The Quality Assurance Director is responsible for quality, food safety, compliance and inspection ensuring food products meet quality and food safety standards set by company, customer, and regulatory authorities at site.
You'll manage a department of 24 employees including quality engineering, quality systems, and microlab for 24/7 plant operations at a 8000,000 sq ft. site.
The QA Director must be a strong take charge leader who works collaboratively with all shift managers to ensure consistent and open communication. Plan, direct, and control all QA and safety activities for site and works collaboratively with corporate QA team. You'll develop and implement effective quality and food safety systems that meet all regulatory, FMSA, USDA, & FDA requirements. Ensure customer and regulatory expectations are met during all manufacturing processes.
Apply expertise in HACCP/FSMA food safety and interface directly with FDA, USDA, as needed to maintain plant/product certifications. Implement and maintain standardized procedures to ensure ongoing compliance. Understand and ensure compliance with all FDA, USDA regulations, FSMA, GMP, SSOP, allergen control programs and assure strict adherence tor regulations and industry food safety standards.
You'll manage as a change agent by driving continuous improvement across the organization to ensure world class performance in: financial, quality, delivery and safety results. You will coach train, teach, and mentor plant personnel to ensure understanding and compliance of food safety and quality programs.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Analyze operational performance against company, customer, and consumer expectations and identify areas of improvement
- Establish and maintain systems for capturing, analyzing, and reporting quality measures.
- Directs continuous process improvement activities to ensure a positive consumer & customer experience
- Own, review, maintain and enforce consumer complaint reduction strategies by understanding consumer complaint and sales trend data by product line
- Use a broad understanding of IT systems to provide early identification of issues and prevent problems
- Support administration of CAPA process managing corrective actions from cross functional partners in Maintenance, QA, Operations and Sanitation Departments
- Partner with Operations, Research & Development, Micro Lab, Shipping and Receiving, Sanitation, Commercialization and FSQ to ensure consistent approach throughout the organization and eliminate specification nonconformances
- Document department KPI and metrics for period end reporting
- Set goals and expectations for development with input from manager and contribute to team performance
- Ensure safe work environment and safe behaviors for self and coworkers
- Travel as required not to exceed 25%
Background Required:
- 10+ years of Food Manufacturing or Operations, frozen food experience preferred
- 5+ years of Food Quality Assurance Senior Management FSIS, USDA, FDA
- Advanced knowledge of food best practices GMP, SOP, SSOP and HACCP/FSMA
- Proven track record of successful regulatory compliance, audits, and reports (SQF, FSIS, USDA, FDA, Allergen Control, Food Defense, Food Quality and Customer)
- Inspection and testing to ensure QA of materials, facilities, and products (AIB, FDA, USDA and Customer)
- Continuous Improvement, lean manufacturing and six sigma
- FSMA, Quality and/or Safety Certifications ie. PCQI, SQF Certification and/or SQF Practitioner
- Microsoft Office and computer skills
- Education: MS Food Science, Microbiology, Biology, Chemistry, or equivalent degree