to-consumer food environments.
• Experience with shelf life testing protocols and supporting R&D or new product development processes.
• Experience working with CX, Zendesk, or customer-facing quality data to validate and investigate quality concerns.
• Comfort working with data and reporting tools such as Looker or similar BI platforms.
• Experience supporting supplier documentation reviews, second-party audits, HACCP documentation, or ingredient hazard analysis processes.
• Exceptional cross-functional communicator with the ability to collaborate seamlessly across culinary, creative, purchasing, CX, fulfillment, and supplier teams.
• Highly detail-oriented with strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple concurrent deadlines.
• Calm under pressure and able to make quick, well-reasoned decisions in time-sensitive quality situations.
• A genuine passion for plant-based food and Purple Carrot's mission.

Compensation

The anticipated base salary range for this role is $105,000 - $125,000. In addition to base salary, this role is eligible for an annual bonus based on a combination of individual achievements and overall company performance. Compensation is based on experience and qualifications, and the posted range is not a guarantee of any specific offer.

Garnish

We love our staff, and show it with benefits (including but not limited to medical, dental, vision, FSA, and life insurance), matching retirement plan, generous and flexible paid time off, Purple Carrot box delivery credits, professional development, and the opportunity to work in collaboration with teammates who are passionate about food!