Food Safety Quality Assurance Manager

Food Safety Quality Assurance Manager Location: Soledad, CA Reports to: FSQA Director Salary Range: $135,000 - $145,000 Annually Status: Exempt General Description The position is responsible for managing the Food Safety and Quality Assurance programs for the value-added manufacturing facilities. The FSQA Manager acts as a liaison between customers and internal business teams to ensure all regulatory, third‑party, and company quality and food safety standards are met or exceeded. Major Responsibilities and Duties Ensure compliance with federal (FDA and USDA for facilities with RTE salad bowls with animal protein), state, and local regulations. Manage customer and consumer food safety and quality complaints, including investigations, data analysis/trending, and complaint responses. Ensure all manufacturing facilities follow company quality and food safety requirements. Maintain Food Safety Plans, HACCP plans, Preventive Controls, and Prerequisite programs. Maintain the Organic System Plan (OSP) and ensure ongoing compliance with organic certification requirements. Identify areas of microbial risk and ensure corrective actions are implemented. Provide internal and external quality and food safety training. Manage, implement, and maintain quality and food safety related policies. Supervise and train salaried and hourly employees within the FSQA departments. Act as liaison with federal and state agencies, including on‑site regulatory inspectors (USDA), to ensure compliance with regulatory issues. Be willing to travel to any of the company’s value‑added manufacturing facilities as needed. Ensure customer requests related to quality and food safety are completed appropriately and timely. Prepare and manage department budgets. Follow all food safety requirements and GMPs as applicable for this position. Participate in product innovation and commercialization, process validations, and operational improvement initiatives. Ensure the FSQA department complies with third‑party auditing schemes. Leverage internal and external data to drive continuous improvement. Serve as a resource for equipment commissioning, decommissioning activities, and capital projects. Other duties and special projects as assigned. Job‑Specific Competencies 3 to 5 years of experience in an FSQA related field. Three to five years of supervision experience required. Experience in high‑risk FSQA preferred. Manufacturing FSQA experience strongly preferred. Technical knowledge of regulatory requirements, inclusive of FSMA, HACCP, microbial hazards, hygienic design, third‑party auditing entities, sanitation procedures, and plant operations. Strong written and verbal communication skills in English are required. Ability to make decisions, appear for work on time, follow directions, interact well with co‑workers, and understand posted work rules/procedures. Self‑motivated and able to keep projects moving forward under stressful conditions; adaptability to changing priorities. Ability to work and adapt in a fast‑paced, dynamic environment. Physical Requirements Ability to lift 10–25 pounds, identify and distinguish colors, and work in extreme cold at times. (Notification required due to the Americans with Disabilities Act). Work Hours & Travel Requirements Flexibility to work various hours/days as needed and more than 40 hours per week. Travel up to 30% required. Experience and Education BA/BS degree in Microbiology, Food Sciences, Agriculture, or related field is required. Equal Employment Opportunity Statement We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability. #J-18808-Ljbffr