Head of Quality & Food Safety (Chicago)

Become a direct partner to the COO for a rapidly-growing CPG company!

Role Description

The Director of Quality Assurance & Food Safety provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for all quality and food safety programs across two manufacturing facilities.

This senior leader develops, implements, and continuously improves comprehensive product assurance programs designed to prevent or eliminate defects in new and existing products, while ensuring full compliance with all applicable food safety regulations and standards at both sites.

This is a multi-site leadership role requiring regular travel between facilities. The Director will ensure consistent QA and food safety standards, systems, and culture across both facilities, while adapting programs to each site's specific operational needs.

Primary Responsibilities

Quality Assurance Leadership

• Develop, implement, and maintain a unified Quality Management System (QMS) across both facilities, aligned with GFSI-recognized standards (SQF, BRC, or equivalent).
• Establish and monitor key quality metrics at each plant; analyze cross-site trends and drive continuous improvement initiatives to achieve consistent standards across both operations.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective/preventive action (CAPA) processes for quality deviations, customer complaints, and non-conformances at either facility.
• Evaluate reports from Plant QA Managers at each site and collaborate with senior management to formulate and manage the multi-site QA fiscal budget.
• Ensure standardization of QA procedures, documentation, and training materials across both plants while accommodating site-specific operational differences.

Food Safety Program Management

• Serve as the company-wide PCQI (Preventive Controls Qualified Individual) and oversee development and maintenance of site-specific HACCP/HARPC plans for both facilities in compliance with FDA FSMA regulations.
• Ensure all food safety prerequisite programs (PRPs) — sanitation, pest control, allergen management, environmental monitoring, and supplier controls — are implemented consistently and effectively at both plants.
• Direct recall readiness and crisis response protocols across both facilities; lead multi-site mock recall exercises and coordinate actual recall events if needed.
• Ensure compliance with USDA/FSIS regulations applicable to prepared meat products, including HACCP regulations (9 CFR Part 417), at each manufacturing location.

Regulatory Compliance & Audits

• Serve as the primary contact for regulatory agencies (USDA/FSIS, FDA) during inspections and audits; manage responses to 483 observations, NOIEs, and NRs.
• Prepare for and manage third-party food safety certification audits; maintain certifications required by retail and foodservice customers.
• Monitor and interpret regulatory changes and industry developments; update programs proactively to maintain compliance.

Supplier & Vendor Quality

• Develop and manage the supplier quality program including qualification, auditing, and ongoing performance monitoring of ingredient and packaging suppliers.
• Confer with vendor representatives to evaluate supply quality, vendor capacity, and quality standards alignment.
• Collaborate with Procurement to resolve supplier quality issues and ensure ingredient specifications are met.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Leadership

• Partner with R&D and Operations at both facilities on new product launches, ensuring food safety and quality requirements are built in from the design stage.
• Collaborate with Plant Managers and top management to formulate and establish company policies, operating procedures, and strategic goals related to quality and food safety.
• Conduct regular management meetings with department heads at each site to establish organizational policies, coordinate cross-functional operations, and assign responsibilities.
• Represent QA & Food Safety on the senior leadership team; present consolidated multi-site quality performance data to the Board and executive stakeholders as needed.

Team Development

• Recruit, develop, and retain a high-performing QA and food safety team across both facilities; set clear goals, provide coaching, and foster a consistent culture of accountability at each site.
• Provide direct leadership and development support to two Plant QA Managers; align their goals, priorities, and reporting to the overall multi-site QA strategy.
• Design and deliver standardized food safety and quality training programs for plant employees at all levels across both facilities.
• Review technical problems and procedures at each facility and recommend cross-site solutions or procedural changes to improve overall performance.

Skills and Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.
• Master's degree in Food Science or Business Administration preferred.
• Minimum 8–10 years of progressive quality assurance and food safety experience in a food manufacturing environment.
• Minimum 5 years of direct management experience leading QA/food safety teams, preferably in a multi-site or multi-plant capacity.
• Demonstrated experience managing quality programs across more than one manufacturing facility simultaneously.