Plant Quality Assurance Manager (WA - Kent)

Job Description

Job Description

Position Summary

The Seattle Plant Quality Assurance Manager is responsible for leading and strengthening the food safety and quality assurance programs for the Company's Seattle-area food manufacturing operation.

This position will oversee quality and food safety systems supporting both fresh/refrigerated products and Ready-to-Eat (RTE) products, with particular emphasis on developing, implementing, validating, and continuously improving the plant's food safety management systems.

The QA Manager is expected to be a hands-on leader who can evaluate current operations, identify gaps, establish practical systems and procedures, train employees, verify execution, and maintain documentation demonstrating ongoing compliance.

The position will work closely with Production, Warehouse, Purchasing, Maintenance, Operations, and other corporate departments to ensure that food safety, quality, regulatory, and company standards are consistently implemented.

Key Responsibilities

1. Food Safety & Quality Management Systems

• Lead the development, implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the plant's food safety and quality assurance programs.
• Maintain and improve programs including HACCP / Food Safety Plans, SSOPs, sanitation programs, SOPs and Work Instructions, GMPs, allergen control, supplier and Ingredient Controls, traceability and lot control, recall and mock recall programs, preventive controls, environmental monitoring, product hold and release procedures, Currective and Preventive Action (CAPA)
• Ensure food safety and quality programs are practical, properly documented, and consistently executed on the production floor.

2. RTE Food Safety Program

• Lead the development and implementation of appropriate food safety controls for Ready-to-Eat products.
• Evaluate product and process flow to identify biological, chemical, physical, and allergen hazards.
• Establish and verify appropriate preventive controls, CCPs, critical limits, monitoring procedures, and corrective actions.
• Oversee controls related to: cooking and thermal processing, cooling, post-lethality handling, cross-contamination prevention, environmental sanitation, time and temperature control, product storage
• Verify that required records are completed accurately and consistently.

3. Regulatory & Audit Readiness

• Ensure plant operations comply with applicable federal, state, and local food safety requirements.
• Lead preparation for regulatory inspections, third-party audits, customer audits, and certification activities.
• Serve as a primary plant contact for food safety and quality matters involving regulatory agencies, auditors, customers, and technical consultants.
• Coordinate corrective actions arising from inspections or audits and ensure timely closure.
• Support the Company in establishing and maintaining systems necessary for applicable USDA and/or FDA regulatory requirements and certifications.

4. Plant Assessment & Gap Analysis

• Conduct a comprehensive assessment of the plant's existing food safety and quality systems.
• Review product flow, production processes, facility conditions, sanitation practices, employee practices, documentation, food safety programs, quality controls
• Develop a prioritized Gap List and Corrective Action Plan identifying responsible parties, deadlines, and verification requirements.
• Periodically reassess plant conditions and measure improvement.

5. Sanitation & Environmental Controls

• Establish and verify effective sanitation procedures for production equipment, utensils, processing areas, warehouse areas, and employee work practices.
• Work with Production and Sanitation teams to establish appropriate cleaning frequencies, methods, chemicals, verification procedures, and records.
• Conduct sanitation inspections and pre-operational inspections.
• Develop environmental monitoring programs where appropriate based on product and regulatory risk.
• Investigate sanitation failures or environmental findings and implement corrective actions.

6. Quality Control & Product Standards

• Develop and maintain product quality standards and specifications.
• Establish appropriate incoming material, in-process, and finished-product inspection programs.
• Monitor product quality issues
• Investigate product defects, customer complaints, returns, and recurring quality issues.
• Identify root causes and implement corrective and preventive actions.

7. Traceability, Recall & Lot Control

• Ensure ingredients, packaging materials, work-in-process, and finished goods can be properly traced through the Company's systems.
• Maintain effective lot coding and traceability procedures.