Quality Assurance Manager / SQF Practitioner

Salary: $75,000–$90,000
Industry: Food Manufacturing
Department: Quality Assurance / Food Safety
Reports To: VP of Quality & R&D

Position Overview

Our client is looking for an experienced Quality Assurance Manager / SQF Practitioner to oversee food safety, quality, and regulatory compliance in a fast-paced food manufacturing setting.

We need someone to be the designated SQF Practitioner and Food Safety Team Leader, in charge of keeping up the Quality and Food Safety Management System, HACCP programs, SQF certification, audits, corrective actions, documentation, and continuous improvement.

The perfect candidate will have hands-on experience with food manufacturing, SQF, HACCP, GMPs, audits, and quality systems, and will be comfortable collaborating with various teams, such as Production, Operations, R&D, Purchasing, Maintenance, Sanitation, and Warehouse.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the site’s chosen SQF Practitioner and maintain the SQF Food Safety Management System.

• Lead the Food Safety Team and HACCP program at the site.

• Create, manage, verify, and enhance HACCP and Food Safety Plans.

• Ensure compliance with SQF, HACCP, GMP, regulatory, customer, and internal quality rules.

• Take the lead in preparing for SQF certification and recertification audits.

• Organize regulatory inspections, customer audits, third-party audits, and internal audits.

• Maintain audit readiness at the site and ensure that all necessary documentation and records are accurate and up-to-date.

• Handle corrective and preventive actions, including root cause analysis and verification of effectiveness.

• Supervise GMP, sanitation, allergen control, pest control, supplier approval, traceability, recall, environmental monitoring, chemical control, and foreign-material programs.

• Manage mock recalls and maintain efficient traceability systems.

• Investigate food safety incidents, customer complaints, product failures, labeling issues, allergen concerns, and quality non-conformances.

• Take charge of supplier approval and supplier quality monitoring programs.

• Review laboratory, environmental, microbiological, chemical, and other necessary testing results.

• Maintain controlled procedures, specifications, forms, records, and quality documentation.

• Coordinate employee training related to GMP, HACCP, SQF, food safety, sanitation, and quality procedures.

• Support new product development, process changes, validation activities, and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Foster a strong food safety and quality culture throughout the facility.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Microbiology, Quality Assurance, Food Safety, or a related field preferred.

• 5 years of experience in food manufacturing, quality assurance, food safety, HACCP, SQF, or a related technical role preferred.

• Previous experience as an SQF Practitioner or equivalent food safety system leader strongly preferred.

• Formal HACCP training required.

• Experience developing and maintaining HACCP plans.

• Strong working knowledge of the SQF Food Safety Code for Manufacturing.

• Experience preparing for and participating in SQF, regulatory, customer, and third-party audits.

• Strong knowledge of GMPs, sanitation, allergen controls, traceability, recall procedures, and preventive controls.

• Strong root cause analysis and corrective action experience.

• Excellent documentation, organizational, leadership, and communication skills.

• Ability to work cross-functionally and hold teams accountable to food safety and quality standards.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: $75,000–$90,000

• Health insurance

• Dental insurance

• Vision insurance

• Paid time off

Why This Opportunity?

This is a chance to take control of the food safety and quality systems for a growing food manufacturer. The Quality Assurance Manager will play a pivotal role in SQF certification, audit readiness, operational quality, food safety culture, and continuous improvement throughout the facility.