Quality Manager, Food Safety and SQF; Memphis, TN

Pave Talent is hiring on behalf of our client, a global yeast and bakery ingredients manufacturer backed by an FTSE 100 parent company with $19B+ in annual revenue. This is one of three North American yeast production facilities, a 65,000-square-foot, 24/7 fermentation operation with approximately 60 employees. The plant is in a period of intentional renewal: new leadership has been brought in across plant management, EHS, and HR, and the Quality Manager is the next critical hire in that transformation.

This isn't a maintenance hire. The company is investing in growth, including a recent acquisition of a specialty yeast lab and ongoing expansion of fermentation capabilities. The Memphis plant needs a quality leader who can own the full food safety and quality management system, serve as SQF Practitioner, and act as the plant's management representative for quality and food safety. You'll have a direct line to the Plant Manager and visibility across corporate R&D, supply chain, and technical services.

You'll report directly to the Plant Manager and lead a team of 8 lab technicians, with a dedicated Microbiologist joining the team. You own the entire quality and food safety program for the facility, from HARPC/Food Safety Plan management and SQF certification to customer complaint investigations and new product launches. This role sits at the intersection of regulatory compliance, continuous improvement, and hands‑on plant operations.

You'll collaborate daily with production, R&D, maintenance, sanitation, and supply chain, and interface with other plants and corporate technical services for support and knowledge sharing.

• Own and manage the plant's Food Safety Quality System: document control, non-conformance management, hold systems, GMP programs, and the HARPC/Food Safety Plan
• Serve as SQF Practitioner and PCQI, maintaining full compliance with FSMA Preventive Controls, GFSI, FDA, CFIA, kosher, and organic standards
• Lead all plant investigations related to quality or food safety issues, including contamination source identification, organism competition analysis, and microbiological trend review
• Analyze plant and lab data to drive data-driven, preventive quality decisions — not just reactive issue resolution
• Oversee chemical and physical testing, laboratory method development, and environmental/product compliance programs
• Manage customer complaints end to end: investigate root causes, prepare written responses, and implement corrective actions
• Collaborate with R&D and production to develop and commercialize new yeast products while maintaining food safety standards
• Prepare and manage the annual Quality department budget, including outside technical service expenses
• Drive continuous improvement projects across the plant, evaluating new raw materials, processes, equipment, and packaging

This plant is in transition. Quality systems, documentation, and team development all need a strong hand to bring them to the next level. You'll need to audit the current state quickly, prioritize what matters, and start driving visible progress within the first 90 days. The lab technician team is experienced but will benefit from stronger quality leadership and structured development.

This is a fermentation environment. Contamination control, organism competition, and microbiological trend analysis are part of daily quality life here. Candidates who have managed quality in fermentation, bioprocess, brewing, dairy, or similarly complex biological manufacturing environments will ramp fastest. If you're looking for a role where everything is already dialed in, this isn't it. If you want to be the person who builds it, this is your opportunity.

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Food Science, Microbiology, or a closely related field
• 5+ years managing and leading QA/QC in a food manufacturing facility (not pharma-only or retail food service)
• Experience in fermentation, bioprocess, brewing, dairy, or a similarly complex biological manufacturing environment
• Food Safety/HACCP training (certification preferred)
• Experience with Quality Management Systems: SQF, ISO 9000/22000, or equivalent GFSI standards
• Demonstrated strategic quality leadership: systems thinking, data-driven decision-making, preventive controls, and cross-functional influence — not just hands-on execution or supervisory oversight
• Strong written and verbal communication: ability to explain technical and managerial concepts clearly and concisely
• Familiarity with advanced QA/QC tools: risk assessments, statistical trending, audit readiness, and continuous improvement methodologies
• Proficiency in Word, Excel, and Power Point
• PCQI certification
• Experience specifically in yeast or fermentation-based manufacturing
• Process or product development experience
• Experience leading teams through organizational change or improvement initiatives

Monday through Friday core hours, on-site in Memphis, TN. Must be willing to support a 24/7 operation with occasional weekend or off-hours…