Job Type
Full-time
Description
What's the RoleThe Vice President, Quality & Food Safety is F&S Fresh Foods' senior executive leader for Quality Assurance, Food Safety, Regulatory Compliance, Supplier Quality, and Customer Quality across all of our facilities. This role sets the enterprise-wide strategy, standards, and systems that keep our products safe, consistent, and compliant with every regulatory, customer, and certification requirement. As the company's senior authority on food safety risk, audit readiness, and crisis management, you will protect consumers, customers, and the F&S brand while partnering closely with Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, Product Development, Sales, and Executive Leadership. The ideal candidate is a strategic, data-driven leader who earns the trust of customers and regulators, develops strong teams, and champions a culture where food safety and quality are everyone's responsibility.
What You'll Own- Set and execute the long-term Quality and Food Safety strategy, including enterprise goals, standards, KPIs, and governance processes aligned with business objectives
- Lead all corporate Quality Assurance, Food Safety, Regulatory Compliance, Supplier Quality, and Customer Quality functions, ensuring consistent programs across all facilities
- Own the enterprise Food Safety Management System, including HACCP, Preventive Controls, Environmental Monitoring, Allergen Management, Traceability, Food Defense, and pathogen control
- Establish and maintain enterprise quality management systems so products consistently meet specifications, customer expectations, and regulatory requirements
- Ensure compliance with FDA, USDA, FSMA, GFSI, state, local, and customer requirements, interpreting emerging regulations and maintaining audit and inspection readiness at every site
- Serve as senior liaison with regulatory agencies, certification bodies, and customer auditors, overseeing closure of audit findings, regulatory actions, and corrective actions
- Serve as executive authority and decision-maker for food safety incidents, recalls, and crisis response, maintaining risk assessment, traceability, mock recall, and incident management programs
- Represent F&S during customer visits, audits, business reviews, and quality events, building strategic relationships and leading resolution of significant complaints and brand-risk events
- Partner with Commercial, Product Development, and Operations to support growth while maintaining product integrity and improving customer satisfaction
- Establish supplier approval, audit, and monitoring standards and drive supplier performance improvement, partnering with Procurement to mitigate supply chain risk
- Drive data-based improvement to reduce defects, waste, and customer complaints and improve process capability, publishing executive dashboards and performance updates for leadership
- Lead and develop Directors, Managers, and technical leaders, building succession plans, bench strength, and a culture of accountability, engagement, and high performance
- Establish enterprise training standards and competency requirements, partnering with Operations and Human Resources to build food safety and quality into talent development and performance management
- Champion a companywide culture where food safety and quality are everyone's responsibility, promoting proactive risk identification and continuous improvement
- Serve as the company's senior subject matter expert on food safety, quality systems, microbiology, compliance, and regulatory matters
- Participate in strategic planning, acquisition integration activities, and enterprise transformation initiatives
Requirements
What You Bring- Must have: Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Food Technology, Engineering, or a related scientific discipline; Master's degree preferred
- Must have: HACCP and Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) certifications
- Must have: 15+ years of progressive Quality and Food Safety leadership, including 7+ years leading multi-site organizations
- Must have: Extensive experience in fresh, refrigerated, ready-to-eat, produce, protein, or other highly regulated food manufacturing
- Must have: Proven success leading customer audits, regulatory inspections, certification audits, recalls, and crisis events
- Must have: Strong knowledge of FDA, USDA, FSMA, GFSI, Environmental Monitoring Programs, and Quality Systems
- Nice to have: Lead Auditor, SQF Practitioner, BRCGS, or equivalent certification
- Personal quality: Strategic, consumer- and customer-focused decision-maker who uses metrics, risk assessments, and audit results to set priorities while balancing operational and commercial objectives
- Personal quality: Executive presence and influence with customers, regulators, and leadership, with a track record of building high-performing teams and delivering measurable results
Salary Description
$200,000 - $240,000
