Quality Assurance & R&D Manager

Job Description

Position Summary\n

Nounós Creamery is seeking an experienced, hands-on Quality Assurance & R&D Manager for our new dairy manufacturing facility in Babylon, New York.

This individual will lead the plant’s quality assurance, food-safety, regulatory, laboratory, and product-development programs. The ideal candidate will have experience in dairy or refrigerated-food manufacturing and be comfortable working in both the laboratory and production environment.

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• Establish and manage the facility’s in-house quality-control laboratory.
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• Develop testing procedures, sampling plans, product specifications, and recordkeeping systems.
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• Conduct or oversee routine testing of raw materials, in-process products, and finished products.
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• Manage testing for pH, acidity, milkfat, protein, total solids, viscosity, sensory quality, coliform, yeast, mold, and other applicable measurements.
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• Coordinate pathogen, nutritional, shelf-life, and specialized testing with qualified outside laboratories when required.
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• Review production records and laboratory results before releasing finished products.
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• Prepare, approve, and issue a Certificate of Analysis for each production run.
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• Establish and manage product hold-and-release procedures.
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• Maintain retained samples and complete testing and traceability records.
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• Review weekly production records, samples, laboratory results, and COAs for products manufactured by outside co-packers.
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• Investigate out-of-specification results, quality issues, consumer complaints, and co-packer deviations.
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• Lead root-cause investigations and corrective and preventive actions.
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• Develop and maintain the facility’s food-safety plan, HACCP program, preventive controls, GMPs, sanitation procedures, allergen controls, environmental-monitoring program, supplier-approval program, and recall plan.
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• Serve as the primary contact for FDA, New York State, customer, retailer, and third-party inspections and audits.
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• Maintain the facility in audit-ready condition and manage responses to all audit findings.
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• Ensure compliance with applicable FDA requirements, New York dairy regulations, the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance, and customer requirements.
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• Oversee applicable product certifications and claims, including organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, kosher, halal, and A2.
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• Review and approve product formulas, specifications, ingredient statements, allergen declarations, lot coding, and labels.
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• Lead R&D projects for Greek yogurt, cultured dairy products, dips, frozen-yogurt mixes, and other new products.
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• Conduct plant trials, sensory evaluations, shelf-life studies, and commercial scale-ups.
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• Troubleshoot product and process issues involving fermentation, texture, viscosity, separation, flavor, shelf life, filling, sealing, and packaging.
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• Train production employees on food safety, sanitation, GMPs, quality standards, sampling, and documentation.
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• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, Biology, or a related field preferred.
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• Minimum of five years of experience in dairy, refrigerated-food, or food-manufacturing quality assurance, food safety, laboratory operations, or product development.
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• Experience establishing or managing a food-manufacturing quality-control laboratory strongly preferred.
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• Knowledge of dairy processing, pasteurization, sanitation, microbiological testing, environmental monitoring, and product-release procedures.
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• Experience preparing and reviewing Certificates of Analysis.
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• Knowledge of FDA preventive controls, HACCP, GMPs, allergen management, traceability, and the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance.
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• PCQI and HACCP certification preferred or willingness to obtain promptly.
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• Experience with SQF or another GFSI-recognized food-safety certification preferred.
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• Experience leading regulatory, customer, or third-party audits.
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• Experience overseeing co-packers and reviewing outside production records and testing results preferred.
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• Strong problem-solving, technical writing, organizational, training, and communication skills.
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• Ability to work independently and make appropriate product-hold and release decisions.
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• Willingness to work hands-on in the laboratory and on the production floor.
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• Competitive salary based on experience and qualifications.
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• 401k with company match
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• Eligibility for a performance-based bonus.
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• Benefits and paid time off.
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• The opportunity to build the quality, laboratory, and R&D programs for a growing premium dairy company.
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• Nounós Creamery is an equal-opportunity employer. We consider qualified applicants without regard to any status protected by applicable law.
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