Senior Manager, Customer and Vendor Quality

Darigold is looking for a Senior Manager, Customer & Vendor Quality to join our team. This is a critical and strategic role within Darigold’s Quality organization. The Senior Manager, Customer & Vendor Quality will contribute to company success by maintaining a highly effective process for Customer/Consumer complaint management in collaboration with the Sales team on one hand and by building and executing a robust Vendor Quality Management System in collaboration with the Procurement team on the other.

 What You Will Do – Customer Quality Management:

• Contributes to Darigold’s success by ensuring the highest standards of customer/consumer trust by maintaining a highly effective customer/consumer Complaint Management System.
• Ensures that all feedback (compliment/comment/question/complaint) from all sources (phone/emails/letter/website/social media etc.) is captured & correctly classified as per Darigold classification rules.
• Manages the daily process of reviewing & updating complaint database, assigning quality complaints to manufacturing plant for investigation and tracking complaint investigation status.
• Helps draft and approves customer response letters in collaboration with Sales & Quality teams.
• Leads regular meetings with plants to drive action on complaints.
• Completes monthly, quarterly and annual complaint reporting and distributes to Darigold management.
• Analyzes trends and generates insights from the complaints database to identify improvement opportunities.
• Ensures that the Complaints Management process is understood by all stakeholders. Makes recommendations for improvement where necessary.
• Assists with the completion of customer related documentation requests.
• Other responsibilities related to building customer/consumer trust.

What You Will Do - Logistics Quality Management:

• Establishes/updates Darigold policies on storing, handling and transporting Darigold products.
• Establishes/updates Darigold policies on selecting and approving warehouses.
• Audits, selects and approves warehouses.
• Works with Supply Chain to investigate quality complaints that originate in the logistics chain.
• Identifies quality risks or improvement opportunities in Darigold Supply Chain.

What You Will Do – Vendor Quality Management:

• Leads the Vendor Quality Assurance function.
• Develops and updates the Darigold Vendor Expectations Manual.
• Defines quality/food safety/regulatory requirements for selection, approval & management of vendors.
• Requests, organizes and manages packaging and ingredient related information from vendors.
• Organizes and manages food safety and quality audits of ingredient and packaging of vendors for qualification of new vendors and conduct on-going Vendor Capability Assessments by on-site visits to verify vendor’s performance.
• Assures the effectiveness of the corrective and preventative action process of vendors.
• Develops and maintains Vendors KPIs to demonstrate improvement and competitiveness over time.  Develops and maintains Ingredient Risk Assessments, Vendor KPIs and auditing schedule.
• Provides directions to vendors to drive continuous improvement of their quality systems based on findings and observations from audit reports, complaints, non-conformances and market data.
• Assures the effectiveness of the corrective and preventative action process within the framework of the Darigold Vendor Expectations Manual.
• Tracks and follows up on non-conformance issues with respective vendors for corrective actions, prevention plans and continuous improvement.
• Successfully engages with cross-functional teams such as R&D, Product Development and Procurement, towards selection and management of vendors.
• Other responsibilities related to driving vendor quality management.

Note: Depending upon business needs, time allocation between the three pillars of this role may change.

What You Bring:

• Bachelor’s Degree in a science-based field (e.g. Biology, Microbiology, Food Science); Advanced degree preferred.
• 7 to 10 years of combined Customer/Vendor Quality Management experience in dairy, food, pharmaceutical or related manufacturing industry.
• Experience with both consumer and customer Complaint Management process.
• Experience with Vendor Quality Assurance or Process Quality Audit; Auditor certification or equivalent. 
• An advanced understanding of quality systems with an emphasis on auditing vendors.
• Effective analytical, negotiation and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication skills and an ability to work independently.
• Organizational skills and strong attention to detail within a fast-paced environment. Demonstrated track record of working successfully across functions to achieve shared goals and proven ability to interact cross-functionally. 
• Demonstrated business acumen.
• Ability to work effectively and influence at all organizational levels.
• Must possess strong, positive team leadership and collaboration skills.
• Ability to negotiate and maximize effectiveness of resources and influence others internally and externally.
• Ability to travel up to 30% domestically.
• General understanding of manufacturing and quality assurance is a plus.
• Knowledge of dairy processing and dairy products including Darigold brands and products.
• Familiarity with Vendor Quality Management Systems like Trace Gains and others.
• Experience working or managing a team in a Consumer Care Center or call center environment.

Benefits of Working at Darigold:

We understand that as an employee, benefits that support you and your family in and out of work are important. We’re proud to offer eligible positions a competitive total rewards package – that includes:

• 401k competitive employer matching
• Comprehensive medical, dental & vision benefits
• Employer paid life & disability coverage
• Paid time off and paid holidays
• 8 weeks paid parental leave
• Education assistance
• Employee assistance program
• Access to great dairy products & participation in our employee butter purchase program
• Compensation range: $113,221 - $199,801 (individual wage based on previous experience, knowledge and skills)

Our Commitment to Diversity:

Achieving our vision to Lead Dairy Forward requires cultivating and supporting a team with varying backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We are committed to providing a workplace based on mutual respect where all employees feel included and can bring their best and authentic selves to work every day. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and Affirmative Action Employer. We welcome all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, veteran status, disability, marital status, creed, religion, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. As a condition of employment applicants offered a role will be required to successfully pass our pre-employment background screen, receive a negative drug screen result & confirm eligibility to work in the U.S. We participate in E-Verify - please follow the links for details, English / Spanish & view our Right to Work Statement, English / Spanish.

Salary : $113,221 - $199,801