Quality and Food Safety Manager

Job Purpose

Lead implementation and improvement of the site’s Quality and Food Safety Management System (QFMS) to ensure products are of excellent quality and food safe, in accordance with corporate quality policies, product specifications, regulations, and third-party GFSI food safety standards.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

Develop, implement, and continuously improve the site’s QFSMS.

• Develop and maintain the site’s quality and food safety policies, procedures, and records.
• Coordinate site resources to ensure alignment with and implementation of QFSMS initiatives.
• Coordinate an annual review of the QFSMS to ensure all components are current and effective.
• Regularly train employees in quality and food safety requirements and related policies.
• Communicate information related to QFSMS initiatives to all employees.
• Empower all employees to actively participate in improvement of the QFSMS.
• Regularly engage with all employees in their work environment to build a relationship and identify opportunities to improve their work experience.
• Provide ongoing feedback to all employees on work performance, and recognize them for successes.

Develop a food safety culture and manage the site’s food safety/defense programs, adhering to Safe Quality Foods (SQF) or British Retail Consortium (BRC), to ensure products are safe for food contact.

• Serve as the SQF or BRC practitioner, leading the annual SQF or BRC audits.
• Serve as the HACCP coordinator, leading a team to implement controls which minimize or eliminate potential food safety and food defense hazards, with enhanced focus on foreign matter control.
• Serve as the Food Defense coordinator, implementing measures to prevent intentional contamination.
• Serve as the lead internal auditor, managing the site’s auditing team and auditing software to ensure completion of internal audits, inspections, and corrective actions.
• Ensure that materials and finished goods meet food contact packaging regulations.
• Maintain UNDOT hazardous material training and certification, where applicable.

Manage the site’s quality and process control systems, adhering to the corporate quality policies, to ensure products meet specifications and customer expectations.

• Manage and verify compliance with product inspection, measurement, and testing control plans.
• Maintain the computer aided testing station hardware and software.
• Maintain and calibrate inspection, measurement, and testing equipment.
• Manage routine verification of inline testing and inspection equipment and assist with setup.
• Ensure product and packaging specifications and drawings are current in the specifications system.
• Ensure process control systems are setup to alert upon out-of-control conditions.
• Regularly analyze quality and process data utilizing Statistical Process Control (SPC) techniques, and coordinate resolution of issues with site personnel.
• Manage nonconforming material control, Including dispositions, root cause analysis, and trending.
• Coordinate product and process qualification events and analyze results.
• Maintain material traceability, including performing mock recall exercises.
• Manage the approved supplier program, monitoring and communicating issues with supplier documentation, service, and quality.

Partner with customer sites, ensuring that product and service meets their expectations.

• Manage the complaint system to document quality and service issues, corrective actions, and monetary claims.
• Lead multi-disciplinary teams using problem solving methodologies to investigate customer complaints, identify root causes, implement corrective and preventative actions, and identify trends.
• Coordinate and participate in customer calls and visits to build rapport and respond to complaints.

Lead and participate in corporate initiatives as required, such as.

• Lead and participate in corporate sponsored investigative and improvement teams.
• Serve as a qualification data reviewer and appraiser for other sites.
• Train newly hired Quality System Managers.
• Assist other sites with preparing for SQF, BRC, and customer audits.
• Participate with corporate purchasing to conduct supplier audits.
• Attend conferences to advance professional knowledge and keep the company informed of changes in food safety regulations and quality methodologies.

Experience, Educational and Technical Qualifications

The position requires a four-year college degree; preferably in a food science, packaging, quality, or engineering field.

The position requires a minimum of five (5) years of experience in a quality or food safety professional role in a food or food packaging manufacturing environment.

The worker must be proficient in:

• using computers, setting up peripheral devices, and typing
• using Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• developing professional training materials, policies, and forms
• conducting training sessions
• presenting to executives
• understanding the manufacturing process and operations
• assisting other sites with program development
• leading or participating in companywide projects
• managing quality systems, specifications, and testing control plans
• using and calibrating inspection, measuring and test equipment
• analyzing quality and process data and interpreting control charts, using Statistical Process Control (SPC) techniques and analytical software
• leading product qualification events
• managing nonconforming material control
• setting up inline, automated quality inspection equipment
• conducting material traceability and business continuity challenges
• managing HACCP-based food safety programs
• leading third party GFSI, preferably SQF or BRC, food safety certification and customer audits
• conducting internal audits and inspections using checklist software
• managing customer complaints
• managing supplier quality
• leading problem-solving teams using root-cause analysis techniques

Abilities Required

The worker must be able to:

• read, write, and understand English
• communicate well verbally and in writing
• understand technical information
• maintain regular, predictable, and punctual work attendance
• work independently and indirectly manage others
• take direction and collaborate well with others
• multitask in a high-pressure environment under the stress of deadlines
• maintain work organization
• prioritize and manage time
• concentrate and perform accurately, while attending to details
• make timely, risk-appropriate, and informed decisions
• react to change productively and conduct other tasks as assigned

Physical Activity Required

Climbing: Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, and equipment, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. Needs good body agility.

Stooping: Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at waist. This requires the full use of the lower extremities and back muscles.

Crouching: Bending body downward and forward by bending legs and spine.

Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.

Standing: Standing for sustained periods of time.

Walking: Moving over long distances to accomplish tasks.

Pushing: Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward, or outward.

Pulling: Using upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, drag, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.

Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position to position.

Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.

Feeling: Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature, or texture by touching with skin.

Fingering: Picking, pinching, or otherwise working primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand or arm.

Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. This includes activities where detailed or important spoken instruction must be conveyed to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.

Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds with no less than 40 dB at 500 Hz, 100 Hz, and 2000 Hz with or without correction. Able to receive detailed information through oral communication and to make fine discriminations in sound, such as when making fine adjustments on machine parts.

Repetitive Motion: Substantial movements of the arms, hand and/or fingers.

Vision: Must be able to prepare and analyze data and figures. Eyesight capable of seeing small defects at distances close to the eyes.

Exertion: Medium Work – Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 20 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.

Environmental Working Conditions

The worker may be subjected to the following:

• inside and outside environmental conditions;
• temperatures above 100°F for periods of more than one hour;
• constant loud noise;
• vibrations and oscillating movements of the extremities or whole body;
• moving mechanical parts or electrical current;
• fumes, odors, dusts, mists, gases, or poor ventilation;
• air and skin exposure to oils, cutting fluids, and chemicals;
• allergens, such as but not limited to dusts, peanut butter, eggs, and dairy.

Disclaimer

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.