Food Safety and Quality Assurance Manager

Position overview

Lead the food safety and quality systems supporting Safety Fresh Foods' high pressure processing (HPP), refrigerated storage and tolling services, and Craft Fresh Foods' ingredient handling, blending, thermal processing and packaging operations. The scope includes refrigerated CPG products, with controls tailored to each product, process and customer agreement.

This is a hands-on management role responsible for building practical programs, coaching employees on the floor and verifying that daily execution protects product safety, quality and traceability. Partner with Operations, Sanitation, Maintenance, Inventory and Logistics, customers, and corporate food safety resources to resolve issues and support new business.

Food safety systems and audit leadership

• Own site food safety and quality programs, including hazard analyses, HACCP plans, FSMA preventive controls, procedures, specifications and records. Serve as a PCQI when qualified and designated; coordinate required oversight with other qualified resources.
• Lead BRCGS Food Safety certification readiness and ongoing compliance with applicable requirements, including Issue 4 and Issue 9 and subsequent revisions. Maintain audit readiness for customer requirements, the Costco addendum where applicable, organic certification through CCOF, Kosher, USDA, FDA and Wisconsin DATCP oversight.
• Lead internal audits, inspections, management reviews and corrective action follow-up. Coordinate regulatory, certification and customer audits and verify that corrective actions prevent recurrence.
• Maintain document control, verification schedules, training records and risk assessments. Manage allergen controls, food defense, food fraud vulnerability assessments, and supplier and service provider approval programs.
• Decision authority and escalation
• Authorize food safety and quality holds and stop affected processing or shipment when requirements are not met. Control release and disposition within approved procedures, customer agreements and delegated authority. Escalate significant deviations, positive pathogen results, potential recalls and unresolved risks immediately to the Division Director and other appropriate leadership. Production priorities must not override food safety requirements.

Safety Fresh Foods HPP

• Verify that each customer product has approved processing specifications and applicable validation support before routine HPP processing. Coordinate technical review with customers, qualified process authorities and corporate resources when products, packaging or process conditions change.
• Verify HPP cycle records, approved recipes, pressure and hold-time requirements, relevant temperatures, instrument checks and deviation handling. Maintain lot linkage between incoming product, processing cycles and outgoing shipments.
• Oversee receiving condition checks, refrigerated storage, segregation, product status identification and shipping verification. Maintain clear responsibilities with customers for product specifications, testing, release and disposition.
• Review package compatibility and integrity before and after HPP. Investigate leaks, damaged packaging, missed or incomplete cycles, temperature excursions and other service failures; document disposition and customer communication.

Craft Fresh Foods manufacturing and packaging

• Establish and verify controls from ingredient receiving and staging through batching, blending, pasteurization where applicable, filling, sealing, refrigerated storage and transfer to HPP. Maintain clear responsibility and lot records between Craft Fresh manufacturing and Safety Fresh processing.
• Verify formula and ingredient identity, batch weights, allergen segregation, approved rework, pH and time and temperature controls. Ensure sampling methods, meter calibration and record review support reliable batch decisions and prompt investigation of inconsistent results.
• Coordinate validation and verification of HTST and other applicable process controls with qualified technical resources. Review process records and deviations, and assess changes to formulations, equipment or operating conditions before implementation.
• Oversee cup and pouch filling and sealing checks, package integrity, net content, label and allergen verification, lot coding, retained samples and customer specifications. Use defect data to reduce leaks, rejects and recurring quality failures.
• Evaluate product-specific hazards for refrigerated baby food and sauces, including environmental pathogens, allergens and hazards associated with reduced-oxygen packaging or garlic in oil where applicable. Coordinate appropriate validation, shelf-life studies and customer approvals before launch or significant changes.
• Sanitation and verification programs
• Own sanitation verification, preoperational inspections, clean-in-place (CIP) verification and environmental monitoring based on risk. Partner with Sanitation and Maintenance on hygienic design, cleaning procedures, chemical controls and corrective actions.
• Coordinate microbiological and other product testing, sampling plans, laboratory services and review of results. Trend environmental and product results, investigate adverse findings and verify corrective action effectiveness.
• Maintain calibration and verification programs for pH meters, thermometers, scales and other monitoring devices. Verify pest control, chemical management, foreign material controls and hygienic practices throughout supported operations.

Customer quality and traceability

• Manage customer complaints, nonconforming product, root cause investigations and corrective actions. Communicate findings, product status and agreed actions accurately and promptly.
• Verify approval, specifications, certificates of analysis and required supplier verification for ingredients and packaging, including customer-owned materials. Coordinate with customers and offsite warehouses while retaining documented receiving and acceptance controls.
• Lead traceability and mock recall exercises covering ingredients, packaging, work in process, finished product, HPP cycles and shipments. Verify quantity reconciliation and support incident assessment, withdrawal and recall execution.
• People leadership and operating discipline
• Lead and develop assigned FSQA technicians and senior technicians. Set priorities, assign coverage across shifts and locations, verify performance, and establish trained backup coverage for critical duties.
• Train employees in GMPs, food safety, sanitation, allergens and role-specific controls. Use bilingual staff and translated or visual materials as needed; verify understanding and effective application on the floor.
• Report food safety and quality performance to leadership, including audit findings, overdue corrective actions, holds, complaints, packaging defects, testing trends and training completion. Recommend improvements based on risk and measurable results.
• Support equipment commissioning, customer onboarding and process improvement. Provide technical support during production issues while maintaining independent food safety decisions. Support SDS and chemical safety coordination with the designated safety lead, and perform related duties as assigned.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in food science or related, microbiology or a related field, or equivalent relevant education and experience. At least five years of food manufacturing, food safety or quality experience, including two years leading people or food safety programs.
• Demonstrated ownership of HACCP or preventive controls programs, audit preparation, corrective actions, sanitation verification and traceability. HACCP training and PCQI qualification through recognized training or equivalent qualifying experience are required.
• Ability to interpret specifications, process records and laboratory results; investigate root causes; write clear procedures; and make sound hold and release decisions under production pressure.
• Strong communication, organization and coaching skills. Ability to work effectively with hourly employees, plant leadership, customers and technical resources. Proficiency with Microsoft Office and electronic record systems.

Preferred qualifications

BRCGS audit leadership; experience with HPP, refrigerated ready-to-eat foods, thermal processing, acidification, CIP, cup or pouch packaging, organic or Kosher programs; and bilingual English and Spanish communication.

Work environment and physical requirements

Regular presence on production floors and occasional travel between Plymouth and Glendale are required. Schedule flexibility is needed for audits, startup activities, shift support and urgent food safety issues; occasional additional travel may be required. Work includes refrigerated, wet and noisy areas with required PPE, standing, walking, bending and occasional lifting up to 40 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable performance of essential functions.

FLSA designation: To be confirmed by HR. This description outlines the principal responsibilities and may be revised as business needs change.