Food Safety & Quality Manager

Food Safety & Quality Manager

Our client is seeking a Food Safety & Quality Manager to lead food safety and quality initiatives at a large food manufacturing facility in Appleton, WI. This role is ideal for a strong food manufacturing leader who can drive accountability, influence operations, and build a culture where food safety is owned across the organization—not just by the FSQ team. The successful candidate will bring strong technical knowledge along with the leadership skills needed to develop teams, implement strategy, and drive meaningful change across a 500-person manufacturing plant.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead Food Safety & Quality initiatives across the manufacturing facility, with a primary focus on strengthening the overall food safety culture.
• Develop and execute a strategic approach to food safety and quality that goes beyond compliance and drives sustainable behavioral and operational change.
• Partner closely with Operations, Maintenance, and other plant leaders to establish shared accountability and ownership for food safety.
• Lead, develop, and hold accountable a team of 3 direct reports supporting approximately 40–60 employees across the broader FSQ organization.
• Influence employees and leaders across the plant to embed food safety into day-to-day operations and decision-making.
• Ensure compliance with HACCP, food safety, quality, regulatory, and company standards.
• Oversee quality management systems and processes, with familiarity with systems such as SAP preferred.
• Identify opportunities to improve food safety, quality, and operational performance and lead initiatives to address gaps.
• Build strong relationships across the plant and serve as a trusted leader and resource for food safety and quality.
• Develop team members through coaching, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Requirements:

• 5–7+ years of management experience within food manufacturing.
• Bachelor's degree required; ideally in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, or a related scientific discipline.
• Strong background in food safety and HACCP.
• Prior quality management experience; familiarity with systems such as SAP is preferred.
• Significant food manufacturing experience is highly important.
• Proven ability to lead, develop, and hold teams accountable in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong change-management and influencing skills, with the ability to drive food safety ownership across Operations, Maintenance, and the broader plant.
• Experience developing and executing strategies rather than simply managing compliance.
• A proactive, hands-on leader who can influence the floor, build relationships, and create lasting improvements in food safety culture.

Compensation: $140,000 base salary + eligibility to earn a 15% bonus Benefits: Benefits available Day 1, including a 6% 401(k) match. Relocation assistance is available depending on the candidate. Medical, dental, and vision insurance available.

This is a high-visibility opportunity to make a significant impact at a large manufacturing facility where improving food safety culture is a key business priority. The successful candidate will have strong upward mobility potential, including the opportunity to progress into regional leadership as the organization continues to grow.