Director of Food Safety and Quality & SQF Practitioner

USDA manufacturing experience is desired. Fresh food production including produce, meats and sauces.  Must be SQF Practitioner certified.

Director of Food Safety and Quality & SQF Practitioner
Needs at least 10 years of experience, needs food manufacturing experience.  We are in food, RTE ( ready to eat) foods, meat, produce, and seafood.

HACCP management
SQF Practitioner certified
USDA and FDA compliance
Organic certification compliance
Manage customer audits for major national retail accounts.

Pay range 140k to 160k.

Job Title: Director of Food Safety and Quality & SQF Practitioner
Position Reports to: General Manager
Backup Person: General Manager and Substitute SQF Practitioner
FLSA Status: Exempt
 

Reporting to the General Manager, the Director of Food Safety and Quality & SQF Practitioner is responsible for the execution of the Food Quality Control/Quality Assurance programs and processes and continuous quality improvement of our products and processes. The primary role of the Quality Assurance Director is to be ultimately responsible for the food safety and quality of the finished products manufactured in the facility. The food safety aspect is driven by HACCP risk management guidelines. The food quality aspect is governed by mutually agreed upon customer specifications.  Oversee the development, implementation, review, and maintenance of the SQF System, including food safety plan outlined in 2.4.3.
 

Essential Responsibilities:

• Total responsibility of QA/QC and regulatory compliance
• Lead SQF certification initiative. Roll out Road Map and direct the team’s assignments and drive to completion.
• Serve as a primary SQF practitioner
• Take appropriate action to ensure the integrity of the SQF System.
• Communicate to relevant personnel all information essential to ensure the effective implementation and maintenance of the SQF System.
• Act as primary point of contact for all USDA/FDA related communications.
• Develop and manage the food safety plan (HACCP)and provide training of employees for food safety requirements
• Develop and maintain documentation such as SOP’s, as well as maintenance of manuals, policies and procedures related to any food safety concerns
• Conduct facility food safety audits and manage third party audits
• Act as Food Safety Subject Matter Expert during customer, regulatory, and 3rd party audits.
• Assists R&D development projects and roll outs to ensure food safety and quality are achieved.
• Assist buyers with training and educating potential suppliers to ensure compliance
• Drive continuous improvement by developing and implementing systems and process improvements that optimize all phases of the production process; be actively involved in the development and implementation of long-term quality improvement plans.
• Support the business in development and implementation of quality procedures and systems throughout the manufacturing process that support the manufacture and delivery of quality products that meet or exceed customer expectations, provide for efficiency and accuracy in all customer related processes, reduce scrap, and improve plant performance.
• Provide technical inputs for root cause analysis and corrective action. 
• Seeks out opportunities to improve team member knowledge base.  Coordinates training, education programs, and mentoring relationships. 
• Establishes and continuously benchmarks against KPIs
• Utilize data-driven, structured problem-solving tools, including Six Sigma to improve process capability, reduce variation and optimize performance
• on and optimize performance
• Implement appropriate visual controls to ensure lasting results, including, standard work, improvement opportunity walks and process audits
• Identify and leverages best practices across functional lines throughout the organization
• Recommend areas for investigation and modes of corrective action and initiate action.
• Direct and train employees in the fundamentals of continuous improvement using appropriate process improvement tools and methodologies.
• Manages and coordinates the quality program at the plant level.
• Creates quality control plans and roll-out on each program.
• Establishes and maintain controls and documentation.
• Develops, collects and analyzes performance data against defined parameters; these are displayed in a dashboard based on standardized, leading metrics.
• Follows the company’s requirements for continuing to maintain the SQF Certification.
• Follows all company policies & procedures as well as the GMP’s (Good Manufacturing Practices) and maintains training to ensure compliance.
• Report food safety problems to personnel with authority to initiate action.
• Maintains food safety by ensuring clean, sanitary and safe work environment, complying with procedures, rules, and regulations.
• Must be responsible and follow the company’s food safety programs, FDA, and USDA regulations.
• Notifies management about actual or potential to food safety issues.
• Follows the company’s requirements for continuing to maintain the SQF Certification.
• Follows all company policies & procedures as well as the GMP’s (Good Manufacturing Practices) and maintains training to ensure compliance.
• Report food safety problems to personnel with authority to initiate action.
• Maintains food safety by ensuring clean, sanitary and safe work environment, complying with procedures, rules, and regulations.

Supervisory Responsibilities: YES
 Manage and coordinates the quality program at the plant level. Manages sanitation department and the SSOP program. Manages pre-ops, calibration, incoming quality, document control, process quality assurance, in process quality control, supplier QA, final QC, label review, training, CAPA, continuous improvement.

• Ability to lead guide and assist employees to reach scheduling and quality targets in a timely manner.
• Ability to manage performance issues to meet expectations.
• Ability to solve problems to maintain efficiencies to meet demand.
• Ability to document downtime reasons and corrective actions.

Language Skills: Intermediate Skills

• Ability to communicate the needs and objectives to line managers and key personnel in procurement, development/manufacturing, logistics and distribution.  Ensure the team understand the timing required and individual input necessary to make the process run smoothing.  Effectively communicate expectation which prevent costly delays.  Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.  Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers and employees of the organization.

Mathematical Skills: Intermediate Skills
Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, proportions, and percentages.  Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.  Ability to understand and calculate the scheduling and lead time process to meet productivity goals
Reasoning Ability: High Skills
Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.  Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in writing, oral, diagram, or schedule form. 
Computer Skills:
Ability to use Microsoft Word and Excel, SAP, Axxya Nutritional Pro™, and Payroll System
 

• A vision for best-of-breed quality management, and the drive and leadership skills to achieve it with our employees
• BS/BA degree or equivalent, preferably in Food Science, Business Management, and or a combination experience and education
• Minimum of 15 years quality management or related experience, preferably in food production
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in auditing systems including Silliker and or SQF experience
• Minimum of 5 years of management experience, preferably in food production, with demonstrated ability leading organizational change efforts to improve organizational efficiency

• A superior attention to detail, process improvement, and data driven decision making
• Ability to manage multiple priorities at one time
• Problem solving and decision-making skills
• Tact, diplomacy, a sense of humor, and professionalism
• Effective oral and written communication skills

Regularly sit or walk for long periods in a semi-cold environment with moderate noises. Regularly use hands and arms.