Director of Food Safety and Quality Assurance

Position Summary:

The Director of Food Safety and Quality Assurance serves as a key member of DG Foods’ Senior Management Team, providing strategic leadership, guidance, and oversight for all company food safety, quality, and regulatory compliance programs.

This position ensures DG Foods’ facilities maintain the highest standards in food safety, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance through robust systems, continuous improvement, and effective leadership of the FSQA teams at all processing locations

Essential Job Functions:

• Provide strategic leadership and direction for all corporate food safety and quality systems across DG Foods’ facilities.
• Oversee the development, implementation, and maintenance of HACCP, SSOPs, Preventive Controls, GMP, and other prerequisite programs.
• Ensure company-wide compliance with SQF, BRC, and other customer or third-party audit standards.
• Serve as the primary corporate liaison with USDA-FSIS and other regulatory agencies.
• Ensures compliance with all SQF and related quality documentation, policies, and procedures to meet internal, regulatory, and customer requirements.
• Responsible for ensuring that suppliers meet food safety and quality requirements and act as the main corporate contact.
• Act as the primary corporate contact for customer quality requirements, audits, and product specifications, ensuring alignment between customer expectations and plant execution.
• Provide technical expertise in food safety, microbiology, sanitation, and quality systems to support operations, product development, and sales teams.
• Lead, mentor, and develop FSQA management and support staff across multiple facilities, fostering a culture of accountability, safety, and continuous improvement.
• Analyze quality performance data, identify trends, and present weekly and monthly reports to Senior Management.
• Oversee export program compliance and related documentation.
• Develop and manage the FSQA department budget, monitoring costs and resource utilization.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Operations, Maintenance, and Sales to ensure consistent production of safe, high-quality poultry products.
• Performs all other duties as instructed. 

Leadership Expectations

• Manages approximately 4–6 direct reports across multiple facilities.
• Demonstrates a strong understanding of company policies, industry regulations, and customer standards.
• Fosters a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous learning.
• Exhibits key leadership competencies including:
  • Strategic Planning and Execution
  • Delegation and Team Development
  • Customer Focus
  • Decision-Making Under Pressure 

Skills and Expertise Requirements:

• Proven success managing HACCP, SQF, Preventive Controls, GMP, and other BRC or customer-driven food safety programs.
• Comprehensive knowledge of USDA-FSIS regulations, labeling, and enforcement procedures.
• At least five (5) years in a senior management role within food manufacturing; poultry slaughter and deboning experience is required. Experience with machine or manual portioning is highly preferred.
• Marination experience is required.
• Further processing experience such as par-fry and fully cooked is preferred.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret statistical process control (SPC) data.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate effectively across departments and with customers.
• Demonstrated leadership in managing multi-disciplinary teams across multiple facilities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Commitment to professionalism, accuracy, and continuous improvement.
• At least twenty-one (21) years of age.
• Must maintain a valid driver’s license. 

Educational Requirements:  

• Bachelor of Science in Food Science, Animal Science, Biological Sciences, or a related discipline required, Master’s degree in a related field preferred.
• HACCP and BRC Certification required.
• SQF Practitioner Certification preferred.

Physical Requirements:

• Regular exposure to both office and plant environments.
• Frequent walking, standing, bending, and lifting up to 25 pounds.
• Exposure to cold, humid, and noisy processing areas (temperatures 40–90°F, noise >85 dB).
• Occasional exposure to cleaning chemicals, including ammonia and Peroxyacetic Acid (PAA).
• Must be able to wear all required personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Must be able to travel periodically, including overnight travel. 

About DG Foods:

DG Foods is the South’s premier poultry custom processor and portioner with locations in Mississippi and Louisiana.  We are committed to being a service-oriented supplier of high-quality poultry products within a workplace that is safe, healthy, and injury-free. We are dedicated to safely meeting our customer’s needs and expectations as well as continually being at the forefront of product quality, processes, and customer service.

DG Foods is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.