Senior Quality Assurance Manager - Pet & Probiotics

The Senior Quality Assurance Manager – Pet & Probiotics is responsible for leading and overseeing quality systems across multiple Thrive Freeze Dry manufacturing facilities supporting pet food, probiotics, and some human food products. This role ensures the consistent production of safe, high-quality freeze‑dried products that meet regulatory requirements, customer specifications, and Thrive Freeze Dry quality standards.

This role provides leadership and strategic direction to plant quality teams while ensuring alignment with corporate quality systems, regulatory requirements, and third‑party certifications. The Senior Quality Assurance Manager partners closely with operations, R&D, procurement, and commercial teams to ensure quality, safety, and regulatory compliance throughout the product lifecycle.

This position oversees quality systems across multiple manufacturing facilities and requires approximately 25% travel to support plant initiatives, audits, and quality system alignment.

• Oversees quality systems across multiple Thrive Freeze Dry manufacturing facilities supporting pet food and probiotic products.
• Provides leadership and guidance to plant Quality Managers, Supervisors, and QA teams.
• Ensures alignment of corporate quality standards and plant-level execution.
• Supports quality and regulatory oversight of freeze‑dried ingredients and finished product manufacturing.
• Drives consistent implementation of quality programs across the North American manufacturing network where applicable.
• Ensure compliance with FSMA, HACCP, FDA regulations, CFIA regulation, AAFCO guidelines, SQF and customer‑specific food safety requirements.
• Ensure consistent implementation of Thrive Freeze Dry corporate quality standards, SOPs, and food safety programs across assigned facilities.
• Lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of food safety, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance programs.
• Oversee documentation systems, quality verification programs, and regulatory recordkeeping.
• Oversee quality and regulatory programs specific to freeze‑dried pet food ingredients and finished products, ensuring compliance with AAFCO regulatory and labeling requirements.
• Ensure appropriate microbiological controls, environmental monitoring, and handling procedures are in place to support probiotic ingredients and finished product integrity.
• Partner with R&D to support probiotic stability, viability, and shelf‑life programs.
• Provide quality oversight for freeze‑dry manufacturing processes; ensuring process controls and validation programs support safe and consistent product production.
• Support SSP validation and verification programs related to thermal processes, pasteurization steps, and microbial reduction systems where applicable.
• Partner with operations to monitor critical control points, preventive controls, and process parameters related to freeze‑dry production.
• Ensure consistent execution of inspection programs, verification activities, and corrective action systems across facilities.
• Lead cross‑site initiatives to improve quality performance, standardization, and operational consistency.
• Support vendor qualification, supplier approval, and ingredient quality programs.
• Partner with procurement and R&D to ensure raw materials meet quality, safety, and regulatory requirements.
• Lead preparation and participation in customer audits, regulatory inspections, and third‑party certification audits including SQF.
• Ensure facilities maintain audit readiness and regulatory compliance.
• Support development and execution of internal audit programs.
• Other duties as assigned

• Bachelor’s degree required in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, or a related scientific discipline.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in food manufacturing or pet food quality assurance.
• Experience in multi‑site manufacturing environments is preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of SQF, FSMA, HACCP, FDA food safety regulations, and preventive controls.
• Familiarity with AAFCO pet food regulatory requirements preferred.
• Experience working with microbiological programs or probiotic…