QA Manager

Job Description Job Description Food Safety & Quality Assurance (FSQA) Manager This role leads all Food Safety and Quality Assurance programs for a rapidly growing food manufacturing facility. The FSQA Manager oversees daily FSQA operations, ensures full compliance with regulatory, certification, and customer requirements, and drives continuous improvement across production. This high-impact leadership position partners closely with Operations, Sanitation, Maintenance, R&D, Regulatory, Procurement, and Supply Chain to uphold the highest standards of food safety, product quality, and operational efficiency while supporting commercialization and ongoing process enhancements. Responsibilities Oversee daily FSQA operations within a regulated food manufacturing environment and ensure consistent execution of all food safety and quality programs. Ensure compliance with FDA and USDA/FSIS regulations, HACCP, SQF, GMPs, sanitation standards, allergen control programs, and customer-specific requirements. Lead, maintain, and continuously improve core food safety systems, including HACCP plans, food safety and food defense programs, environmental monitoring programs (EMP), and allergen management and traceability systems. Manage environmental monitoring activities, including sampling, investigations, root cause analysis, and implementation of corrective and preventive actions (CAPA). Oversee critical control points (CCPs), preventive controls, and quality monitoring programs to ensure product safety and consistency. Review and verify production and quality documentation, such as HACCP records, sanitation logs, metal detection records, and other quality system documentation. Lead investigations related to customer complaints, non-conformances, deviations, and foreign material incidents, and ensure timely resolution and documentation. Drive CAPA implementation, follow-up, and verification to prevent recurrence of issues and strengthen food safety and quality systems. Support product commercialization by overseeing line trials, validations, and process reviews, ensuring new products and processes meet all safety and quality requirements. Prepare for and lead internal, customer, regulatory, and third-party audits, including GFSI/SQF and other certification audits. Develop, implement, and maintain FSQA policies, procedures, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and training programs for FSQA and production teams. Manage product hold and release processes and oversee traceability activities within ERP systems and quality databases. Analyze and trend quality and operational data to identify patterns, risks, and opportunities for improvement, and recommend data-driven solutions. Partner with suppliers on quality requirements, specifications, and issue resolution to ensure incoming materials meet defined standards. Collaborate with Operations and Maintenance to improve sanitary design, process controls, and overall plant hygiene and food safety. Train, mentor, and develop FSQA team members, providing coaching, feedback, and performance management to build a strong quality culture. Participate in risk assessments, validations, and shelf-life studies to support product safety, stability, and quality over shelf life. Support certification programs such as SQF, Organic, Kosher, Halal, or equivalent, including documentation, audits, and ongoing compliance. Assist with regulatory documentation and export or customer-specific documentation requirements, ensuring accurate and timely submissions. Maintain documentation systems, including ERP and quality management systems, to ensure records are complete, accurate, and audit-ready. Support continuous improvement and operational excellence initiatives focused on food safety, product quality, and process efficiency. Provide leadership and oversight to the quality team across multiple shifts, ensuring clear communication, alignment on priorities, and consistent application of FSQA standards. Essential Skills Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, or a related field preferred. 5+ years of FSQA leadership or supervisory experience in food manufacturing. Strong working knowledge of FDA and/or USDA regulations applicable to food manufacturing. Demonstrated expertise in HACCP and Preventive Controls, with PCQI knowledge or certification. Experience with SQF or other GFSI-recognized schemes and certification programs. In-depth understanding of GMPs, sanitation practices, and allergen management programs. Hands-on experience with environmental monitoring programs, ideally in ready-to-eat (RTE) environments. Proven experience manag #J-18808-Ljbffr Aston Carter