Quality Control Manager

Ensures that the plant is compliant with food regulatory requirements and reports deficiencies or practices that could compromise food safety, quality and food defense.

Oversees, and manages the Quality Control function to ensure highly disciplined compliance with all product and process quality parameters and standards.

Reports To: VP of Operations

Full Time Staff Position, NOT REMOTE

Scheduling Requirements

A minimum of 40 hours per week. May require an adjusted work schedule, overtime, holidays, evening/weekend hours to meet deadlines and production needs. This position is not remote. Significant time will be spent in a production environment working with production personnel and around various types of production equipment with long periods of standing.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Reports deficiencies or practices that could compromise food safety, quality and food defense to the Quality Assurance Manager, SQF Practitioner and Senior Management in a timely manner so that corrective actions may be taken.
• Must be part of HACCP, Product Development, Approved Supplier, Food Defense, Recall, Crisis Management and Food Fraud Teams.
• Spend time on the factory floor, inspecting the quality of the items produced and investigating production.
• Ensures that the plant is compliant with company standards, food regulatory requirements, FDA, SOP, SSOP, GMP, and HACCP guidelines.
• Time must be efficiently used to maintain policies and quality assurance programs in the manufacturing plant.
• Verify that all new plant equipment and utensils are designed and made of such material and workmanship as to be adequately cleanable and properly maintained.
• Supervises that production conditions, specifications, process controls and tracking controls are in compliance with current policies and procedures.
• Conducts Internal audits.
• Verify checks on existing production control forms and audit the same forms to ensure they meet all program requirements.
• Supports, works and continuously checks in with manufacturing and other team members to ensure plant activities and equipment installations pass food safety, quality and sanitation requirements.
• Maintain processing instructions as they relate to product quality and safety, including updating printed forms to the current revision used on the manufacturing facility.
• Review and participate in the approval of all finished products, packaging and suppliers.
• Monitor the program designed to control foreign material.
• Review Letters of Guarantee, Specifications, and Certificates of Analysis for all incoming ingredients before use by batching.
• Reviews lab results for finished product and add product released to client profiles.
• Supervise and schedule Quality and Sanitation floor staff to ensure coverage.
• Participate in the Verification and Review of the HACCP program including all documentation of CCP’s, Lot numbers, product inspections, facility cleaning, cooler temperatures, weights, etc.
• Perform employee hiring, disciplinary, training verifications, one on one meetings, personnel development, proficiencies and evaluations for Quality Control Techs and Sanitation personnel.
• Participate in the initial, ongoing, and refresher training of employee awareness of their responsibilities as it pertains to quality and food safety.
• Annual training topics include but not limited to HACCP, allergen control, foreign material control, chemical control, good manufacturing practices (GMP), food security, sanitation (SSOP), and commitment to quality.
• Must be able to cover all Quality Control positions and help cover the plant as needed.
• Perform monitoring activities through all stages of product production.
• Updates Hold Log for Non-Conforming product and helps provide dispositions for product on Hold.
• Monitor and review monthly audits conducted by Quality Control Techs.
• Must participate and present in meetings.
• Investigate discrepancies, Non-Conforming product and corrective actions.
• Submits and reviews work orders resulting from monthly audits and follows up on their completion.
• Manages the collection of environmental swabs, air plate testing and potable water samples when scheduled for 3rd party testing.
• Place orders for department consumables.
• Review timecards, approve PTO and sick leave for QC Techs and Sanitation personnel.
• Conducts special tasks as requested.

Job Qualifications

• B.S. Food Science, Microbiology or equivalent (preferred, but not required)
• 3-5 years previous supervisory experience in food manufacturing (preferred)
• 3-4 years Quality experience (preferred)
• HACCP Certified (preferred)
• Advanced computer skills and strong written and oral communication skills required.
• Strong knowledge of food safety regulations preferred.
• Must understand sanitation processes.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, set priorities, and meet deadlines.

Food Safety Responsibilities

• Complete food safety training and implement when needed.
• Maintain quality requirements in accordance with company standards.
• Ensure all maintenance staff abide by the food safety requirements outlined by the company.
• Must be a part of the following teams and participate in all trainings and updates:
  HACCP Team, Food Defense Team and Crisis Management Team.
• Report any food safety problems to the SQF Practitioner or Senior Manager in a timely manner so that corrective actions may be performed.
• Basic skills
• Complexity: Excellent communication, critical thinking, self-motivation, organization and ability to work independently key skills necessary to succeed in this position.