Leads the plant in assessing food quality and safety and other initiatives to improve products and processes related to quality, food safety and consistency. As a key member of the plant management team, assists the plant manager in providing quality and food safety leadership to employees. Participates in/leads projects in conjunction with Corporate QA/food safety management.

• Develops and implements programs, policies, procedures, and work instructions for quality and food safety assessment and improvement.
• Makes recommendations and decisions involving food safety issues and quality issues having significant potential business impact to corporate and plant management.
• Hires, trains, and develops QA technicians.
• Coordinates plant quality and food safety audits (internal and third party). Works with plant manager to assign audit responsibilities to various members of the plant team.
• Resolves non-conformance issues/quality problems at plant facilities, warehouses, and in the market. Works with plant management team to develop corrective action plans and communicates plans to QA management, sales, marketing, and the customer as appropriate.
• Recommends and/or develops orientation and training programs for quality, food safety, GMP training. Assists members of the plant team in training as appropriate. Trains and instructs plant employees in recommended quality assurance testing and general housekeeping practices and advises on equipment sanitation; confirms these procedures are being maintained.
• Prepares monthly summary reports of key quality benchmarks including issues and progress.
• Serves as a key technical resource in plant and as a liaison between corporate R&D, Tech Services and plant operations.
• Advises plant on quality and food safety implications of changes in product, processing, or facility design.
• Ensures compliance to quality, food safety, 5S, OSHA and HACCP support programs; assures conformity to all company, customer and government standards.

• BS or BA degree in chemistry, biology, microbiology or food science.
• Five plus years of experience as a quality assurance supervisor/manager in a food related industry.
• Must be able to lead projects/people, motivate associates and proactively anticipate and address issues.
• Directly supervises plant QA department. Supervisory responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, training, scheduling, appraising and terminating employees; planning, assigning and directing work; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints/grievances and resolving problems.