WHAT WE NEED

The Manager Quality Assurance is responsible for providing leadership, direction, and oversight to the plant’s Quality Assurance, Food Safety, Compliance, and regulatory functions. This role leads a team of Food Safety Specialists, QA Specialists, and Compliance Specialists to ensure adherence to all applicable laws, regulatory requirements, customer expectations, and internal company standards. The QA Manager is accountable for maintaining robust food safety, quality, and compliance programs that mitigate legal and reputational risks while ensuring the consistent production of safe, high-quality products. This position drives continuous improvement across quality and compliance systems and fosters a strong culture of operational excellence, ethical conduct, and regulatory compliance throughout the organization.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Quality Assurance Oversight & Leadership 

• Lead daily QA operations, including production line support, quality verification activities, and product release. 
• Oversee QA Specialists responsible for quality checks, sensory evaluations, defect management, and process monitoring. 
• Ensure timely investigation and closure of deviations, customer complaints, and non-conformances. 
• Conduct trend analysis of quality metrics and drive corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs). 
• Partner with Operations to resolve quality issues, reduce defects, and strengthen process controls. 
• Manage employee performance by clearly defining job responsibilities and standards of performance; tracking progress against goals; providing clear, thorough, timely feedback; and addressing performance problems and issues promptly. 
• Oversee daily activities, schedules, and staffing needs of the QA, Food Safety, and Compliance teams. 
• Ensure adequate coverage across all shifts; provide direct coverage when required. 

Food Safety Program Management 

• Supervise Food Safety Specialists responsible for environmental monitoring, sanitation verification, allergen controls, and microbiological programs. 
• Ensure implementation and maintenance of HACCP, PCQI, FSMA, and preventive controls programs. 
• Lead food safety risk assessments and support cross-functional teams during root cause investigations. 
• Maintain and continuously improve food safety plans, prerequisite programs, and validation studies. 
• Ensure compliance with all food safety regulations (FDA, USDA where applicable, GFSI/SQF). 

Compliance Program Leadership 

• Oversee Compliance Specialists responsible for documentation control, record review, audits, and regulatory reporting. 
• Ensure adherence to internal and external standards, including customer, regulatory, and GFSI requirements. 
• Lead internal audits, support external audits, and act as a key liaison with regulatory agencies and customer auditors. 
• Monitor regulatory changes and implement necessary program updates. 
• Report weekly on compliance metrics, deviations, and audit outcomes to the Sr. Manager and plant leadership. 

Training & Development 

• Develop and deliver training programs across QA, Food Safety, and Compliance teams. 
• Ensure team competency in key programs: HACCP, SQF, GMPs, allergen management, and sanitary design. 
• Mentor and performance-manage team members; identify growth opportunities and provide coaching. 
• Build a culture focused on accountability, continuous improvement, and proactive quality management. 

Documentation & Recordkeeping 

• Ensure accurate, timely, and complete recordkeeping for quality checks, food safety monitoring, and compliance activities. 
• Oversee document control, policy management, and revision control processes. 
• Maintain audit-ready files and ensure preparedness for regulatory inspections at all times. 

Cross-Functional Collaboration 

• Work closely with Operations, Sanitation, R&D, Supply Chain, and Maintenance to ensure alignment on quality and food safety programs. 
• Participate in product trials, process validations, and new item launches. 
• Serve as the escalation point for quality decisions impacting product disposition. 

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL

• Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Biology, or related field. 
• Five (5+) years of experience in food manufacturing with responsibilities in quality, food safety, or regulatory compliance. 
• Two (2+) years of people management experience, including direct responsibility for managing team performance, delivering feedback, development of employees, hiring and terminations. 
• Experience supervising or leading QA/Food Safety/Compliance teams. 
• Deep knowledge of FDA, FSMA, HACCP, GMPs, allergen controls, and GFSI (SQF highly preferred). 
• Certifications: HACCP, PCQI, BPCS 
• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills. 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and QA/Food Safety software (e.g., SAP, TraceGains, Redzone).