Director of Quality Assurance

Department : Quality Assurance

Reports To : Senior Management

Job Summary

• The Quality Assurance Director is responsible for the long-term strategic planning of the Quality department including programs and procedures (within the lab and the production environment)
• Evaluates, prioritizes, and coordinates projects and special assignments with department staff
• Responsible for the continuous improvement and proactive approach to food safety, product quality, new technologies, ingredients, and regulatory trends
• Maintain the requirements of all Food Safety and Quality programs (including BRC) regarding new initiatives / regulations, corrective action follow up, training programs, and any other requirements related to these international standards
• Back-up to QA Manager in their absence

Summary of Essential Job Functions

• Lead the Quality team in building programs to reduce Food Safety issues and ensure high quality product, Lead in maintaining testing standards, GMP’s and quality protocols, and continuous quality improvement initiatives
• Supervises and mentors QA staff to ensure the effective organization of departmental workflows. Supervision includes the recommendation of staffing, hiring, termination and discipline Setting performance expectations and evaluating staff, and staff development
• Responds to Consumer and Customer inquiries as required. Oversees trending, corrective action and, if need be, governmental interaction
• Refines policies and procedures, as needed, incorporating best practices gained from external networking
• Assist with technical troubleshooting and investigation of production issues relating to risk to Food Safety or Product Quality
• Maintain awareness of technical, legislative, industry and provide technical assessment and recommendations to the Management group
• Monitor on-going production and processes to evaluate opportunities for improvement
• Develop and maintain strong effective relationships with supplier and customer technical, sales and marketing teams to ensure clearly communicated expectations and fast turnaround times required to fulfill expectations
• Back-up to QA Manager regarding HACCP duties and responsibilities
• Ability to network and partner with vendors, Colleges and Universities, and other external sources to exchange information, collaborate on projects, share resources, etc.
• Performs other related duties as assigned

Position Requirements

• University Degree or diploma in a related field and 15+ years of relevant experience OR an advanced degree (Masters) in a related field plus 10 years of relevant experience
• Strong project management skills, excellent organizational and communication skills, ability to work effectively with personnel at all levels of the organization
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work with Private Label customers
• Direct technical experience in the Food Industry (R&D, QA / QC, product development)
• Strong understanding of ingredient functionality, food safety and regulatory affairs

Working Conditions

Required work in office, plant environments locally and at vendor or customer facilities as required. Occasional travel is required.

What We Offer

• Competitive wages
• Opportunity to grow with the company
• Excellent benefit package
• Generous performance-based bonuses
• Excellent pension package
• Active social committee
• Employee assistance program
• Group home and auto insurance
• Uniforms and boots are provided
• Work in the state-of-the-art manufacturing facility
• Job stability (no layoffs)
• Subsidized lunches at our onsite Cafeteria
• FREE ICE CREAM!!
• We enjoy what we do, and we do it best

Disclaimer

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work to be performed. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required.

All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time and as needed.