Manager, Quality Assurance

The Quality Assurance Manager is responsible for safeguarding product safety and quality while meeting Company and regulatory standards, and has oversight responsibility for a continuous quality improvement program that includes product safety and quality assurance.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manages the operation of the plant laboratory, including ensuring supplies and equipment are available.
• Ensures product safety, regulatory compliance, and compliance with company standards as stated in the Quality Assurance Manual, Laboratory Manual, and Company directives
• Drives Continuous Improvement efforts in product quality/performance and process optimization.
• Provides leadership in coaching, education and training of management staff and plant employees for Quality Assurance
• Develops, facilitates and maintains the company HACCP programs
• Ensures all SQF Certification requirements are met
• Implements and maintains all Cumberland Dairy quality system
• Reviews all product labels used in the facility and ensures adherence to regulatory and Company standards
• Ensures adherence to appropriate regulations and Company standards for raw milk quality
• Supervises the appropriate chemical, bacteriological, sensory and utilization tests on raw materials and pasteurized products
• Ensures that proper sanitation procedures are utilized and that adequate sanitation tests are performed; provides "troubleshooting" efforts in the event of sanitation system failure
• Develops and maintains documentation of all required quality tests and activities
• Manages local, state, customer/third party, and federal audits and inspections
• Ensures adherence to all contract packaging quality requirements
• Ability to grow and assume increased responsibilities as Company requirements dictate
• Assist in investigating any quality and food safety issues
• Be in constant communication with all levels of Management regarding food and employee safety issues
• Drive Continuous Improvement efforts in product quality/performance and process optimization.
• Engage in the typical responsibilities of a manager requiring planning, evaluating, organizing, integrating and delegating.
• Ensure product safety, regulatory compliance, and compliance with Company and government regulations
• Establish a partnership with support work groups; Quality, Maintenance, Sanitation, Production and Warehousing
• Flexibility to vary work schedule dependent upon production and staffing needs
• Keep all areas of responsibility clean and organized
• Lead by example with the Company Standards of Conduct. This includes following Company policies, standards and specifications.
• Maintain and ensure the safety of all employees through proper training, enforcement of safety rules and procedures
• Motivate and lead employees to maximize productivity and minimize costs
• Provide leadership in coaching, educating and training of employees in all Company and government policies and procedures
• Willing to travel for training, educational and business purposes

Minimum Requirements:

• 5-8 years prior experience in Quality Assurance in a Food Manufacturing Facility.
• Bachelor's Degree in Food Science, Biology, Microbiology, or related science field, or equivalent work experience.
• Internal Candidates: A minimum of 5 years hands-on plant experience in the dairy plant or food industry operations, with a minimum of 2 years of supervisory experience.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals
• Ability to work autonomously.
• Computer literate and proficient in MS Office software as necessary to perform job duties
• Detailed knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practices.
• Food manufacturing or dairy experience
• Knowledge of Food Quality Systems including HACCP, GMP, Integrated Pest Management, and Sanitation Principles.
• Possesses a detailed knowledge of sanitation systems, techniques and procedures.
• Possess a detailed knowledge of Laboratory Systems in a food processing facility.
• Read, speak and write English
• Skilled in providing group and individual and one on one training
• Skilled in reading regulatory, technical, and scientific documents such as CFR, PMO, ICMS Reference Materials, FDA guidance documents, and scientific publications written in English text.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:

• HACCP Certification
• SQF Certification

An Equal Opportunity Employer including Disabled/Veterans