Director of Quality Assurance

Come join a growing team! FOODMatch is searching for a Director of Quality Assurance to join our team. Founded in 1996, FOODMatch is a producer and importer of Mediterranean specialty foods with a distinct expertise in traditionally and responsibly crafted olives, antipasti, spreads, sauces, and ingredients. FOODMatch plays an integral role in ensuring the quality of our products. The FOODMatch difference begins in the fields and groves. We are vertically integrated with our partners to ensure that each step along the production chain is completed to meticulous standards: from irrigation and pruning, to harvesting, sorting and stuffing by hand, to expertly curing and preserving, we ensure each ingredient delivers its natural flavor, color, and texture. Simply put, no detail is spared. Through the hands of our growers we create great tasting, responsibly produced, authentic foods that nurture community and enhance your quality of life. Position Summary The Director of QA owns the governance, accuracy, and compliance of product information across the full lifecycle, including specifications, change control, supplier documentation, certifications, labeling inputs, and product data standards. This role serves as the quality owner for product-related documentation, ensuring specifications, labels, ingredients, allergens, packaging data, certifications, and regulatory records remain current and technically sound. Key Responsibilities Product Specification, Documentation & Data Governance Own the product specification, documentation, and data governance program, including standards for creation, review, approval, revision, maintenance, expiration tracking, renewal, and retirement. Oversees process/SOP for transition from product set-up stage to active product. Ensure specifications and related product records accurately reflect manufacturing, regulatory, quality, ingredient, allergen, nutrition, packaging, labeling, certification, and food safety requirements. Develop risk-based review schedules and partner with the VP of QA/FS, Information Systems, and business stakeholders to improve data controls, reporting, system accuracy, and lifecycle processes. Product Change Control Own quality review and approval for product changes, including ingredients, suppliers, manufacturing sites, processing, packaging, and labels. Assess quality, food safety, regulatory, and certification impacts. Maintain documented change control procedures, risk assessments, approvals, and implementation records; leading coordination between Sourcing, Purchasing, and Sales as needed. Product Lifecycle Management Establish lifecycle review processes and criteria based on product risk, volume, customer and regulatory requirements, quality history, and supplier performance. Oversee and update internal and external product review programs. Ensure active products remain technically current and compliant. Manage specification retirement and archival activities for discontinued products. Labeling, Claims & Regulatory Compliance Oversee technical review and approval of labeling, claims, and certification requirements, including Organic, Kosher, Non-GMO, Gluten-Free, and related programs. Create and maintain SOPs supporting FSMA, FDA, CFIA, import regulations, customer standards, GFSI expectations, and audit readiness. Partner with Regulatory Affairs and internal teams to implement supplier, regulatory, certification, and compliance-related product changes accurately. Support customer audits, certification requests, regulatory inquiries, annual NOP Organic audits, and FDA FSMA audits. Supplier & Customer Collaboration Serve as the primary QA contact for supplier, customer, and internal stakeholder initiatives related to product lifecycle activities. Coordinate and communicate specification changes, reformulations, packaging updates, compliance changes, and customer-driven product improvements between customers, sales team, and other departments. Build supplier relationships that support timely documentation, issue resolution, and product support. Leadership Responsibilities Define performance expectations, development plans, workload management, and review processes. Promote accuracy, accountability, proactive risk management, and scalable processes that support portfolio growth. Become a product and supplier expert; act as go-to person responsible for product quality and specifications. Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Biology, Chemistry, Regulatory Affairs, Business, Food Engineering, or related field. Master's degree preferred. 10+ years of progressive experience within Food manufacturing, Food importing, Consumer packaged goods, Quality systems, Product management. Minimum 5 years in a management role. Experience managing cross-functional commercialization projects. Strong understanding of food safety and regulatory requirements. Preferred Experience Imported food products. Mediterranean or specialty foods. GFSI-certified manufacturing environments. Private label and customer-specific product programs. FOODMatch