QFS Plant Quality Assurance Manager (PQA)

At Danone, manufacturing the best products and protecting consumers is a core responsibility of our plant teams. We are currently looking to hire a QFS Plant Assurance Manager (PQA) to support our Plant Quality & Food Safety organization at the Jacksonville, Florida facility.

Job Summary

In this role, you will be responsible for ensuring continuous production in full compliance with Quality and Food Safety requirements across all products, processes, and services produced by the plant. You will lead the implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the Plant Quality Management System, ensuring alignment with Danone standards, regulatory requirements, and customer expectations. Through strong partnership with operations and leadership teams, you will drive a culture of quality, food safety, and continuous improvement while prioritizing both product integrity and workplace safety.

Key Responsibilities

As a key member of our team, you will play an important role in driving our mission forward. The following responsibilities outline the core expectations and contributions for this position:

Ensure all plant operations are executed in full compliance with regulatory, legal, and Danone Quality & Food Safety standards (e.g., ISO, HACCP, GMP, PRPs, traceability).
• Lead, implement, maintain, and continuously improve the Plant Quality Management System to ensure food safety, product quality, and market compliance.
• Coordinate and lead internal and external audits, including customer and certification audits; define, track, and close corrective and preventive action plans (CAPA).
• Own and coordinate the HACCP system, including team leadership, validation activities, documentation, and ongoing effectiveness.
• Ensure effective cleaning, sanitation, and pest control programs in compliance with food safety standards and risk assessments.
• Drive continuous improvement through nonconformance management, root cause analysis, and prevention of recurrence (PNC, RCA, CAPA).
• Manage consumer, customer, and authority complaints to ensure timely investigation, root cause identification, and sustainable corrective actions.
• Ensure all quality and food safety documentation is current, accurate, and auditready, including support during crisis or serious complaint situations.
• Ensure all plant employees receive required quality and food safety training, including digital training platforms.
• Promote and embed a strong culture of quality and food safety across the plant, leveraging Danone programs and leadership engagement.
• Support plant QFS digitalization, data accuracy, and effective use of statistical and quality control tools.
• Provide regular reporting and analysis of QFS KPIs, trends, and performance drivers to plant leadership.

Physical Demands

• Regularly required to walk and move throughout a manufacturing facility and remain stationary for periods of time.
• Frequently required to stand, sit, and use hands and arms to handle, feel, or reach.
• Occasionally required to climb stairs, ladders, or elevated platforms and to bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• May occasionally be required to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, color vision, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work Environment

• Work is performed primarily in a manufacturing environment.
• Exposure may include noise, temperature variations, moving mechanical parts, food allergens, cleaning chemicals, and required personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Occasional work outside of standard business hours may be required to support plant operations, audits, or investigations.

Engagement in our Integrated Work Systems

Ensure adherence to plant standards and procedures (including but not limited to GMP, AIB, FDA, IWS, Quality, Safety, Finance, ISO, HOPE, Danone Behaviors, Daily Direction Setting, Driving OE). As a fundamental piece of the organization, your responsibility is to participate and own the implementation and deployment of IWS system and its pillars (Leadership foundation, Daily Direction Setting, Driving OE; Autonomous Maintenance; planned Maintenance; Focused Improvement; Education and Training; Environmental, Health and Safety; Quality; Organization; Supply Network; Early Equipment Management) with the objective of owning your space, owning your performance (Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery, Mobilization, Nature) and owning your continuous improvement.

Compensation & Benefits:

Danone North America additionally offers a performance-based bonus and has a strong benefits package including Medical, Dental, Vision, Prescription Drug Coverage, 401k Plan, Wellness Program, Life Insurance, Tuition Reimbursement, Flexible Time Off, and Paid Parental Bonding Leave, among other benefit plan options.

You are a quality and food safety professional who understands that excellence is built through strong systems, disciplined execution, and people's engagement. You bring a handson, riskbased mindset and are comfortable operating in a fastpaced manufacturing environment. You are proactive, detailoriented, and able to balance compliance requirements with operational realities. You lead by example, promote a strong culture of quality, and communicate effectively across functions. You are energized by continuous improvement, consumer protection, and developing others, while consistently putting Danone first in decisionmaking.

The ideal candidate will bring a combination of education, experience, and skills that enable them to excel in this position. The following qualifications outline what we're looking for, including both required and preferred criteria:

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in food science, Food Technology, Microbiology, Biotechnology, Pharmacy, or related scientific discipline required.
• Minimum 3 yrs food safety related experience, 5 or more years preferred.
• Working experience in a processing & manufacturing environment.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Strong knowledge of Quality and Food Safety Management Systems (ISO, FSSC22000, PRP's, HACCP, GMP, GHP, etc.) in a manufacturing or regulated environment.
• Solid understanding of food safety legislation, regulatory requirements, and riskbased quality principles.
• Experience coordinating HACCP systems, audits, and certification processes.
• Proven problemsolving skills using structured methodologies (RCA, PDCA, CAPA).
• Ability to analyze data, manage KPIs, and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong communication, training, and influencing skills across all levels of the organization.
• Digital fluency with quality and data systems (e.g., LIMS, SAP, reporting tools).
• Demonstrated ability to work crossfunctionally and support a culture of quality and accountability.

Danone U.S. is part of Danone North America, a purpose-driven company and an industry leader in the food and beverage category. You'll work with some of the best-known food and beverage brands in the world. Our strong portfolio of brands includes: Activia, DanActive, Danimals, Dannon, evian, Follow Your Heart, Happy Family Organics, International Delight, Light Fit, Nutricia , Oikos, Silk, So Delicious Dairy Free, STK Cold Brew Coffee , Too Good & Co, and YoCrunch.

With approximately 5,000 employees and 13 production locations across the U.S., Danone North America's mission is to bring health through food to as many people as possible.

You'll be part of one of the largest Certified B Corps in the world, working to make sure our company creates real value for people and the planet. Come join our movement for a healthier world: One Planet. One Health BY YOU.

Danone North America is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. It is our policy to give equal employment opportunities to all qualified persons without regard to legally protected characteristics, or any other consideration made unlawful by applicable federal, state/provincial and/or local law. For our EEO policy statement and your EEO rights under law click here.

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