Director of Quality Assurance (Greater Chicago Area)

About the Role

Brami is seeking an experienced and hands-on Director of Quality Assurance to lead and elevate our quality and food safety function. This leader will own Brami’s overall quality strategy—setting corporate quality objectives and key results (KPIs), driving continuous improvement, and championing sound quality practices across product development, manufacturing, and distribution. This role leads quality and food safety for Brami’s North American operations while supporting global supply chain partners—including international vendors, manufacturing, co-packing, and distribution—partnering with functional teams to uphold consistent standards across markets.

As the company’s primary subject matter expert on all regulatory, food safety, and quality matters, the Director of Quality Assurance will build and steward Brami’s Quality System Management (QSM) framework, oversee audits and corrective actions, manage certifications and recall preparedness, and ensure products consistently meet both corporate standards and all applicable government regulations.

This is a cross-functional leadership role requiring close collaboration with internal teams and external partners—across the supply chain, including customers—and the ability to thrive in an entrepreneurial, fast-moving environment. The right candidate is a builder who creates order out of chaos, brings deep technical and food safety expertise, and is passionate about developing both great products and a great team.

Key Responsibilities

Quality Strategy & Leadership

• Lead strategic planning for Brami Quality, deliver overall corporate quality objectives and key results (KPIs), determine quality objectives, and drive and support continuous improvement and sound quality practices.
• Provide leadership, direction, and guidance on all related programs and systems, collaborating closely with internal and external functions.
• Determine the staffing needs of the QA function and ensure staffing is adequate to meet objectives.
• Represent the Company as a key subject matter expert for all regulatory, food safety, and quality-related concerns.
• Lead quality and food safety across Brami’s North American operations while supporting the global sourcing, manufacturing, co-packing, and distribution network, collaborating with functional team members to meet food safety and regulatory compliance requirements across markets.

Quality Systems & Programs

• Support development and implementation of the Brami QSM, including foundational QA programs such as vendor approvals, process audits, QA hold procedures, the retention program, and first-article approved products.
• Support development and implementation of QA programs that include Recall Management, HACCP, environmental monitoring, complaint management, and sanitation programs.
• Manage the product recall process and drive preparedness.
• Ensure products meet corporate standards as well as all applicable government regulations.

Audits, CAPAs & Continuous Improvement

• Oversee the analysis of trends and issues to drive corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs), including Supplier Corrective Action Requests (SCARs), Consumer Feedback, CPM, and other KPI-supported continuous improvement.
• Establish management of audits, audit results, and audit trends, ensuring we consistently meet Brami standards with vendors and manufacturers.

Certifications & Product Launches

• Direct the creation and management of certification documentation and application submissions, ensuring new product launches and any product revisions are complete and meet certification requirements.

Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance

• Educate the organization on food safety trends and plan for their impact on Brami manufacturing, distribution, and innovation strategies.
• Stay abreast of government food safety compliance and regulation and understand how it impacts the business.
• Direct the response to ever-changing regulations, customer requirements, and technology as related to Brami Quality and Food Safety.
• Collaborate with cross-functional and functional team members—across operations, R&D, supply chain, and commercial—to ensure global food safety and regulatory compliance is achieved and maintained.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Team Development

• Ensure collaboration with cross-functional partners to achieve standards and regulations during product development and commercialization activities.
• Serve as a liaison between vendors, co-packers, and customers on quality initiatives.
• Coach, develop, and mentor the team to support their ongoing career development.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in CPG manufacturing, food, or beverage.
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field required.
• Ability to work in a company with an entrepreneurial, non-structured environment.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Computer literacy in MS Word, Excel, and Outlook, as well as web-based applications.
• Experience managing relationships with co-packers.
• Strong technical skills in process improvements and materials management.
• Strong financial background a significant plus.
• A master of creating order out of chaos.
• Passion for food, fitness, nutrition, entrepreneurship, and sustainability.
• Up to 50% travel required, including in-person attendance at company meetings (locations TBD).