FSQ RTE Manager

At  Link Snacks , we show up hungry, roll up our sleeves, plaid or otherwise, and dive straight into the hard work. We don’t hide from challenges; we hunt them down. We push harder, move faster, and take the kinds of big swings that built this business in the North Woods of Wisconsin four decades ago.

We’re everyday people who deliver extraordinary results. Innovation, creativity, and urgency aren’t buzzwords, they’re expectations. And just like the real protein snacks we make across our global house of brands— Jack Link’s® ,  Lorissa’s Kitchen® ,  Golden Island® ,  BiFi® , and  Peperami® and  KOOEE!®to name a few—there’s nothing artificial about us. What you see is exactly what you get: humble, gritty, passionate people who show up every day ready to not just be a participate in the meat snack industry that the Link Family created, but to move faster, innovate harder and keep raising the bar so high, the rest of the world needs a ladder just to see it.

Dominating this space across the world takes a team. A team that runs together, succeeds together, and celebrates together. A team that’s full of relentless energy and spirit that can only be fueled by one thing: a fist full of our delicious meat snacks.

Real Meat Protein. Real People. Real Results. THAT is Link Snacks.

Job Description

The FSQ RTE Manager (Technical Authority) is the single point of authority for food safety within all Ready-to-Eat (RTE) production and packaging operations .

This role is responsible for ensuring that no contamination pathway exists between environmental, personnel, or process risks and finished product . The position operates as a real-time risk controller , making immediate decisions on product safety, production continuation, and release.

In this structure:

• Sanitation executes cleaning (Plant Manager)
• FSQ RTE defines standards and approves effectiveness

This role is accountable for closing the gap between: what should happen vs. what actually happens on the floor.

Key Responsibilities

Real-Time Food Safety Authority

• Make final decisions on:
  • Product release / hold
  • Line startup approval
  • Production shutdowns
• Lead escalation and response to:
  • Deviations
  • Sanitation failures
  • Environmental risks

Hygienic Zoning Design & Enforcement

• Define and enforce:
  • RAW → RTE separation
  • Personnel and material flow
  • Controlled entry/exit points
• Audit zoning behavior daily:
  • Boot wash compliance
  • Tool segregation
• Eliminate all cross-contamination pathways

Sanitation Standards & Validation

• Define sanitation expectations:
  • 7-step cleaning system
• Validate cleaning effectiveness through:
  • Direct observation
  • ATP and micro results
• Reject sanitation that does not meet standard

Pre-Operational Control

• Own pre-op verification standards
• Audit high-risk equipment and repeat issue areas
• Ensure no production begins under unsafe conditions

Environmental Monitoring & Pathogen Control

• Partner with Micro Lab Manager to:
  • Interpret trends
  • Identify harborage points
• Lead response to Listeria risks
• Eliminate repeat contamination zones

High-Risk Vector Control

• Define and enforce controls for:
  • Drains
  • Condensation
  • Equipment niches
• Enforce drain segregation and no-spray policies

Floor Leadership & Enforcement

• Maintain strong floor presence
• Correct GMP violations immediately
• Hold operations, sanitation, and maintenance accountable

Ensure the RTE process is scientifically sound, controlled, and safe

What They Own

Process & Food Safety Authority (Highest Risk Area)

• Kill step (smokehouse lethality)
• Cooling, drying, post-lethality handling
• RTE contamination prevention (Listeria risk)

Process Validation

• Thermal validation
• Challenge studies
• Scientific basis of controls

Qualifications

• 8+ years in food safety/QA leadership
• RTE food experience (strongly required)
• Deep expertise in:
  • HACCP, FSMA, GMPs
  • Hygienic zoning
  • Sanitation systems
• Proven ability to:
  • Enforce standards
  • Make high-pressure decisions

KPIs

• RTE environmental positive rate
• Pre-op pass rate and repeat issues
• Zoning/GMP compliance
• Food safety incidents
• Audit performance

Additional Information

The salary range for this role is $94,000- $106,000 (Salary.) Actual salaries will vary based on several factors, including but not limited to external market data, internal equity, location, and candidate skill set and experience. Base pay is just one component of Jack Link’s Total Rewards package for Team Members. Other rewards may include annual incentive and program-specific awards. Jack Link’s provides a variety of benefits to eligible Team Members, including medical, dental and vision benefits, life and disability insurance, 401k participation, paid holidays, and paid time off.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS :
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to be successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle, or feel, lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to sit, and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.

WORK ENVIRONMENT :
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The work environment is a plant / office setting with varying degrees of temperatures and noise levels. Exposure to manufacturing equipment movement and wet / slippery floors. Travel may be required.

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer
Jack Link's is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation and gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

E-Verify
Jack Link's provides the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with information from each new Team Member’s Form I-9 to confirm work authorization. IMPORTANT: If the Government cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, we are required to provide you written instructions and an opportunity to contact SSA and/or DHS before taking adverse action against you, including terminating your employment. We do not use E-Verify to pre-screen job applicants or to re-verify current employees and may not limit or influence the choice of documents presented for use on the Form I-9. In order to determine whether Form I-9 documentation is valid, we use E-Verify’s photo screening tool to match the photograph appearing on some permanent resident and employment authorization cards with the official U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) photograph. If you believe that Jack Link’s has violated our responsibilities under this program or has discriminated against you during the verification process based upon your national origin or citizenship status, please call the Office of Special Counsel at View phone number on us.fitly.work (TDD: View phone number on us.fitly.work).