Manager of Quality Assurance

Manager, Quality Assurance

Top technical individual at the plant level.  This position leads the plant in assessing food safety and quality related to all aspects of the facility.  Leads and participates in initiatives to improve products and processes related to quality, food safety and consistency.  As a key member of the plant management team, assists the plant manager in providing quality and food safety leadership to employees.  The QA Manager will participate / lead projects in conjunction with Corporate QA / Food Safety management.

Detailed Responsibilities / Duties:

• Ensures compliance to quality, food safety and HACCP support programs; assures conformity to all company, customer, and government standards
• Makes recommendations and decisions involving food safety issues and quality issues having significant potential business impact to corporate and plant management
• Develops and implements programs, policies, procedures, and work instructions for quality and food safety assessment and improvement
• Coordinates plant quality and food safety audits (internal and third party).  Works with plant manager to assign audit responsibilities to various members of the plant team
• Serves as a key technical resource in plant and as a liaison between corporate R&D, Tech Services, and plant operations
• Resolves non-conformance issues / quality problems at plant facilities, warehouses, and in the market.  Works with plant management team to develop corrective action plans and communicates plans to QA management, sales, marketing, and the customer as appropriate
• Recommends and/or develops orientation and training programs for quality, food safety, GMP training.  Assist members of the plant team in training as appropriate.  Trains and instructs plant employees in recommended quality assurance testing and general housekeeping practices and advises on equipment sanitation; confirms these procedures are being maintained
• Reports on key Quality Indicators to plant and corporate management

Required Qualifications:

• BS or BA degree in food science, food engineering, microbiology, chemistry, or other similar science related field
• Minimum 5-year food manufacturing experience
• Holistic knowledge of the business – including finance, processes, KPI’s, products, FSQ, etc.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain programs
• Ability to collaborate with cross function partners that interact with the plant
• Knowledge of products, requirements and testing that help facilitate being the top technical resource in the plant.  Strong leadership and decision-making skills and initiative
• Lean Six Sigma Experience desired
• Must be able to lead projects / people, motivate associates and proactively anticipate and address issues.  Ability to adapt to and influence change – recommend, evaluate, strategic needs for change.  Ability to coach / organize ad lead teams and projects
• Support facility business goals and KPI’s
• Professional communication skills appropriate for all levels of the company, and customers
• Ability to mediate and resolve problems
• Ability to coach / organize and lead teams and projects
• Initiate and develop programs, policies, and procedures for hiring, training, and developing of associates
• Communicate and own FSQ program compliance
• Execute program and specification reviews

**If you’d like to hear more about this opportunity and others we are currently working on, please contact Mary Harris-Rigas at maryr@cps4jobs.com.

JO:  139.21MR
#LI-MR1