What are the responsibilities and job description for the Expert, Contract Manufacturing position at Ferrara Candy Company, Inc.?
For more than 115 years, Ferrara has created sugar confections that enable moments of sweetness, celebration, and connection for candy lovers of all generations. Today, the company is the #1 sugar confectioner in the United States. Ferrara boasts a passionate team of nearly 9,000 employees creating and delivering hundreds of products sold under 20 popular brands like Brach’s®, NERDS®, SweeTARTS®, Laffy Taffy®, and Trolli® to more than 66 million U.S. households annually and popular Dori snacking products under brands such as Dori, Gomets, Pettiz, and Yogurte 100 in Brazil. Additionally, Jelly Belly, known world-wide for its confections, was acquired in November of 2023.
Expert, Contract Manufacturing
- Lead the development, implementation, and maintenance of Ferrara’s Quality and Food Safety Management Systems at Ferrara and Customer 3PMs.
- Manage approvals, compliance, and performance of Ferrara and Customer’s 3PMs.
- Ensure systems, procedures, and controls deliver consistent product quality, food safety, and regulatory compliance.
- Drive the development and implementation of the Contract Manufacturing Expectations Manual, finished product specifications, and related training materials and programs.
- Plan and conduct audits of existing and prospective Ferrara and Customer 3PMs; issue timely reports and drive corrective action follow-up and closure.
- Collaborate with Operations, R&D, Food Safety, Legal, and external partners on technical problem-solving, new product launches, and supplier onboarding.
- Support commercialization projects and activities at Ferrara 3PMs including on-site quality verification during first production events to ensure compliance from day one.
- Validate new food safety processes for emerging technologies.
- Coordinate resolution of quality issues including corrective action plans, technical summaries, management reviews, and inventory disposition.
- Provide technical support during 3PM–related product recalls or withdrawals.
- Investigate and resolve customer and consumer product quality concerns.
- Report key quality, food safety, and compliance metrics to Ferrara’s leadership team; lead updates on project progress and improvement initiatives.
- Analyze KPI trends to identify risks, improvement opportunities, and alignment with Ferrara’s quality and business objectives.
- Lead Continuous Improvement initiatives to reduce complaints, improve product quality, and strengthen food safety and regulatory compliance.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
- Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, or a related field (required).
- FSMA Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) certification.
- HACCP certification.
- GFSI-benchmarked scheme auditor certification.
- Minimum 7 years in food manufacturing operations, including 3–5 years in a factory QA role (manager-level experience preferred).
- Implementation experience with GFSI-recognized quality and food safety systems (FSSC22000, BRC, SQF, or equivalent).
- Proven track record of leading audits, managing corrective actions, and driving continuous improvement.
- Experience supporting commercialization activities and managing external manufacturing relationships.
- Proven working knowledge of food safety and quality systems, food regulations, specifications, statistical analysis, and food manufacturing processes.
- Strong leadership, problem-solving, and project management skills; ability to influence and collaborate across functions and organizations.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal supervision, balancing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
- Detail-oriented and results-driven with a continuous improvement mindset.
- Proficiency in SAP and Windows-based applications
Ferrara’s success in industry-leading innovation has been driven by deep consumer insights, strong retailer co-creation and partnerships, and a dedication to diversity of thought, experience, and people. A privately held company, Ferrara has its global headquarters in Chicago and an operational network of more than 27 locations in North America, Brazil, and China that includes manufacturing, distribution, sales, and R&D facilities. Ferrara is a privately held Ferrero related company. Learn more at www.ferrara.com or www.linkedin.com/company/ferrara-.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. In order to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees, employment decisions and opportunities at Ferrara will be based on merit, qualifications, and abilities, without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital or civil union status, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, military or veteran status, disability, handicap, genetic information, pregnancy (childbirth or related medical condition), or on any other basis prohibited by law. This policy governs all aspects of employment, including selection, job assignment, compensation, discipline, termination, and access to benefits and training.
Nearest Major Market: Chicago
Salary : $85,680 - $128,520