Director, Quality Assurance, Product Management

Overview

Come make your difference in communities across Canada, where authenticity, trust and making connections is valued – as we shape the future of Canadian retail, together. Our unique position as one of the country's largest employers, coupled with our commitment to positively impact the lives of all Canadians, provides our colleagues a range of opportunities and experiences to help Canadians Live Life Well. At Loblaw Companies Limited, we succeed through collaboration and commitment and set a high bar for ourselves and those around us. Whether you are just starting your career, re-entering the workforce, or looking for a new job, this is where you belong.

Reporting to the Senior Director, Quality Assurance, this role provides strategic leadership and oversight for quality and food safety compliance of Loblaw Branded CPG categories. This role is accountable for achieving key quality objectives by leading a large team of quality professionals, including the direct management and mentorship of two Senior Managers, Quality Assurance. The Director acts as a key business partner, collaborating with product development, product management, and vendors to support innovative product launches while safeguarding brand integrity. The position holds ultimate accountability for team talent management, strategic planning, and risk mitigation. In parallel with these leadership duties, the Director will also be responsible for defining and executing on the strategic plans.

Accountabilities:

• Own and successfully drive the development and implementation of Quality Assurance initiatives, specifically the Critical to Quality framework along with the Product Development team. Ability to forge and maintain essential partnerships with Product Development and Product Managers jointly delivering measurable improvements to business performance and consistent product excellence.
• Championing Food Safety and Quality Standards, serving as the technical authority on product safety, regulatory compliance, and quality risks. Translating expert product category knowledge into robust, actionable corporate QA policies and procedures that protect the Loblaw brand.
• Direct the QA team elements of the Critical to Quality, Product Development Lifecycle processes and the end-to-end quality assurance processes for all new product development and innovation projects. Proactively ensuring seamless integration with Product Management and vendor partners to guarantee that products meet stringent regulatory, safety, and quality requirements prior to launch.
• In conjunction with the two Senior Managers, develop a high-performing Quality Assurance Team, provide decisive leadership, coaching, and mentorship to the Senior Managers and Senior Specialists. Accountable for setting clear objectives, managing workloads, and ensuring flawless execution against all departmental and corporate goals.
• Own the Risk Management Framework for product quality assurance, the central lead for managing product quality post-launch, including management of consumer complaint resolution during the product warrantee period, making final, risk-based decisions on product disposition when required, and generating concise reports for senior leadership and stakeholders to resolve issues decisively and within required timelines.
• Build and maintain highly effective, collaborative relationships across all key business units, including the QA Vendor Management team, Regulatory Affairs and other key teams. Ensuring strategic alignment on all shared safety and quality objectives, representing the QA function with authority and integrity when required.
• Progress the strategic plan specific to the Product Quality Assurance team, revising and enhancing the plan in accordance with broader teams OKR’s and redefining the longer

Role Requirements:

• Possess a University Degree in Science, Technology, or a related field, coupled with a minimum of 7+ years of impactful work experience in the food industry.
• Demonstrate a comprehensive mastery of the product development cycle, from initial risk assessment and specification development to final evaluation.
• Apply expert-level knowledge of HACCP to solve real-world challenges in a food manufacturing environment.
• Proven ability to develop and execute strategic plans, inspiring and leading team members to deliver on critical business goals.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with a talent for building strong, collaborative relationships with internal teams and external partners.
• A forward-thinking leader who actively seeks out new ways to meet business objectives and drive continuous improvement.
• Understanding of risk analysis and experience problem solver, ability to make timely technical risk based assessments
• Superior strategic judgment and decisive decision-making, consistently balancing quality risk with business interests.
• Experienced, enthusiastic, and effective coach and mentor, passionate about developing talent and role-modeling best practices daily.
• Highly adaptable and organized, with a proven capacity to manage multiple competing priorities and maintain a sharp focus on accuracy and the bottom line.

Our commitment to Sustainability and Social Impact is an essential part of the way we do business, and we focus our attention on areas where we can have the greatest impact. Our approach to sustainability and social impact is based on three pillars – Environment, Sourcing and Community – and we are constantly looking for ways to demonstrate leadership in these important areas. Our CORE Values – Care, Ownership, Respect and Excellence – guide all our decision-making and come to life through our Blue Culture. We offer our colleagues progressive careers, comprehensive training, flexibility, and other competitive benefits – these are some of the many reasons why we are one of Canada’s Top Employers, Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, Canada’s Greenest Employers & Canada’s Top Employers for Young People.

If you are unsure whether your experience matches every requirement above, we encourage you to apply anyway. We are looking for varied perspectives which include diverse experiences that we can add to our team. We have a long-standing focus on diversity, equity and inclusion because we know it will make our company a better place to work and shop. We are committed to creating accessible environments for our colleagues, candidates and customers. Requests for accommodation due to a disability (which may be visible or invisible, temporary or permanent) can be made at any stage of application and employment. We encourage candidates to make their accommodation needs known so that we can provide equitable opportunities.

Please Note:
Candidates who are 18 years or older are required to complete a criminal background check. Details will be provided through the application process.

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