Quality Assurance Manager

Position Overview The Quality Assurance Manager serves as the site leader for Food Safety, Quality, and Regulatory Compliance, accountable for protecting consumers, ensuring brand integrity, and enabling business growth. This role leads and continuously improves the site's Food Safety & Quality Management System (FSQMS) to meet and exceed FDA, SQF (GFSI), Organic, and customer requirements. The QA Manager partners cross-functionally with Operations, Maintenance, Supply Chain, Product Development, and Commercial teams to mitigate risk, drive operational excellence, and support innovation and commercialization. This position plays a critical leadership role in fostering a proactive food safety culture, leveraging data and continuous improvement tools to enhance product quality, process capability, and regulatory readiness. Main Responsibilities Lead Food Safety & Quality Systems: Own and continuously improve the site FSQMS (HACCP, FSMA/Preventive Controls, GMPs, SQF) to ensure audit readiness and full compliance. Regulatory & Audit Leadership: Serve as primary contact for State, FDA, third‑party, and customer audits; lead inspections, responses, and corrective action closure. Product Safety Authority: Make final decisions on product release, holds, deviations, and disposition; oversee lab, environmental, and microbiological programs. Quality Team Leadership: Develop and lead the QA team through effective mentorship, clear accountability, strategic hiring, structured onboarding, and ongoing capability development. Data‑Driven Improvement: Establish KPIs and leverage data to drive risk reduction, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement. Supplier & Customer Quality: Lead supplier quality programs and own customer complaint management, including investigation and trend analysis. Commercialization & Change Management: Partner with R&D and cross‑functional teams to support new product launches and manage formulation, labeling, and process changes. People Leadership & Culture: Develop and lead the QA team while embedding a strong food safety and quality culture across the plant. Operational Partnership: Collaborate with Operations to improve process capability, reduce waste, and ensure consistent product quality. Compliance: Maintain complex regulatory compliance testing programs and schedules to ensure continuous compliance with state, federal, and customer requirements. Required Bachelor's degree in food science, microbiology, or a related discipline. 5+ years of progressive experience in Quality or Food Safety leadership within a Grade‑A dairy or similar pasteurization processes (aseptic, retort, low‑acid canned food). Deep expertise in SQF, HACCP, and audit management. Demonstrated success in leading cross‑functional initiatives, driving change, and influencing stakeholders. Demonstrated expertise in managing complex regulatory compliance testing schedules. Preferred SQF Practitioner and/or PCQI certification. Experience with Seafood HACCP. Experience in RTE food or soup manufacturing. Familiarity with labeling systems and automated printing (e.g., Videojet). Manufacturing and cold‑room environments. Flexibility to support audits, inspections, and business‑critical activities. Benefits Competitive wages paid weekly. Access to up to 50% of your earned wages before payday, via our partnership with Stream. Health and financial well‑being benefits for eligible associates (Medical, Dental, 401(k) and more). Time off (vacation, holidays, sick pay). For eligibility requirements please visit myACI Benefits. Leaders invested in your training, career growth and development. An inclusive work environment with talented colleagues who reflect the communities we serve. A copy of the full job description can be made available to you. #J-18808-Ljbffr