Food Safety and Quality Assurance Manager

Job Summary

Meat processing company is looking to hire an experienced QA Manager to manage the Plant Quality Assurance Department. QA Manager is responsible for ensuring company’s Food Safety and Quality Assurance standards are met to deliver food safety and high-quality products. USDA and all applicable regulations are followed.

Responsibilities and Duties

Develop, implements, and monitors HACCP, GMP’s, SSOP, and other Quality Assurance and Food Safety programs to assure safe food handling practices, quality products, and regulatory compliance

Responsible for supervising and development of QA team

Ensure that operational and pre-operational sanitation is executed properly and verifies it by micro sampling

Responsible for all required microbiological sampling and follow-up actions if required

Responsible for HACCP, SQF, Food Safety, GMP and Sanitation trainings and audits to make sure that integrity of those plans are maintained and improved

Responsible for conducting Internal Audit to assure the SQF standard is followed; conducting verification and validation activities to assure that the SQF system is operating as intended

Drive continuous improvement of product quality through the development of quality plans, process controls and training.

Responsible for hold and release activities related to any test programs or non-conformance.

Participate in R&D and Commercialization meetings and food safety/quality regulations/specifications

Investigate all product food safety/quality issues and recommends corrective and preventive actions (leads CAPA events)

QA Manager is a primary plant liaison to USDA personnel

Responsible for USDA Label Approvals and managing Child Nutritional Program 

Responsible for managing current and new raw material supplier approval, preparing and representing the company in third party audits.

In conjunction with plant leadership drives plant Food Safety and Quality culture.

Perform other duties as assigned

Education and/or Experience                                                  

4 years relevant work experience in the meat or meat processing industry

Comprehensive knowledge of USDA, FSIS, HACCP, SQF, GMP, SSOP, Quality Assurance, and Food Microbiology requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Animal Science, Meat Science, Biology, or related field a plus

Ability to respond to inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or company’s stakeholders

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Strong decision making and problem-solving skills

Excellent planning, organizational, multi-tasking and project management skills

Comfortable to work in cold and loud environment as this job requires to work in both office and plant setting

Able to lift up to 30 pounds, frequently required to stand, walk; able to kneel or crawl

May be required to work long hours and weekends

Working conditions

Must be comfortable to work in cold and loud environment as this job requires to work in both office and plant setting environment. The position requires the physical ability to do work requiring frequent stooping and bending, the physical strength to lift and carry 30 pounds, physical ability to stand for long hours, to do repetitive work, good visual acuity and ability to work long hours and weekends when needed.