Manager Food Safety and Quality

Position: Manager, Food Safety & Quality Reports To: Director, Manufacturing Food Safety and Quality Location: Swedesboro, NJ Salary Type: Salary Salary Range: $115-135K Position Summary The Manager of Food Safety and Quality is responsible for leading the food safety and quality management systems at the Swedesboro manufacturing facility and Dartmouth warehouse to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, customer standards, and company policies. This role oversees quality assurance, quality control, food safety programs, sanitation oversight, and continuous improvement initiatives to guarantee the production of safe, legal, and high-quality products. The Food Safety & Quality Manager serves as the site’s subject matter expert on food safety sanitation, regulatory compliance, and audit readiness. Key Responsibilities Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance Lead and maintain compliance with FDA, USDA, state, and local regulations. Manage regulatory inspections and act as primary contact during audits and agency visits. Ensure compliance with labeling regulations and customer specifications. Lead root‑cause investigations related to non‑conformances, consumer complaints, and deviations. Serve as primary contact for all audits, GFSI, Organic, and third‑party customer audits. Lead, mentor, and drive continuous improvement across sanitation processes. Quality Management System Maintain and oversee the plant’s HACCP plan, Food Defense, and QMS system for the facility. Serve as Preventative Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI). Maintain document control, SOPs, policies, and quality records. Lead internal audit program and manage corrective/preventive actions (CAPA). Manage allergen control programs. Oversee product hold, release, traceability, mock recalls, and recall management processes. Continuous Improvement & Customer Quality Act as a key support resource by actively monitoring and reporting complaint trends for all customers. Work actively with customers, sales, and quality assurance teams to troubleshoot complaint trends and drive continuous improvement by resolving incongruities between customer expectations and BA specifications. Manage and monitor quality KPI metrics, trends, and reporting for the organization to drive improvement initiatives. Collect and maintain quality complaint data for retail and food service customers. Own quality data management and reporting, including presentations and scorecards as required. Serve as a primary contact for customer quality inquiries. Manage customer complaint investigations and responses. Manage sanitation effectiveness KPIs for continuous improvement in 7‑step, pre‑operational inspections, and Listeria environmental monitoring. Team Leadership & Collaboration Lead cross‑functional teams to reduce defects, waste, and rework. Support facilities and customers through alignment visits to plants, distribution centers, and stores for troubleshooting. Manage, train, and coach QA team leads, technicians, and other quality personnel. Partner with operations to ensure accountability for quality standards. Promote a strong food safety culture across the facility. Lead special projects as required. Other duties as assigned. Manage, train, and coach sanitation teams; will require occasional work on the 3rd shift to collaborate with sanitation. Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in a business or food science related field preferred. PCQI certification preferred. HACCP certification. SQF practitioner certification. 5 years of experience within the produce industry. 5+ years of leadership experience in a manufacturing environment. Experience managing regulatory and third‑party audits. Advanced working knowledge of Microsoft 365 and experience with large data sets. Experience with Tableau, Power BI, or similar data visualization tools highly preferred. Personable with experience working directly with customers. Strong analytical, communication, and collaboration skills. Able to travel up to 25%. Experience with ERP systems. Experience leading sanitation teams. Desired Traits Excellence – ability to deliver consistent quality results through a sense of urgency and initiative, while demonstrating flexibility to meet business needs. People‑minded – ability to foster mutual respect and positive relationships with co‑workers, demonstrates listening skills, and ensures physical safety of self and others. Integrity – honors commitments, acts honestly, and takes accountability. Fairness – ensures objectivity and sets a good example for others. Confidence – contributes to team spirit and acknowledges the right to try things out. Simplicity – maintains cordial relations on a day‑to‑day basis and demonstrates genuine human relations. Open‑mindedness – is tolerant and promotes creativity. Physical Work Environment The associate will mainly work in an office environment and use a computer, telephone, and other office equipment as needed to perform duties. The noise level in the work environment is typical of an office. The associate is regularly required to sit, talk, or hear; frequently required to use repetitive hand motion, handle or feel, and to stand, walk, reach, bend, or lift to 30 pounds. The associate is occasionally in a manufacturing environment and exposed to wet, cold, and/or humid conditions. The noise level in the manufacturing environment is usually loud. Equal Opportunity Employer This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor. #J-18808-Ljbffr