Quality Assurance Manager

About the job

The Quality Assurance Manager is responsible for overseeing all plant-level quality efforts to ensure that products and processes meet or exceed company, customer, and regulatory standards for product quality and food safety.

This role involves both leadership and hands-on involvement across the plant’s quality processes, including the quality lab and production floor.

The manager will work closely with cross-functional teams, including Corporate QA, to ensure alignment with quality initiatives and goals.

Additionally, this position plays a key role in building customer relationships and leading the resolution of quality-related issues.

Key Responsibilities:


* Lead and manage the Quality Assurance team, including hiring, training, performance management, and development.


* Oversee all foundational Food Safety and Quality programs.


* Develop and execute a site-specific strategic quality plan to meet business objectives.


* Collaborate with other plants’ Quality teams and corporate QA to establish overall quality goals and standards.


* Align Quality department objectives with the overall plant’s goals and work closely with other departments such as Operations, Purchasing, Logistics, and R&D.


* Identify and implement quality improvement initiatives using a data-driven approach within a collaborative environment.


* Ensure that food safety, security, and regulatory compliance are met through programs such as HACCP, GMP, microbial surveillance, and product protection.


* Manage plant-level quality programs, including pest control, sanitation, waste management, and chemical safety practices.


* Serve as a technical resource for internal teams, customers, and suppliers regarding quality and food safety.


* Oversee and manage plant inspections and audits (e.g., FDA, BRC, Kosher), implementing action plans as needed.


* Lead the plant’s response to quality complaints, including investigation and resolution.


* Proactively identify and mitigate food safety risks.


* Represent the Quality department in interactions with customers, sales teams, auditors, and regulatory agencies.

Position Requirements:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals qualified with disabilities to perform the essential functions.


* B.S.

in Food Science or a related technical field, or equivalent experience.


* Minimum of 8 years of experience in QA or a quality-related function, with at least 5 years of leadership experience in the food industry.


* Proven experience in developing and managing food safety systems.


* Strong problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills, with experience in cross-functional team collaboration.


* Ability to travel dom...