QA Manager

Quality Assurance Manager

Job Description

The Quality Assurance Manager will develop, coordinate, and implement quality assurance (QA) programs for plant operations. Monitor production, warehouse, and sanitation operations for adherence to quality and food safety programs. Monitor product conformance to quality specifications including complaint investigation and resolution.     

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Work with senior management and assist with development and implementation of QA and Food Safety programs for plant operations. Take active role with incident investigation and problem solving, and communicate findings to senior management, and other relevant management teams, as required.
• Monitor associates to assure that duties are performed in compliance with all corporate and regulatory, quality, allergen, sanitation, SQF, food safety, GMP, GLP, and safety requirements; including the use of all personal protective equipment and devices as required. If issues are found, work with associates to retrain / correct. Review paperwork, charts, as required. Report issues to QA team and other relevant management teams, as required.
• Work with Regulatory personnel on inspections, investigations, audits, and visits, as required.
• Develop and implement SQF program requirements for company SQF certification. Audit for compliance and communicate issues to relevant management teams, as required.
• Work with ingredient vendors. Coordinate removal and replacement of non-conforming or rejected products with the relevant departments. Create correspondence letters for vendors to notify them of foreign objects and other possible complaints, as required. Communicate findings and updates to appropriate management teams, as needed.
• Monitor quality conformance of finished products. Participate in sensory evaluations of all product produced and with shelf life of flour tortilla, when possible. Monitor daily and weekly results for trends and as required investigate issues and work with relevant management to help to develop action plans to address issues.
• Monitor and research complaints to determine what, if any corrective action must be taken. Work with other departments to research and prevent foreign object complaints. Help answer and file complaints directed to the Quality Department from the Consumer Relations Department.
• Provide Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Food Safety, SQF, Sanitation, and Allergen training for all new associates. Act as plant tour guide for associate orientations and special events. Assist with annual training requirements, as needed.
• Schedule plant inspections periodically at different times to cover all shifts, to determine compliance with plant QC/QA, SQF, GMP, sanitation, allergen, and regulatory requirements. Report findings of audit to relevant management teams.
• Perform all duties in compliance with all corporate and regulatory quality and safety regulations and perform all duties within established Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines as well as all safety regulations.
• Participate and support plant Lean efforts and demonstrates knowledge of continuous improvement and lean methodology.
• Follow up on the implementation of the SQF Level 2 Food Safety standard, prepare the plant for the external annual audit.
• Support the manufacturing plants, co-pack and/or suppliers by providing technical support, troubleshooting, allergen plan assessments, HACCP plan reviews and environmental testing reviews.
• Develop and coordinate actions plans to reduce or eliminate the Food Safety failures during manufacturing by employing the latest techniques and equipment available.
• Develop and monitor key performance measures as it relates to product safety. Ensure that policies are maintained by implementing plant procedures and systems to ensure that products produced meet all expectations.

REQUIREMENTS
 

• Excellent organization skills, leadership, problem solving and decision making skills are required.
• Ability to communicate in English orally and in writing with vendors, customers and co-workers; Fluency in verbal and written Spanish preferred.
• Ability to prepare operating procedures, work instructions and process flow charts.
• Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Shows initiative and able to work as part of a team; communicates effectively.
• Excellent organization skills
• Strong math and analytical abilities.
• Proficiency in MS Office, Word, Excel and Outlook Knowledge of time systems, inventory systems, problem solving and decision making skills. 
• Comfort working in a high speed production environment.