Senior Associate, Quality Assurance

About Pret A Manger: Building the US Future of a Beloved Global Brand

Pret US is at a defining moment. Backed by substantial investment and strategic commitment, we are not simply operating; we are transforming a beloved brand in the American market. With a newly established US Board and an entirely rebuilt senior leadership team, we are assembling exceptional talent to drive this ambitious vision forward.

This is an opportunity to join a winning team built on an ownership mindset, rapid learning, bias for action, and competitive drive. Our ideal candidates are resilient, flexible, comfortable with ambiguity, and data-driven. We are seeking leaders who thrive in dynamic, high-stakes environments and are energized by the challenge of building something remarkable.

As part of the Pret US team, you will work directly with seasoned leaders who understand turnarounds, scaling operations, and delivering results. If you are driven to exceed ambitious goals, make bold decisions, and build a brand that matters, this is where you belong. Join us in writing the next chapter of Pret in America.

The Opportunity

We are looking for a motivated, meticulous and technically strong Quality Assurance Manager to join Pret's US Quality Assurance & Food Safety team at our New York City Support Center. Reporting to the Senior QA Manager, you will be a key individual contributor responsible for the day-to-day execution of Pret's food safety and quality programs, from maintaining nutritional and allergen data to supporting product approvals, managing supplier documentation, and keeping our food safety framework current and robust. This is a detail-oriented, cross-functional support center role that has a direct and meaningful impact on the safety and integrity of the food our guests enjoy every day.

Key Responsibilities

Food Safety Framework Support

• Support the execution and ongoing maintenance of Pret's US food safety framework, including reviewing HACCP documentation, food safety SOPs, and risk assessments to reflect menu, ingredient, or regulatory changes
• Maintain accurate and organized supplier, ingredient and product records
• Assist in monitoring US regulatory updates (FDA, FSMA) relevant to food safety and labelling; flag changes to the QA Manager and help implement required updates

Food Standards & Product Approval

• Support the QA product approval process for new menu items and reformulations, reviewing recipes, ingredient specifications, and preparation methods to ensure alignment with Pret's food safety and quality standards
• Coordinate approval workflows across Culinary, Marketing, and Supply Chain teams, tracking progress and ensuring sign-offs are completed before product launch deadlines
• Maintain and update Pret's US product specification library, ensuring records are accurate, complete, and reflect the current approved menu
• Review and process change requests for existing menu items, including ingredient substitutions and supplier switches, conducting QA assessment and flagging any risks to the Senior QA Manager

Nutritional & Allergen Information

• Manage the end-to-end process for calculating, verifying, and updating nutritional information for new and existing menu items, working with third-party analysts or nutritional software as required
• Maintain Pret's US allergen matrix, ensuring it is accurate, current, and reflects all approved recipes and ingredient specifications
• Ensure all customer-facing nutritional and allergen information, including in-shop labelling, digital menus, and the Pret website, is accurate and compliant with US labelling regulations
• Proactively communicate nutritional and allergen updates to Operations, Marketing, and shop teams whenever menu or ingredient changes occur, ensuring no lapse in customer-facing accuracy
• Respond to internal and external nutritional and allergen queries with accurate, timely, and clearly communicated information

Supplier Quality & Certifications

• Manage the day-to-day administration of Pret's US supplier quality program, including maintaining supplier certification records, tracking renewal timelines, and following up on outstanding documentation
• Review incoming supplier food safety documentation including GFSI certificates (SQF, BRC, FSSC 22000), Certificates of Analysis, allergen statements, and specification sheets — verifying they meet Pret's requirements before approval
• Support the onboarding of new suppliers by collecting and assessing required QA documentation and flagging any gaps or concerns to the Senior QA Manager
• Assist in coordinating and preparing for supplier audits, including scheduling, pre-audit documentation reviews, and post-audit corrective action tracking
• Log and track supplier non-conformances, ensuring corrective actions are followed up and resolved within agreed timeframes

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with the Culinary, Supply Chain, Marketing, and Operations teams on an ongoing basis to support product development, ingredient approvals, and menu launches from a QA perspective
• Provide QA support for seasonal menu updates, limited-time offers, and promotional product launches, ensuring all items are approved and nutritional and allergen information is ready ahead of go-live dates
• Contribute to the preparation of QA reports, dashboards, and presentations for internal stakeholders
• Travel occasionally to supplier facilities or Pret locations in support of audits, quality reviews, or new shop opening preparations

Qualifications

Required Experience

• 2-4 years of experience in food safety, food quality, or nutrition compliance within a food service, restaurant, food manufacturing, or FMCG environment
• Strong working knowledge of HACCP principles, FSMA, and US food labelling regulations
• Hands-on experience managing allergen information and nutritional data for a food service or food product portfolio
• Familiarity with GFSI certification schemes (SQF, BRC, FSSC 22000) and supplier quality documentation requirements
• Exceptional attention to detail and strong organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines simultaneously
• Clear and confident communicator, able to present technical information accurately to culinary, marketing, and operations colleagues
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Word; comfortable working with nutritional databases or specification management systems
• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Nutrition, Food Technology, Public Health, or a related field

Preferred

• Experience in a fresh-food, fast-casual, or QSR brand with a complex, frequently changing menu
• Familiarity with nutritional analysis software (e.g., Genesis R&D, Nutritionist Pro, or similar)
• Experience working with third-party laboratories for nutritional testing or allergen verification
• Prior food manufacturing experience

Total Rewards

• Competitive salary and annual performance bonus
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits
• 401(k) with company match
• Generous paid time off and company holidays
• Free Pret food and coffee
• Professional development and career growth within a global brand
• The pay range for this role is $70,000 - $85,0000. Compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, depth of experience, certifications, and the specific work location of New York, New York, United States. In addition, you will be eligible for a discretionary bonus if you are an active employee as of fiscal year-end.