Vice President, Quality & Food Safety

Our client, a leading, high-growth, multi-division food production and processing organization with approximately 2,300 employees, is seeking a seasoned and strategic Vice President of Quality & Food Safety to lead enterprise-wide quality assurance, food safety, and regulatory compliance initiatives.

This executive will play a pivotal role in safeguarding product integrity, ensuring regulatory compliance, and driving continuous improvement across a diverse portfolio of fresh, processed, and value-added food products within a complex, multi-site environment. This is a highly visible leadership position focused on building scalable capabilities and supporting the company’s continued growth.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and execute a comprehensive quality and food safety strategy aligned with overall business objectives
• Establish and strengthen programs, policies, and training to ensure compliance with regulatory standards (e.g., FDA, USDA, GFSI)
• Champion a culture of quality, safety, and continuous improvement across the organization

Quality & Food Safety Oversight

• Lead all aspects of quality assurance, including supplier quality, internal audits, product testing, and corrective actions
• Oversee food safety programs such as HACCP, allergen management, and risk assessments
• Ensure consistent product quality across fresh, processed, and packaged product lines

Regulatory Compliance

• Monitor and interpret evolving global food safety and regulatory requirements
• Serve as the primary liaison with regulatory agencies and industry organizations
• Lead responses to audits, regulatory inquiries, and compliance-related matters

Risk Management & Continuous Improvement

• Identify and mitigate risk through data-driven methodologies
• Implement CAPA processes and continuous improvement initiatives (Lean, Six Sigma, KPI tracking)
• Drive operational efficiency while maintaining the highest safety and quality standards

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Operations, R&D, Supply Chain, Legal, and Commercial teams to embed quality into all aspects of the business
• Support innovation efforts, including new product development and packaging enhancements

Team Leadership

• Build, lead, and develop high-performing quality and food safety teams
• Establish performance metrics and foster ongoing talent development

Crisis Management

• Lead incident response efforts, including recalls, investigations, and corrective actions
• Provide executive-level reporting on quality performance and compliance

Sustainability & Innovation

• Support sustainability initiatives and integrate environmentally responsible practices into quality systems
• Promote safe, high-quality, and consumer-focused product standards

Qualifications

• 15 years of experience in quality assurance and food safety within the food or beverage industry
• 7 years in senior leadership roles (Director, VP, or equivalent)
• Strong knowledge of global food safety standards (e.g., GFSI, SQF, BRC) and regulatory frameworks
• Experience with perishable or fresh food products strongly preferred
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams in complex, multi-site environments

Skills & Expertise

• Deep expertise in risk assessment, compliance, and quality systems
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
• Experience with quality management and regulatory systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle)

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, Engineering, or related field required
• Advanced degree (MS or PhD) preferred
• Certifications such as HACCP, PCQI, CQE, or Six Sigma strongly preferred

Additional Information

• Ability to travel domestically and internationally (up to ~30%)
• Multilingual capabilities are a plus