Food Safety Quality Assurance Manager

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The essential functions include, but are not limited to the following:

• Performs daily food safety procedures, overseeing the HACCP/SSOP/GMP, Pre-requisite programs, and Animal Welfare program. 
• Responsible for overseeing, maintaining, and updating the HACCP plans, food safety programs, quality assurance programs, product specifications, and ensuring the successful daily implementation of such plans and programs.
• Handles and manages all food safety and quality issues at the Plant, whether in the Harvest department, or at the Fabrication department. 
• Communicate effectively with outside suppliers to ensure the quality of wholesome and safe products received at OWBP.
• Leads the food safety/quality team at the plant in performing daily procedures required to support the HACCP programs and other related programs, including company policies and compliance requirements.
• Conducts and leads internal audits at the facility to meet all company policies and compliance requirements.
• Manages all External/Third-Party Audits conducted by customers and customer Certifying Bodies/entities such as BRC, FSNS, McDonalds, Costco, etc.  
• Provides continuous technical training to FSQA team leads and production personnel as needed.
• Resolve major quality problems at Packers facilities, warehouses, and market areas as required.
• Educates and instructs plant personnel in recommended quality control testing, equipment sanitation, and general sanitation and housekeeping practices.
• Consults with plant management and personnel on better operational procedures to improve efficiency and product yields.
• Discuss plant evaluation with plant management, makes appropriate recommendations, and set timetable for improvement and corrections.
• Assure employees are working in a safe environment through facility safety and using proper safety equipment. Consults with ESS Manager to ensure all safety guidelines, procedures and training is received.
• Manages all incoming Customer Claims/Complaints. Addresses all claims within 48 hours from receiving them. Updates the existing Customer Claims SOP for efficient and thorough investigation. Addresses the root cause of the issue that caused a customer to file a claim to prevent reoccurrence of such claims. 
• Develops and updates food safety manuals, programs, procedures, and plans, including providing managerial oversight for all third-party contracting services such as the sanitation/cleaning contractor PSSI and Terminix Pest control companies, and others.
• Reviews and assesses the effectiveness of the performance of all third-party contracting services related to food safety department, to ensure that their work and performance are effective, valuable, and addresses issues and challenging areas at the Plant facilities and based on contractual agreements. 
• Manages all labeling and marking issues and approvals, and submits applications for approval of new labels, and communicates with USDA in getting labels approved and claims accepted.
• Manges and provide effective supervision to the Export Staff on its daily export processes, and successfully ensure addressing Export issues, as necessary.    
• Conducts HACCP/SSOP/and GMP training of team members in the facility along with other applicable Food Safety and quality related training.
• Works daily, or as needed, with the USDA Inspectors and USDA Graders and performs other Food Safety, quality administrative work, including responding to Noncompliance Records, and Nonconformity findings.
• Motivates team and performs Supervisory Responsibilities including Talent Acquisition employee development; planning, assigning, and directing work including appraising performance; rewarding employees, and disciplining employees for any performance or misconduct issues; addressing complaints and resolving problems.
• Instills within the FSQA and production employees a sense of urgency and importance when a food safety issue or a food safety crisis occurs at the plant.
• Instill within all employees a “Food Safety Culture” as defined by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI)
• Decisions made by FSQA Manager are uniform, consistent, and in accordance with applicable company policy, directives, programs in addition to applicable USDA regulations and directives.
• Responsible for exhibiting professional behavior with both internal/external business associates that reflects positively on the company and is consistent with the company’s policies and practices.
• Performing other duties as assigned