QA Manager

Job Description

This position is responsible for managing all aspects of food quality and food safety at our Client's production facility.

The position also plays a team role in assisting the Plant Operations group in problem solving cost savings and productivity improvement initiatives.

Acts as the liaison between the Plant and Corporate Quality outside regulatory agencies and thirdparty auditors in the areas of food quality and food safety.

Coordinates organizes and schedules the daytoday activities of the Quality Department to ensure meeting/exceeding the entire department and overall plant goals of quality customer service and throughput.

All work is to be performed in a manner that complies with all federal state local SQF 2000 and company rules and regulations and with optimum regard for quality safety service and cost.

Essential Job Functions

1. Provide vision and leadership for the Quality Department (set direction build capability and maintain action plans) and serve as the Quality Department representative to the leadership team.

2. Perform annual performance appraisals for all direct reports and develop key personnel through coaching training and organizational development.

3. Establish maintain and improve programs and policies designed to ensure compliance to all Federal State and local regulatory requirements.

4. Drive continual quality improvement as measured by Quality key performance indicators including internal and external audits and company quality metrics.

5. Leadership in change management as quality gatekeeper and quality champion for projects.

6. Supervises departmental supervisors leads and technicians. Schedules and assigns daily work to provide efficient support for production shipping and receiving.

7. Responsible for developing validating verifying & maintaining Food Safety Plans (HACCP) Prerequisite programs and Food Quality Plans as described by SQF.

8. Develop and implement new programs policies and procedures around Quality Control and Food Safety.

9. Maintains a relationship with Corporate Quality and establish manage and maintain programs procedures and policies designed to ensure that the plant remains in compliance with all corporate and SQF requirements involving food quality and food safety.

10. Provide technical support to the manufacturing facility in relation to quality and food safety requirements.

11. Partner with plant operations to investigate all quality outages to root cause and implement corrective actions to prevent incident reoccurrence.

12. Provides all initial and ongoing quality and cGMP training programs for quality inspectors as well as the general employee population. Performs performance appraisals needs analysis and corrective action for all quality inspectors as required.

13. Continuously monitors maintains and/or improves all aspects of quality department and lab work including specifications sampling procedures methods deviations equipment supplies records books files etc.

14. Develops and implements the facility environmental testing program to assure compliance with all customer and regulatory requirements.

15. Works closely with production maintenance and warehouse supervision and employees on problems for effective resolution and elimination.

16. Spends time daily on the production floor providing guidance and training to supervisors maintenance warehouse and operations personnel. Participates in daily leadership GEMBA walks ensure quality and food safety issues on the production floor are identified and addressed in a timely manner.

17. Continuously develops the skill set of the supervisor and hourly staff to identify address and report quality and food safety issues in a timely manner.

18. Audits reports and makes recommendations on raw materials/production runs/lab results to satisfy all internal needs for documentation and study and to fulfill customer requirements.

19. Works in conjunction with production and cross trains additional quality inspectors for adequate coverage across all shifts in the event of absences and vacations.

20. Coordinates Test/Approve/Hold/Reject/Disposition of all raw materials inprocess and finished product. Works with production and warehouse to control maintain and/or improve as appropriate the handling storage and usage of rework and all other materials.

21. Verifies and approves new and revised formulas. Assists in plant trials and critical process improvements as needed. Provides for supplier deficiency improvements problem cause identification and correction customer complaint resolution etc.

22. Manage copacker relationships with customers to ensure that internal quality systems align with customer requirements.

23. Oversees and manages the pest control program works with contractor to ensure the plant complies with SQF and FDA standards.

24. Ability to effectively collaborate across various departments to ensure quality system compliance.

25. Monitor quality of manufactured products using consumer complaint data including complaint investigation root cause analysis complaint response and corrective action.

26. Develop and control the capital and operating budget for the quality department.

27. Performs all other duties responsibilities and special projects as assigned.

Other Responsibilities:

Responsible for maintenance of the MSDS program

Active participant of the facility security team

Qualification

Education/Training:

Required: B.S./B.A. with some secondary laboratory training HACCP qualified SQF Certified or equivalent experience.

Preferred: B.S. in Food Science Microbiology or related Science field

Experience/Knowledge/Abilities:

Required: Technical knowledge of quality systems along with supervisory skills in a food manufacturing and packaging environment.

• 5 to 7 years’ experience in a bakery/quality management position.

• A working knowledge of FDA regulations including cGMPs and FSMA.

• Experience with GFSI audits.

• Ability to lead coach and develop salaried and hourly personnel including performing biannual performance appraisals for all direct reports and key personnel.

• Ability to work collaboratively across departmental boundaries.

• Strong technical problemsolving and problemresolution skills.

• Ability to understand complex process operations as it relates to quality food safety and troubleshooting.

• Excellent organizational skills attention to detail and capacity to multitask efficiently.

• Excellent communication skills (both oral and written) and effective listening skills.

• Strong interpersonal skills and supervisory skills

• Project management capacity

• Working knowledge of MS Office products

Employees Supervised: Quality Supervisor Inspectors sanitation employees.

Contacts: Internal employees External suppliers/vendors/customers