Director of Quality

Job Description

Job Description

Director-Head of Quality

As Director-Head of Quality, you will play a critical role in the establishing, strengthening, and optimizing the quality infrastructure needed to support significant manufacturing expansion. The individual will help shape the site's long-term quality strategy while implementing practical processes, standardized procedures, and a culture focused on operational excellence as production capacity continues to grow .

This role is ideal for a Quality professional that is a collaborative, floor-focused professional with a strong background in snack food, or similar high-volume food manufacturing. This individual is passionate about developing people, driving process improvements, resolving production challenges, and fostering a proactive food safety and quality culture capable of supporting a fast-growing operation.

Job Responsibilities:

• Direct all plant-level quality systems and food safety initiatives to maintain compliance, product integrity, and operational performance across the facility.
• Develop a high-performing Quality team through coaching, mentorship, and talent development while promoting collaboration, responsibility, and continuous operational enhancements.
• Work in close partnership with Operations to ensure quality standards are consistently incorporated into production planning, execution, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Establish flexible quality processes and compliance programs that evolve alongside expanding manufacturing operations.
• Work collaboratively with Manufacturing, Engineering, Maintenance, and Sanitation teams to enhance product consistency, optimize production performance, and proactively resolve quality-related challenges.
• Direct root cause analyses for customer concerns, product discrepancies, compliance issues, and manufacturing exceptions, ensuring timely implementation of sustainable corrective and preventive solutions.
• Evaluate quality performance metrics and operational data to identify improvement opportunities, strengthen process control, and support continuous improvement initiatives across the facility.
• Partner with cross-functional teams during product introductions, process enhancements, and operational changes to ensure quality expectations, regulatory requirements, and product specifications are consistently achieved.
• Ensure manufacturing operations consistently comply with federal regulations, customer specifications, industry best practices, and internal quality and food safety requirements while maintaining audit readiness.
• Oversee the implementation, continuous improvement, and effectiveness of key food safety and quality management programs, including hazard analysis, allergen management, food defense, environmental monitoring, supplier oversight, product traceability, recall preparedness, and controlled documentation processes.
• Leverage quality data, performance analytics, and structured problem-solving methodologies to enhance production efficiency, improve process reliability, and deliver consistent product quality.
• Champion continuous improvement efforts that minimize waste, reduce quality deviations, increase right-first-time production, and strengthen the overall food safety and quality management system.
• Design, implement, and refine standardized quality procedures and operational controls that promote sustainable manufacturing performance while supporting future capacity expansion and organizational growth.

Required Skills/Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, Microbiology, Quality,or related field is preferred
• 7+ Years experience in progressive Quality and Food Safety

• Required experience in salty snacks, chips, pretzels, or similar baked and/or fried snack manufacturing

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to investigate and resolve quality issues

• Familiarity with regulatory requirements – FDA’s, GMPs, HACCP, and other relevant standards

• PCQI, HACCP Certified a plus

• Internal auditing experience preferred

• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills with the ability to lead and motivate a diverse team

• Expectational organizational and project management skills

• Ability to travel 5% of the time.