Director of Food Safety and Quality Assurance

Director of Food Safety and Quality Assurance

Position Overview:

As Director of Food and Safety & Quality Assurance, you will be a hands‑on leader overseeing all aspects of quality assurance, control, QA auditing, and Research & Development. You will develop and implement QA strategies, manage audits, ensure regulatory compliance, and drive continuous improvement across our operations.

• Develop and implement quality systems: create and maintain quality management systems, including SQF, FDA, MDA, HACCP, client‑specific required programs, procedures, documentation, and statistical records.
• Manage audits and inspections: lead internal audits and support external audits from agencies like the USDA and FDA, as well as third‑party and customer inspections.
• Collaborate and build strong teams: identify opportunities to train production staff to identify quality issues in time and serve as SME to build accountability on the front line.
• Mitigate risk: manage risk and establish proper mitigation controls.
• Ensure regulatory compliance: guarantee that all products and processes adhere to federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and company policies.
• Lead the QA & R&D team: manage and develop the QA and R&D teams.
• Investigate and resolve issues: thoroughly investigate customer complaints and quality issues to ensure timely and effective responses.
• Serve as a subject‑matter expert: provide expertise and feedback on quality matters to senior leadership and other departments.
• Drive continuous improvement: implement strategies to continuously improve food safety and product quality.
• Champion a culture of excellence: promote food safety and integrity by driving engagement and collaboration cross‑divisionally with servant leadership.

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Quality Management, Engineering, or related fields.
• Minimum 10 years of relevant QA/QC or Quality Management experience.
• Strong leadership and team‑management skills.
• Excellent analytical and problem‑solving abilities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and quality management systems.
• Working knowledge of GMP, HACCP, and FDA/USDA regulations.

• Master’s degree in a related field.
• Experience in food manufacturing or food service environments.
• Familiarity with EOS, Lean Six Sigma or other Continuous Improvement methodologies.
• Experience with SQF, BRC, or ISO 22000 certification programs.
• Bi‑lingual (English/Spanish) a plus.
• QA Certifications (Preferred):
  Certified Quality Auditor (CQA), Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), HACCP Certification, SQF Practitioner, PCQI.

Base pay range: $/yr – $/yr.

Seniority level:
Director

Employment type:

Full‑time
Job function:
Management & Manufacturing
Industry: Food & Beverage Manufacturing