Director of Quality Assurance- Food Manufacturing

The Business:

Our client is a leading and growing food manufacturer of Food, Sauces and add value foods.

The Director Quality Assurance is a key member of the leadership team, providing strategic direction across our quality, food safety and sanitation organizations. The role will develop and analyze key metrics to identify areas of opportunity; provide expertise and guidance to our Operations teams in resolving complex food safety questions and challenges;

The Quality Assurance Director is responsible for leading the quality assurance and food safety program at a specific facility. This includes working with customers, suppliers, corporate personnel, and manufacturing staff. Responsibilities includes auditing of Quality systems such as, SQF (Safe Quality Foods), the FSMA Food Safety Plan, GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices), and SOP's (Standard Operating Procedures) for plant Quality department. Responsible for communication of food quality standards to plant personnel through training, corrective actions, quality audits, production and facility monitoring.

Example of Duties and Responsibilities

• Manage the Quality and Food Safety function at the facility.
• Serves as SQF Practitioner and site FSMA Preventive Controls Qualified Individual.
• Manage programs to verify, validate the Food Safety Pre-requisite programs.
• Manage the plant Food Safety Plan and associated policies and procedures.
• Serves as Food Safety Team Member.
• Monitor, support and enforce all Shearer's Foods food safety processes and procedures. This includes all AIB standards, SQF standards, customer specific standards, and 3rd party certifications as identified in supporting documentation.
• Participate in weekly Food Safety Inspections.
• Investigates and responds to customer complaints. Tracks complaint and reacts to emerging issues or trends engaging the appropriate functions and process owners (i.e. production, maintenance, PD, etc) to resolve.
• Responds to customer requests and queries.

What you'll bring to the role?

• Minimum 10 years' experience in managerial or supervisory role in high volume preferably food manufacturing industry
• Degree qualifications in Food Technology, Science, Engineering or other relevant areas
• Leadership experience - you lead from the front, are influential when driving change & inspire your team daily!
• Proven experience with lean manufacturing methodologies (Lean - Six Sigma certification - at least yellow belt preferred)
• Excellent communication and rapport building skills with your team and stakeholders
• Passion for data and metrics - you naturally interpret data and use findings to support decision making
• Accountability - you own your decisions and can be counted on to do what you say you will!
• Eagerness to learn and grow your career with us
• An innovative mindset- you're not afraid to challenge the status quo and throw new ideas into the mix
• Positivity and a solutions-focused approach- nothing is ever a problem!