Director of Food Safety and Quality Assurance

Hiring: Director of Food Safety & Quality Assurance
Location: Greater Greenville, SC

Our client, a leading food manufacturer, is seeking a Director of Food Safety & Quality Assurance to lead all food safety, quality assurance, sanitation, laboratory, and regulatory compliance functions. This role will be responsible for developing and executing food safety and quality strategies that ensure compliance with FDA regulations, HACCP programs, customer requirements, and industry standards while driving a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence. The successful candidate will bring extensive leadership experience within food manufacturing, a strong background in audit management and regulatory compliance, and a proven ability to build and develop high-performing FSQA teams.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead all Food Safety, Quality Assurance, Sanitation, Laboratory, and Regulatory Compliance programs across the manufacturing facility
• Develop, implement, and maintain HACCP plans, food safety programs, quality systems, and laboratory procedures
• Ensure compliance with FDA regulations, GMPs, SQF standards, customer specifications, and applicable food safety requirements
• Direct all third-party, customer, regulatory, and internal audits, including readiness, execution, corrective actions, and documentation
• Build, lead, coach, and develop FSQA, sanitation, and laboratory teams while driving employee engagement and succession planning initiatives
• Partner cross-functionally with Operations, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and Commercial teams to support food safety and product quality objectives
• Oversee microbiological testing programs, sanitation performance, pest management systems, mock recalls, and customer complaint investigations
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on risk reduction, root cause analysis, product quality enhancement, and customer satisfaction

Qualifications:

• Ten (10) or more years of progressive Food Safety and Quality Assurance leadership experience within a food manufacturing environment
• Strong experience developing, implementing, and managing HACCP, food safety, sanitation, and quality management systems
• Demonstrated success leading FDA, SQF, USDA, NSF, customer, and third-party audits
• Extensive knowledge of GMPs, regulatory compliance, environmental monitoring, microbiological testing, and food safety programs
• Experience developing SOPs, prerequisite programs, product specifications, corrective action plans, and training programs
• Strong leadership, communication, team development, and cross-functional collaboration skills
• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Biology, Chemistry, or a related scientific discipline preferred
• PCQI, HACCP, Food Defense, Internal Auditing, and Root Cause Analysis certifications strongly preferred