Quality Control Director

Job Description

Job Description

The Quality Control Director provides executive leadership and strategic oversight of the Company's Quality Assurance, Food Safety, Regulatory Compliance, Supplier Quality, and Continuous Improvement programs. This position is responsible for developing practical and compliant solutions to food safety, quality, regulatory, maintenance, production, and operational challenges while ensuring timely execution and closure of audit findings, corrective actions, customer requirements, and compliance initiatives.

The Quality Control Director works closely with Quality Control, Production, Maintenance, Sanitation, Purchasing, Warehouse, and Executive Leadership to align priorities, remove operational barriers, establish accountability, and implement sustainable solutions that support food safety, regulatory compliance, operational effectiveness, customer satisfaction, and business objectives.

This role fosters a culture of food safety, prevention, accountability, employee development, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement throughout the organization.

·         Establish and lead the Company's food safety, quality assurance, regulatory compliance, supplier quality, and continuous improvement strategy, ensuring alignment with business objectives, customer requirements, and regulatory standards.

·         Provide executive oversight of the Food Safety Management System, including HACCP, SQF, Food Safety Plans, Food Defense Plans, Good Operating Practices (GOPs), Environmental Monitoring Programs, and supporting quality systems to ensure ongoing effectiveness, compliance, and continuous improvement.

·         Define organizational quality and food safety objectives, evaluate system performance and risks, and communicate program effectiveness, compliance status, and strategic recommendations to the President & CEO.

·         Serve as the Company's primary liaison for regulatory agencies, customers, certification bodies, auditors, suppliers, consultants, and external service providers, providing strategic direction on food safety, quality, and compliance matters.

·         Provide executive oversight of regulatory compliance, audit readiness, investigations, corrective actions, and risk management initiatives to ensure the organization maintains compliance and operational effectiveness.

·         Ensure quality, food safety, customer, supplier, operational, and regulatory issues are identified, investigated, resolved, and continuously monitored through effective corrective action and continuous improvement programs.

·         Partner with Department Leaders to evaluate operational, food safety, quality, regulatory, maintenance, and production challenges and develop practical solutions that support compliance and business objectives.

·         Lead the development, implementation, standardization, and continuous improvement of policies, procedures, workflows, and operational controls that strengthen food safety, regulatory compliance, product quality, and operational effectiveness.

·         Collaborate with Production, Maintenance, Sanitation, Operations, Purchasing, and Warehouse leadership to remove barriers, establish accountability, allocate resources, and ensure timely execution of quality and food safety initiatives.

·         Research industry best practices, emerging technologies, equipment solutions, and regulatory developments to identify opportunities that enhance compliance, operational efficiency, product quality, and food safety performance.

·         Ensure newly developed processes, procedures, systems, and initiatives are effectively communicated, implemented, measured, and maintained throughout the organization.

·         Provide executive oversight of supplier quality programs, customer specifications, product standards, labeling requirements, and contractual quality obligations to ensure compliance with regulatory, customer, and business requirements.

·         Direct the investigation and resolution of significant customer complaints, supplier concerns, product quality issues, food safety incidents, and non-conformances while ensuring effective corrective actions and continuous improvement.

·         Serve as the organization's primary escalation and decision-making authority for critical quality, food safety, customer, supplier, and regulatory matters.

·         Lead, mentor, develop, and evaluate Quality Control leadership and personnel while supporting succession planning and organizational growth.

·         Direct the development and implementation of food safety, quality, regulatory, leadership, and operational training programs throughout the organization.

·         Promote a culture of accountability, food safety awareness, employee development, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement.

·         Lead continuous improvement initiatives designed to strengthen compliance, quality performance, operational effectiveness, supplier performance, and customer satisfaction.

·         Facilitate leadership meetings, quality reviews, training sessions, corrective action reviews, and quality-related communications throughout the organization.

·         Partner with Production, Maintenance, Purchasing, and Executive Leadership to evaluate, recommend, and implement equipment, technology, automation, facility improvements, and capital investment projects that support food safety, product quality, regulatory compliance, operational reliability, and business objectives.

·         Provide quality, food safety, and compliance guidance during facility expansions, equipment acquisitions, process modifications, and infrastructure improvements.

·         Evaluate operational practices and infrastructure to identify opportunities for long-term improvement, sustainability, and risk reduction.

·         Present quality performance metrics, audit results, compliance trends, corrective action status, supplier performance, customer feedback, food safety risks, and strategic recommendations to Executive Leadership.

·         Develop departmental objectives, budgets, staffing plans, resource recommendations, and strategic initiatives to support organizational goals.

·         Represent the Company during regulatory inspections, customer audits, certification reviews, supplier meetings, and industry-related quality initiatives.

·         Ensure accountability across departments for food safety, quality assurance, regulatory compliance, customer requirements, and continuous improvement objectives.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS REQUIRED

·         Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Microbiology, Biology, Chemistry, Quality Assurance, Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field required.

·         Minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in food manufacturing, airline catering, food safety, quality assurance, regulatory compliance, or operational leadership.

·         Minimum of 5 years of leadership experience managing managers, supervisors, or cross-functional teams within a regulated food manufacturing environment.

·         Advanced knowledge of HACCP, SQF, GMPs, SSOPs, USDA, FDA, OSHA, Food Safety Plans, Food Defense Plans, Environmental Monitoring Programs, and food manufacturing regulations.

·         Demonstrated experience leading FDA, USDA, SQF, airline customer, customer, and third-party audits and inspections.

·         Strong understanding of food manufacturing operations, production processes, maintenance systems, sanitation programs, supplier quality programs, and quality management systems.

·         Proven experience developing organizational strategies, implementing process improvements, managing compliance programs, and leading cross-functional initiatives.

·         Ability to evaluate risk, develop practical solutions, influence stakeholders, and drive execution across multiple departments.

·         Strong leadership, project management, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

·         Excellent written, verbal, presentation, negotiation, and interpersonal communication skills.

·         Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and quality, compliance, audit, and performance management systems.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

·         HACCP Certification

·         SQF Practitioner Certification

·         FDA Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) Certification

·         NYC Food Protection Certification or equivalent

·         Experience leading SQF, BRC, Medina, or other GFSI-benchmarked certification programs

·         Experience within airline catering, commissary operations, food manufacturing, or high-volume food production environments

·         Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Continuous Improvement, or Project Management certification

·         Experience managing enterprise-wide supplier quality and customer quality programs