Quality & Food Safety Manager

Description

We are a global leader in food & beverage ingredients. Pioneers at heart, we operate at the forefront of consumer trends to provide food & beverage manufacturers with products and ingredients that will delight their consumers. Making a positive impact on people and planet is all part of the delight. With a deep-rooted presence in the countries where our ingredients are grown, we are closer to farmers, enabling better quality, and more reliable, traceable and transparent supply. Supplying products and ingredients at scale is just the start. We add value through our unique, complementary portfolio of natural, delicious and nutritious products. With our fresh thinking, we help our customers unleash the sensory and functional attributes of cocoa, coffee, dairy, nuts and spices so they can create naturally good food & beverage products that meet consumer expectations. And whoever we’re with, whatever we’re doing, we always make it real.

Position Summary

Under the direction of the Plant Manager and with functional oversight of the Director of Quality and Food Safety, the Quality and Food Safety Manager drives all aspects of the QFS programs for dehydrated Onion and Garlic products produced at the Gilroy, California facility. You will lead a team of QFS professionals and are expected to challenge existing processes and procedures with an eye on continuous improvement, coaching, and development. Ensure compliance with all applicable food laws and regulations.

Position Responsibilities

• Ensure compliance of all products to the Food Safety Plan and Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Requirements.
• Ensure the facility follows all Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), HACCP, and Global Food Safety Initiatives (GFSI) guidelines including development and execution of the Food Safety Culture Plan.
• Assure timely investigation and response to customer complaints, issues and concerns. Lead Root Cause analysis and develop corrective actions for customer complaints, and trend them to assess for effectiveness.
• Lead and execute training programs for Quality and Food Safety (QFS) team and frontline workforce with an emphasis on continuous improvement. Measure the effectiveness of training programs.
• Conduct annual food safety training for all employees in conjunction with EHS.
• Lead and/or participate in GMP, Food Safety, Food Defense, Customer, Kosher, Halal, Organic, Gluten Free, and Quality Management System audits. Drive appropriate corrective actions to deficiencies, and track and trend implemented improvements to assess the effectiveness of the Quality Management System.
• Responsible and accountable for Product Hold & Disposition based on Quality Inspection results and product risk assessment. Manage an effective positive hold and release program and ensure product traceability is maintained.
• Lead the HACCP and Food Safety team. Ensure proper change management and assessment of adjustments to manufacturing processes and equipment against HACCP and sanitary design standards.
• Own the Food Safety plan, Environmental Monitoring, Finished product testing and Allergen programs. Ensure compliance with established food safety and quality objectives through daily monitoring programs, team supervision, and on-going verification of internal and external laboratory activities.
• Monitor effectiveness and responsiveness of the external pest control program.
• Monitor and report out on quality trends on a daily basis; report Right First Time and other site-level Quality metrics on an as-needed basis.
• Maintain the integrity and calibration of all Quality Control Laboratory test equipment.
• Management of approximately 11 Hourly Employees (fluctuates based on seasonality).
  

Position Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Food Safety, Process/Project Management or related fields.
• Minimum of 4 years' experience in the Food Industry with a focus on managerial experience in plant setting preferred.
• PCQI and HACCP certification required.
• Experience with GFSI guidelines required, BRCGS experience preferred.
• Ability to wear and use all assigned personal protective equipment (hard hat, gloves, eye protection, ear plugs and steel toe footwear/nonslip, etc.).
• Thorough knowledge of laboratory activities to include microbiological testing and analytical testing to include moisture, color, physical attributes, etc.
• Computer knowledge to include Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, Outlook and SAP or equivalent.
• Proven ability to effectively manage and train multi-disciplinary team is required.
• Ability to work well under pressure with competing priorities in a team environment. Strong self-initiative with the ability to operate at a high level with minimum supervision, and sound decision making regarding when to escalate identified issues.
• Thorough knowledge of Good Sanitation Practices and Good Manufacturing Practices is required.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbal and written, is required. Strong interpersonal skills required.
• Bilingual, English and Spanish, is preferred.
  

Note: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employee may perform other related duties as negotiated to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.

ofi provides equality of opportunity for all persons with respect to hiring without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation. All employment will be decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us for support at: [email protected].

At ofi, we celebrate our diversity. Olam Americas Inc. is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.