Plant Quality Manager

Plant Quality Manager

Salary Range $115,000.00 - $130,000.00 Salary/year Position Type Full Time

Job Summary

The Plant Quality Manager is responsible for leading the Quality Assurance and Food Safety function at the Wheeling manufacturing facility, ensuring products and processes meet RFI standards, customer requirements, applicable regulatory requirements, and GFSI/SQF expectations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Quality & Food Safety Leadership

• Lead the plant Quality Assurance and Food Safety function and establish clear expectations and accountability across all shifts.
• Ensure products manufactured and handled at the facility meet internal quality and food safety standards, customer specifications, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Serve as the facility's designated SQF Practitioner/HACCP coordinator and lead implementation, verification, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the SQF and FS System.
• Maintain plant readiness for SQF/GFSI, FDA, USDA, customer, and other applicable audits and inspections.
• Lead and strengthen the facility's Food Safety Culture through communication, training, engagement, and accountability.
• Maintain a consistent presence on the production floor to identify risks, reinforce GMP and food safety expectations, and support effective resolution of issues.
• Participate in budget planning and cost management for QA/FSQA operations; ensure timely ordering of supplies, accurate PO creation and approvals, and completion of required documentation to support timely invoice processing and payment by Accounts Payable.

Food Safety Systems & Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure effective implementation and maintenance of prerequisite programs, HACCP/Food Safety Plans, Food Defense, Food Fraud, GMP, and other applicable food safety programs.
• Ensure compliance with applicable FDA, USDA, FSMA, and other regulatory requirements.
• Serve as a primary plant liaison with regulatory inspectors and coordinate with Corporate Quality and Regulatory resources as appropriate.
• Conduct or oversee investigations and ensure appropriate documentation, escalation, and follow-up.
• Provide risk assessments for planned and unplanned product and process nonconformances.
• Lead or support traceability exercises, mock recalls, crisis management, and product recall/withdrawal activities.

Sanitation, Pre-Operational & Environmental Programs

• Provide Quality/Food Safety oversight of plant sanitation programs and partner closely with Sanitation and Operations leadership to ensure effective execution.
• Ensure effective sanitation verification and pre-operational inspection programs.
• Provide oversight of the facility's Environmental Monitoring Program, including appropriate sampling, trending, investigations, corrective actions, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure effective verification of sanitation and food safety controls and timely escalation of adverse findings.
• Support continuous improvement of sanitation practices, hygienic conditions, and food safety risk controls.

Nonconformance, CAPA & Continuous Improvement

• Lead Quality involvement in the identification, containment, and disposition of nonconforming products and materials.
• Lead or facilitate root cause analysis and corrective and preventive actions for food safety, quality, customer, and process issues.
• Ensure timely completion and verification of corrective actions and CAPAs.
• Play a leading role in product and material hold/release decisions using sound technical and risk-based judgment.
• Track, trend, and report quality and food safety KPIs and use data to identify improvement opportunities.
• Partner with Operations and other functions to drive sustainable corrective actions and continuous improvement.
• Escalate raw material and supplier-related nonconformances through appropriate Corporate Quality and Supply Chain channels.

Customer & Audit Management

• Lead plant preparation for and participation in SQF/GFSI, regulatory, customer, certification, and other applicable audits and inspections.
• Represent RFI and the Wheeling facility during audits and inspections.
• Ensure customer complaints are investigated thoroughly, and that appropriate root cause, corrective action, and preventive action information is provided promptly.
• Monitor complaint trends and identify opportunities for systemic improvement.
• Support customer visits and communicate with plant Quality and Food Safety programs effectively.

People Leadership

• Lead, coach, develop, and hold accountable Quality Assurance personnel across all shifts.
• Ensure appropriate staffing, training, qualification, and development of the plant Quality team.
• Establish clear roles, work instructions, expectations, and performance measures.
• Develop technical capabilities within the Quality organization and work with Corporate Quality to provide appropriate training and development.
• Foster effective collaboration between Quality, Operations, Sanitation, Maintenance, R&D, Supply Chain, and other functions.
• Effectively navigate situations where food safety, quality, operational, and business priorities may not initially align.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of Quality Assurance/Food Safety experience in food manufacturing.
• Demonstrated experience leading Quality/Food Safety personnel within a manufacturing facility.
• HACCP certification.
• PCQI certification.
• Strong working knowledge of SQF or another recognized GFSI certification scheme.
• Working knowledge of FDA and USDA requirements applicable to food manufacturing.
• Demonstrated experience with GMPs, HACCP/Food Safety Plans, CAPA/root cause analysis, sanitation, and audit readiness.
• Experience managing nonconforming product, holds, investigations, and corrective actions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to make sound, risk-based decisions in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Ability to work effectively with employees and leadership across functional and organizational levels.
• Ability to support plant operations across shifts as business and food-safety needs require.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Biology, Chemistry, or a related scientific discipline.
• Previous experience serving as a designated SQF Practitioner.
• Experience in a USDA-regulated food manufacturing environment.
• Environmental Monitoring Program and microbiological testing experience.
• Experience with sanitation verification and pre-operational inspection programs.
• Experience leading regulatory, GFSI/SQF, and customer audits.
• Demonstrated experience using quality metrics and trend analysis to drive measurable continuous improvement.

Essential Skills and Abilities

Key Leadership Competencies

• Strong plant-floor leadership and visibility
• Sound technical and risk-based decision-making
• Food safety and quality ownership
• Accountability and follow-through
• Root cause problem-solving
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Effective communication and influence
• Ability to appropriately challenge decisions when food safety or product quality may be at risk
• Team development and coaching
• Continuous improvement mindset
• Ability to balance food safety, quality, operational, customer, and business requirements without compromising applicable standards

Working Conditions

• On-Site: This role requires 100% onsite attendance to perform the essential functions of the role and has significant interaction with associates in Wheeling.

Work Environment

This position operates within a food manufacturing environment and may involve regular exposure to moving mechanical equipment, wet or humid conditions, and a loud working environment. The position requires frequent walking and standing and may involve climbing, bending, kneeling, reaching, and lifting associated with plant activities. The job may require lifting 10 pounds to 25 pounds occasionally.

Pay and Benefits

The following information is provided in accordance with applicable state and local laws. Compensation is based on experience, geographic locations, and other legally permitted factors. The expected compensation range for this role is $115,000 and $130,000. This role is also eligible for an annual incentive plan bonus.

Benefits for this role include medical, dental, and vision insurance;