FSMA Preventive Controls & HACCP Program Lead

Own the Food Safety Backbone of a Growing Bakery

The Cookie Cupboard is expanding, and our wholesale bakery near I-77 and Rockside Road in Valley View, Ohio (greater Cleveland area) is adding a permanent part-time role to elevate and scale our food safety systems. If you’re a hands-on leader who can translate FSMA Preventive Controls and HACCP principles into consistent on-floor practice, you’ll be the go-to resource our team relies on every day.

A Day in the Life

You start on the floor, verifying GMPs, allergen controls, sanitation, and temperature monitoring are being executed exactly as written—because we’re always audit-ready. You meet with the Food Safety Technician, set priorities, coach through questions, and review the day’s checklists and logs. Later, you step into document mode: version-controlling SOPs and forms, closing CAPAs, and updating the HACCP-based Food Safety Plan. Before you leave, you circle back through production, spot-check training effectiveness, and ensure we’re aligned for inspections, audits, and customer requests.

What You’ll LeadSupervision & Team Leadership

• Directly supervise the Food Safety Technician, assigning daily/weekly tasks and reviewing completed work
• Coach, give feedback, and close training gaps proactively
• Serve as the escalation point for food safety questions from the Technician or production team
• Provide clear updates on team performance and food safety status to the President

Records Review & Floor Oversight

• Examine food safety logs each on-site day for accuracy and completeness; correct gaps quickly
• Verify GMPs, sanitation, allergen controls, temperatures, and food-handling practices on the floor
• Conduct routine sanitation and food safety inspections and communicate deficiencies to the President

Food Safety Plan Ownership

• Maintain and update our HACCP-based Food Safety Plan aligned to FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Food (21 CFR Part 117)
• Complete and document the annual plan review
• Support the PCQI with hazard analyses and preventive control evaluations
• Keep all plan documents current, versioned, and audit-ready; escalate gaps between written and actual practice
• Revise the plan as products or processes change and as the business grows

Food Defense

• Manage the Food Defense Plan per FSMA Mitigation Strategies (21 CFR Part 121)
• Perform and document the annual reassessment and vulnerability reviews
• Ensure mitigation strategies are implemented and effective; run drills/walkthroughs as needed

Documentation Control & Label Compliance

• Maintain inspection-ready records, SOPs, and forms with robust document control (versioning, retention, archive)
• Review and approve labels for regulatory compliance, allergen accuracy, and ingredient statements; maintain label files and version alignment with current specs

Supplier Verification

• Oversee approved supplier list, questionnaires, COA review, and certificate tracking
• Monitor expiring documents and request renewals ahead of due dates
• Evaluate COAs against specs and escalate supplier concerns to ownership

Internal Audits & CAPA

• Plan and complete internal audits (sanitation, pest control, allergen management, temperatures, hygiene, GMPs)
• Document findings, assign corrective actions, and track through closure; prepare summaries for the President
• Investigate deviations; document and verify closure of CAPAs with root cause analysis for significant events

Traceability & Recall Readiness

• Maintain full forward/backward traceability and support mock recalls

Training & Audit Support

• Build and deliver training for production staff and the Technician (GMPs, allergen awareness, hygiene, sanitation, role-specific)
• Lead onboarding for new hires and maintain training records; address recurring knowledge gaps
• Serve as the primary food safety contact with the owner during regulatory inspections and customer/third-party audits
• Assemble documentation packages for customer questionnaires; assist with pre-audit walkthroughs and gap assessments

QualificationsRequired

• Accredited HACCP certification (NEHA, NRFSP, NSF, AIB, or equivalent)
• Experience in food safety, quality, food manufacturing, bakery, or related environment
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage food safety documentation
• Strong organization, detail orientation, and follow-through
• Working knowledge of GMPs, sanitation, allergen control, and safe food handling
• Self-directed with the ability to prioritize and ensure compliance on the floor
• Clear, direct communication with ownership around findings, concerns, and team results
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word/Excel; we’ll train on our ERP and nutritional software

Preferred

• PCQI certification (FSPCA Preventive Controls for Human Food)
• Experience leading or supervising others in food safety/quality
• Familiarity with FSMA 21 CFR Part 117 and 21 CFR Part 121
• Hands-on maintenance of a full food safety plan and supporting documents
• Background in a bakery, allergen-intensive, or small manufacturing setting
• Internal audit and CAPA program experience
• Label compliance experience under FDA 21 CFR Part 101
• Associate’s or Bachelor’s in Food Science, Microbiology, Biology, or related field (plus)

Personal Attributes

• Ownership mindset—if it’s on your list, it gets done
• Proactive—spots risk before it becomes an issue
• Capable coach who can lead without day-to-day supervision of their own work
• Communicates early and transparently
• Thrives in a growing, evolving small operation
• Builds systems that work even when you’re off-site

What We Offer

• Competitive hourly pay with performance-based increases
• Permanent part-time with a flexible, negotiable schedule
• Real responsibility in a quality-focused, growing bakery
• Direct access to and support from a PCQI-certified owner
• Lead a small food safety team (five team members have PCQIs) and shape a program that scales with us

About The Cookie Cupboard

Founded in 1977, The Cookie Cupboard is a Cleveland-based wholesale bakery serving grocery, foodservice, and retail partners with small-batch products. We believe food safety isn’t just compliance—it’s how we protect our customers and our reputation. There are easy ways to make cookies; there is no better way.

Classification

Reports To: President FLSA Status: Non-Exempt (Hourly)

Tools & Knowledge

You should be proficient in:

• FDA Regulations
• ERP & MRP Systems
• Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)