Shearer's is a leading contract manufacturer and private label supplier in the snack industry in North America. Headquartered in Massillon, Ohio, Shearer's has 17 state-of-the-art, geographically diverse manufacturing facilities in Ohio, Texas, Arkansas, Arizona, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Iowa, Ontario and Alberta, Canada, including one of the industry's first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design platinum LEED certified facilities in Massillon, Ohio. The Company is known for producing the highest quality snacks in assorted flavors and sizes, including kettle cooked potato chips, traditional potato chips, tortilla chips, cheese curls and other extruded snacks, and corn chips, as well as cookies, crackers, and wafers.
Quality & Food Safety Manager
The Quality Assurance Manager is responsible for leading the quality assurance and food safety program at a specific facility. This includes working with customers, suppliers, corporate personnel, and manufacturing staff. Responsibilities includes auditing of Quality systems such as, SQF (Safe Quality Foods), the FSMA Food Safety Plan, GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices), and SOP's (Standard Operating Procedures) for plant Quality department. Responsible for communication of food quality standards to plant personnel through training, corrective actions, quality audits, production and facility monitoring. Responsible for training, supervising, and mentoring department personnel including the Quality Leader, Sanitation Leader, Quality Engineer, and Quality Assurance Administrator.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Manage the Quality and Food Safety function at the facility.
• Serves as SQF Practitioner and site FSMA Preventive Controls Qualified Individual.
• Manage programs to verify, validate the Food Safety Pre-requisite programs.
• Manage the plant Food Safety Plan and associated policies and procedures.
• Serves as Food Safety Team Member.
• Monitor, support and enforce all Shearer's Foods food safety processes and procedures. This includes all AIB standards, SQF standards, customer specific standards, and 3rd party certifications as identified in supporting documentation.
• Participate in weekly Food Safety Inspections.
• Ensure all quality procedures and processes are followed according to document policies.
• Ensures that all GMP and Safety standards are in compliance.
• Maintains a comprehensive understanding of all products manufactured by the plant as well as the raw materials, packaging materials, and operations required in the manufacturing process including quality specifications and standards.
• Formulates and maintains quality objectives, aligns and coordinates objectives with Production and Corporate objectives in cooperation with the Plant Manager and other managers/supervisors to maximize food safety, product quality and minimize costs.
• Coaches QA team to become technical resources for facilitating issue resolution on the production floor. Develops technicians and supervisors in auditing of production team members performing quality processes
• Designs and implements quality assurance training programs.
• Investigates and responds to customer complaints. Tracks complaint and reacts to emerging issues or trends engaging the appropriate functions and process owners (i.e. production, maintenance, PD, etc) to resolve.
• Develops and analyzes statistical quality data. Utilizes these data for troubleshooting or continuous quality improvement where appropriate.
• Coordinate and participate in mock recalls.
• Responds to customer requests and queries.
• Provides technical support to operations.

Improves quality and food safety practices

• Manages quality data collection, process measurements, process analysis, and reporting
• Tracks key performance indicators (KPIs)
• Facilitates accurate data collection; makes improvements as necessary
• Identifies areas of opportunity to reduce waste and improve efficiency
• Prepares reports, analyzes data and makes recommendations for improving operations and solving quality and food safety related problems
• Reviews customer feedback; researches problem areas; introduces solutions; responds to complaints
• Employs a mindset of best practices and continuous improvement; applies that to processes/policies/systems

Maintains a safe work environment

• Ensures that behaviors, practices and the work environment support a safe workplace by enforcing safety and sanitation rules and principles
• Communicates policies and ensures employees create a safe, productive and pleasant working environment

Leads and Develops Team Members

• Leads the team through an emphasis on both process and people
• Communicates effectively with employees through both oral and written means
• Communicates effectively with management staff in regard to all issues pertaining to food safety, compliance, process, and quality control programs
• Interacts with and guides plant personnel when questions related to food safety & quality arise
• Ensures appropriate staffing levels and excellent leadership of Quality department
• Conducts employee training to improve employees' expertise and knowledge in food quality and safety processes, procedures, and teamwork, or assigns employee training to experienced workers
• Provides feedback to employees on individual performance standards in a timely and efficient manner
• Provides training to employees or ensures that all employees are adequately trained and engaged in developmental activities
• Tracks employees' work performance and attendance to ensure performance metrics are met

Role Contribution Level
This position is a Managerial role. The position requires the incumbent to directly oversee employees; promote safe and efficient operations; and establish a positive work environment with people working together collaboratively. The incumbent must effectively shift from directly overseeing task completion to assigning tasks to others to be completed. He/she must value managerial work, and demonstrate an ability to provide effective feedback, coaching, and motivation to employees, including difficult messages.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities; Education; and/or Work Experience Requirements:
Education and Work Experience

• Bachelor's degree in food science, microbiology, chemistry, engineering, or related field
• Three (3) years of experience in quality assurance leadership role within a food manufacturing Facility
• HACCP Certification
• Must be a certified Preventive Controls Qualified Individual
• Prefer SQF Practitioner Certification.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of Food Safety (HACCP principals, cGMPs, SOPs and SSOPs, Pest Control, Allergen Control & Recall programs).
• Direct experience with AIB, SQF or similar food industry production audits.
• Solid knowledge of Laboratory Procedures.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills both orally and written.
• Supervisory experience in a QA lab.
• Knowledge of FDA standards and FSMA Regulations.
• Demonstrated knowledge and application of statistical process control, quality assurance techniques and tools and quality management principles in a food manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated ability to direct, coach, and train associates as well as plan, monitor and schedule work.
• Lead 'best in class' behaviors with focus on food safety, quality assurance, and plant regulatory compliance.
• Handle multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines.
• Experience working directly with customers and suppliers.
• Strong PC proficiency to include Microsoft Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint; Working knowledge of statistical software programs.
• Demonstrated ability to formulate and understand mathematical equations, especially basic statistical analysis

We Offer a Feast of Benefits
Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Flexible Spending Account, Retirement Savings Plan with Match, Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability, Group Critical Accident Insurance, Group Critical Illness Insurance, Employee Assistance Plan and numerous opportunities to volunteer in the communities in which we operate.
You will be considered for employment in our inclusive workplace
Because at Shearer's, we are committed to providing equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
This is your invitation to apply now!
Note: Shearer's does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to any recruiting alias or employee. Shearer's is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.
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