Manage and lead a team of individuals to ensure effective quality execution, continuous improvement, and regulatory compliance. Provide leadership within the facility to drive positive change through influence and example. In conjunction with plant operations, build and maintain an effective culture of food safety and quality within the facility. Develop and maintain facility systems and processes that ensure finished product is food safe and meets finished product specifications. Function as a highly organized, effective communicator with an inquisitive mind with the capacity to investigate and lead solution-based decision making in the plant.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Ensure daily plant quality and food safety operations are compliant with DFA policies, procedures and local, state and federal regulations
• Maintain audit readiness
• Maintain a robust food safety program and subsequent quality program
• Escalate non-conformance events to the quality director and plant manager
• Oversee plant sanitation to drive a robust sanitation program
• Ensure the plant pest control programs are current, followed, and utilized to enable proactive maintenance
• Manage the facility’s change control program to enable robust risk assessment and decisions
• Ensure compliance to specification, manufacturing instructions and preventive maintenance programs. Partner with operations to ensure preventive maintenance program is robust and adhered to
• Collaboratively lead investigations relating to non-conforming events driving to root cause(s) and effective resolution
• Manage hold and release programs
• Review records on a daily basis to ensure all records are completed as required and review/approval is current for preventive controls, laboratory, sanitation, production and verification checks
• Foster a positive and effective work culture with direct reports
• Identify and retain highly effective personnel through proper selection, training, and expectations. Develop and grow talent
• Track and report on plant quality key performance indicators (KPIs)
• Participate in the annual plant budgeting process
• Partner with the plant manager on identifying key capital projects that support food safety and quality initiatives
• Provide training to the plant personnel concerning food safety, Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), and regulatory compliance
• Provide quality leadership during unplanned events or emergencies
• Provide visible leadership by participating in facility walk throughs and internal audits
• Engage and interact with all personnel on a regular basis assisting them with their challenges and questions concerning food safety
• Collaborate with R&D during new/reformulated product introduction to ensure compliance with already established specifications and regulatory requirements
• Serve as the point of contact for customer related issues, complaints or inquires
• Manage plant complaint investigations ensuring a thorough, effective, timely and customer facing response
• Monitor compliance to customer expectation and specifications; communicate any issues/concerns
• Maintain plant preparedness for customer and regulatory visits
• Be responsible for all analytical and micro activities performed at the facility
• Oversee the development of laboratory practices to ensure accurate and precise quality control (QC) results
• Perform data analysis to identify critical trends or find leading indicators to enable proactive decisions
• Coordinate the collection and evaluation of raw materials and finished products
• Ensure the Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP) is robust and risk based with a search and destroy mentality applied. Determine root cause of failures and take the appropriate corrective action
• Escalate nonconformances to quality director and plant manager in a timely fashion
• Coordinate and supervise factory and external lab testing of samples; generate Certificate of Analysis (COA’s)
• Maintain the quality management system and ensure documents are up to date and comply to the food safety and quality (FSQ) policies and standards
• Prepare plant specific work instructions as needed
• Ensure SSOP documents are robust and adhere to the sanitation standard
• Ensure all forms and work instructions are reviewed, revised, and updated annually
• Perform management activities such as administering employee promotions and transfers; conducting ongoing performance conversations; mentoring, training, and coaching employees
• Follow all DFA good manufacturing practices (GMP) and work in a manner consistent with all corporate regulatory, food safety, quality, and sanitation requirements
• The requirements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employee, but is not a complete list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required. Other duties may be assigned as required