Manufacturing Quality and Food Safety Manager

Job Title: Manufacturing Quality and Food Safety Manager

Location: 405 The West Mall, Etobicoke, ON M9C 5J1

About Us:

Welcome to Lactalis Canada! We’re proud to be Canada’s #1 branded dairy company and to be consistently recognized as one of the country’s top employers by Forbes. Our purpose is to enrich and nurture the lives of Canadians by offering the best of dairy from Canada’s favourite dairy brands like Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond, Balderson, Astro and Lactantia. In fact, our products can be found in over 90% of Canadian refrigerators in any given time. As part of Lactalis Group, the world’s leading dairy company, we remain focused on innovation and quality and are seeking like-minded individuals to join us as we continue our growth journey.

Our flexible hybrid work model accommodates 40% remote work, adapting to the evolving needs of our workforce. Step into a collaborative hub with our revamped office, and enjoy free parking, endless coffee, delicious Lactalis snacks, an on-site gym, and more!

What Lactalis will offer:

Lactalis Canada believes in rewarding its people with the following comprehensive benefits package and perks:

• A Competitive Base Salary
• A Performance-Based Bonus System
• 4 Weeks of Vacation
• Benefits starting day 1
• A Pension Program with an Employer Match at 100% of up to 6%
• Tuition reimbursement plan of up to $3,000/year
• A Volunteer Day to give back to your community
• Learning and Development opportunities
• A commitment to internal career advancement with potential for international mobility

About the opportunity:

General Accountability:

The Manufacturing Quality Manager serves as a subject matter expert in manufacturing quality and food safety, providing technical leadership, expert guidance, and hands-on support to strengthen performance, compliance, and capability across operations. This role partners closely with factory quality teams to resolve complex quality and food safety issues, elevate standards and ways of working, and advance the QFS Long-Term Plan through practical execution, coaching, and continuous improvement. Additionally, this role champions daily quality management, continuous improvement according to ISO9001 guidance and fosters a strong Quality Culture across all sites.

Critical Success Factors:

1. Serve as the subject matter expert in manufacturing quality and food safety, providing technical leadership and practical guidance to factory quality teams.
2. Lead the implementation of Lactalis Canada Food Safety and Quality transformation programs (LTP) in factories in partnership with plant quality managers.
3. Identify gaps and strengthen compliance to Lactalis Canada QFS standards through on-site and remote technical support, coaching, and follow-up, as required.
4. Ensure implementation of product perfect execution measurement and product compliance with factory specifications.
5. Support Factory Quality Managers in improving KPIs by identifying root causes, prioritizing actions, and driving sustainable improvement plans.
6. Provide expert technical support to factories to resolve complex food safety and quality issues, including risk assessment, investigation, problem-solving, action planning, derogations, concessions, contingency plans, and crisis management.
7. Review and align, or escalate as needed, factory QFS critical incidents and risk assessments to validate investigation outcomes, product disposition recommendations, and communication requirements.
8. Coach and develop factory quality teams by strengthening technical capability, standard ways of working, and problem-solving skills aligned with operational needs and the competency model.
9. Support Quality-in-Design processes by ensuring factory Quality teams deliver required QFS inputs throughout the innovation stage-gate methodology, including quality improvement projects.
10. Support the plant quality manager in defining QFS-related capex in factories to support food safety compliance, product superiority, process and packaging sustainability, IT quality-related program implementation, and productivity initiatives linked to quality performance.
11. Identify and lead improvement opportunities to reduce customer and consumer complaints, product variability, waste, and finished goods losses.
12. Act as a change agent by driving engagement, communication, and adoption of QFS standards, tools, and best practices with Factory Quality Managers and ISC counterparts.
13. Support deployment of the factory self-assessment and internal audit program, including training and coaching, in line with the QFS roadmap.
14. Lead the implementation of 365-day FSSC22000 audit readiness.
15. Champion daily quality management principles: - Promote waste reduction, process efficiency, and continuous improvement in quality operations. - Facilitate Lean tools (e.g., 5S, root cause analysis) in collaboration with factory teams.
16. Foster Quality Culture: - Inspire, coach, and develop teams to embed quality mindset and behaviors at all levels. - Lead initiatives that reinforce ownership, accountability, and pride in product quality and food safety. - Recognize and reward quality excellence and improvement efforts.

Key Attributes of the Ideal Candidate:

• Bachelor’s degree is strongly preferred.
• 10+ years QA experience in a dairy plant, corporate food safety/quality experience a plus
• National travel as needed (within Canada)
• Knowledge of GFSI (preferably FSSC22000), food safety (HACCP) programs, Preventive Controls, and Quality Systems
• Strong Microsoft Office skills
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to develop a strong relationship with Factory Management teams; partnering with them to drive operational excellence and expectations at the factory level.
• Skill to document findings and data, clearly, concisely, and accurately
• Demonstrated ability to multitask and work in a fast-paced production environment
• Strong analytical skills
• Strong organizational skill
• Able to work flexible hours and shifts (afternoon/nights) including weekends
• Strong leadership skills to inspire, coach, develop, and engage the team to work collaboratively; to create and drive a culture that motivates them to achieve the QFS objectives and overall business goals collectively
• Supports the identification and delivery of training and capability building of site teams based on competency model and operational needs
• Demonstrated experience in ISO9001 or Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies
• Ability to drive and sustain a Quality Culture through engagement, communication, and recognition

Our ESG commitment:

Our ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) roadmap drives our sustainability mission. We aim to positively impact communities and the planet by enabling stakeholders including our people, consumers, customers, suppliers, dairy farmers, government, and industry partners to have a positive impact on the wellbeing of our communities and the planet through all that we do.

At Lactalis Canada, we value our employees as catalysts for positive change. Together, we will create a sustainable future, promote belonging, and make a lasting impact on the world.

Our commitment to DEI:

Fuel Our Culture with Your Uniqueness! Lactalis thrives on the value each person brings. We're dedicated to amplifying diverse voices, inviting personal and professional growth, and embracing everyone's true selves. We're committed to crafting an environment that genuinely welcomes all, reflecting the richness of our people and communities. We apply an equal access to employment program and invite women, aboriginal people, visible minorities, and people with disabilities to apply.

Our promise extends to accessible processes and spaces. If you require accommodation due to a disability (which may be visible or invisible, temporary, or permanent), please inform our Talent Acquisition team – confidentiality will be maintained.

Note: Lactalis Canada does not conduct credit or background checks through . If required, we'll contact you after signing a Job Offer.

Compensation:

As part of our commitment to fairness, trust, and transparency and our ambition to be an Employer of Choice, the base salary range for this position is $ 99,100 – $ 123,900+.

Please note: Along with a comprehensive Total Rewards package, your actual base salary will be fair, competitive, and be based on your skills, experience, and qualifications.