Quality and Food Safety Senior Specialist, North America

Company Description

Louis Dreyfus Company is a leading merchant and processor of agricultural goods. Our activities span the entire value chain from farm to fork, across a broad range of business lines, leveraging our global reach and extensive asset network to serve customers and consumers worldwide. Structured as a matrix organization of six geographical regions and ten platforms, LDC is active in over 100 countries and employs approximately 18,000 people globally.

The Quality and Food Safety Senior Specialist for North America supports the regional implementation and coordination of global quality and food safety standards across all business platforms, including grains and oilseeds, food and feed solutions, juice, coffee, and cotton seeds. This role facilitates compliance activities to ensure that both imported and regionally produced products meet all applicable regulatory and customer requirements.

The senior specialist acts as the Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) for the region, enables collaboration across North American assets, and assists in advancing the company's vision and strategy for quality and food safety.

Standards Implementation and Coordination

• Facilitate the rollout and adoption of global quality and food safety standards, policies, and procedures throughout all North American business platforms.
• Coordinate compliance activities across the region to ensure all imported and regionally produced products meet or exceed regulatory, industry, and customer requirements.
• Support sites in aligning local practices with regional and global expectations.

PCQI and Regulatory Coordination

• Serve as the regional PCQI, supporting compliance efforts with FDA and other relevant food safety regulations.
• Track and communicate regulatory changes and requirements to relevant stakeholders.
• Coordinate regulatory documentation and submission activities across sites.

Cross-Functional Liaison

• Act as liaison between site quality managers and global leadership to promote alignment with regional and global standards.
• Connect with business platforms to facilitate consistent quality and food safety practices.
• Collaborate with counterparts in other regions to exchange best practices and support continuous improvement initiatives globally.

Reporting and Communication

• Consolidate and report regional quality and food safety performance metrics, risks, trends, and opportunities to global leadership.
• Facilitate regular communication channels among business units, sites, and the Global Head of Quality and Food Safety.
• Represent the company in regional industry associations, regulatory forums, and customer meetings related to quality and food safety.

Program Support and Facilitation

• Assist the Global Head of Quality and Food Safety in advancing the regional vision and strategy for quality and food safety.
• Coordinate crisis management and recall response programs to protect consumers and maintain regulatory compliance.
• Support the planning and execution of training programs for site quality managers and key personnel.

Data Management and Analysis

• Collect, consolidate, and report key performance indicators (KPIs) for the region.
• Analyze data trends and work collaboratively with site quality managers to identify and support continuous improvement initiatives based on KPI outcomes.

Audit Program Coordination

• Coordinate the implementation and execution of the internal audit program for the region.
• Track audit findings and support sites in developing corrective action plans.

  Global Initiative Deployment

  • Facilitate the regional rollout of global quality and food safety programs, such as digital initiatives.
  • Support site quality managers in program integration and adoption.

  Knowledge Management

  • Maintain current knowledge of emerging food safety and quality trends and new regulatory requirements.
  • Share relevant updates with stakeholders to support proactive adaptation of company standards and procedures.
  Education and Certifications
  • Bachelor’s degree in food science, microbiology, chemistry, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
  • FDA Food Facility Registration knowledge.
  • FSMA Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) Rule understanding.
  • PCQI certification required; additional quality or food safety certifications preferred.
  Experience
  • Minimum 8 years’ experience in food safety, quality assurance, or related roles within the food or agricultural industry.
  • Demonstrated experience in regulatory compliance coordination, cross-functional collaboration, and supporting the implementation of global standards.
  Skills And Competencies
  • Exceptional communication, organizational, and facilitation skills.
  • Strong ability to influence and collaborate effectively across diverse teams and business platforms.
  • Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
  • Proven coordination and project support capabilities.
  • Ability to work effectively in a matrix environment with dotted line relationships.
  • Willingness to travel regionally and…