General Purpose:

The Quality Assurance Manager directs and leads a team of individuals to ensure effective quality execution, continuous improvement and regulatory compliance. They will provide leadership within the facility to drive positive change through influence and example. This individual, in conjunction with plant operations, will build and maintain an effective culture of Food Safety and quality within the facility. The QA Manager is responsible for developing and maintaining facility systems and processes that ensure finished product is food safe and meets finished product specifications. This person should be a highly organized effective communicator with an inquisitive mind with the capacity to investigate and lead solution-based decision making in the plant.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

Ensure compliance to internal FSQ programs and applicable regulations

• Ensure daily plant Quality and Food Safety operations are in compliant with DFA policies, procedures and local, state & federal regulations.
• Maintain audit readiness
• Responsible for maintaining a robust food safety program and subsequent quality program.
• Escalate non-conformance events to the Quality director and plant manager.
• Oversee plant sanitation to drive a robust sanitation program.
• Ensure the plant pest control programs are current, followed, and utilized to enable proactive maintenance.
• Manage the facility's change control program to enable robust risk assessment and decisions.
• Ensure compliance to specification, manufacturing instructions and preventive maintenance programs.
• Collaboratively lead investigations relating to non-conforming events driving to root cause(s) and effective resolution. Maintain the CAPA program.
• Manage hold and release programs
• Review records on a daily basis to ensure all records are completed as required and review/approval is current for preventive controls, laboratory, sanitation, production and verification checks.
• Partner with operations to ensure preventive maintenance program is robust and adhered to.

Provide Leadership

• Partner with Operations to build a world class food safety & quality culture.
• Foster a positive and effective work culture with direct reports
• Identify and retain highly effective personnel through proper selection, training, and expectations.
• Track and report on plant quality Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• Participate in the annual plant budgeting process.
• Partner with the plant manager on identifying key capital projects that support food safety and quality initiatives.
• Provide training to the plant personnel concerning food safety, FSMA and regulatory compliance.
• Provide quality leadership during unplanned events or emergencies
• Provide visible leadership by participating in Gemba walks and internal audits.
• Engage and interact with all personnel on a regular basis assisting them with their challenges and questions concerning food safety.
• Develop and grow your talent.

Customer Centric

• Collaborate with R&D during new/reformulated product introduction to ensure compliance with already established specifications and regulatory requirements
• Serve as the point of contact for customer related issues, complaints or inquires.
• Manage plant complaint investigations ensuring a thorough, effective, timely & customer facing response.
• Monitor compliance to customer expectation and specifications, communicate any issues/concerns.
• Maintain plant preparedness for customer and regulatory visits

Quality Control

• Overall responsibility for all analytical and micro activities performed at the facility.
• Oversee the development of laboratory practices to ensure accurate and precise QC Results.
• Perform data analysis to identify critical trends or find leading indicators to enable proactive decisions.
• Coordinates the collection and evaluation of raw materials and finished products.
• Ensures the EMP program is robust and risk based with a search and destroy mentality applied. Determine root cause of failures and take the appropriate corrective action.
• Escalates nonconformance's to quality director and plant manager in a timely fashion.
• Coordinates and supervises factory and external lab testing of samples; generates COA's.

Quality Systems

• Responsible for maintaining the quality management system and ensuring documents are up to date and comply to the FSQ policies and standards.
• Prepare plant specific work instructions as needed.
• Ensure SSOP documents are robust and adhere to the sanitation standard.
• Ensure all forms and work instructions are reviewed, revised and updated annually.

Minimum Requirements:

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree required in Food Science, Biological Sciences or related field, Masters in a science preferred.
• 5 years of experience in food processing environment, including 5 years of direct supervisory responsibilities
• Prefer experience in dairy manufacturing
• Certification and/or Licenses
  • HACCP certification
  • SQF Practitioner certified or obtain within first 90 days.
  • PQCI certification

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and company computer systems, specifically Excel and ERP
• Knowledge of principles and practices of supervision, training, and personnel management
• Accuracy and thoroughness in completion of duties is crucial to success; Able to organize and prioritize resources to achieve goals; able to multi-task; able to keep organized records; able to work with accuracy and attention to detail.
• Critical thinking, analysis, mathematical calculations, and statistical evaluations
• Leadership and coaching
• Able to complete basic arithmetic in all units of measure using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals
• Able to communicate clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing
• Able to translate accounting, financial, and KPI data into plant performance and determine steps to correct and improve
• Able to work in collaboration effectively and foster good teamwork
• Able to take appropriate steps to find solutions to problems
• Able to present options and ideas to current processes or procedures
• Able to handle challenging or conflict situations with tact and professionalism
• Able to promote a team environment
• Able to interpret and apply company policies
• Able to adapt and manage to change effectively
• Able to take initiative in performing job
• Able to perform task and duties without constant supervision
• Must be able to read, write, and speak English

Travel:

• 5%-15% (1-3 times per year)

An Equal Opportunity Employer