FSQA Manager

The FSQA Manager leads and manages all food-safety and quality-assurance programs at the facility, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and customer requirements. Responsibilities include oversight of the Food Safety & Quality Management System, third-party certifications (e.g., SQF, Kosher, Halal), regulatory documentation, internal audits, and team supervision. The FSQA Manager serves as the designated SQF Practitioner and the company’s authorized representative for food-safety and regulatory matters and oversees the development and maintenance of a strong food-safety culture across all departments.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Serve as the facility’s primary food-safety and regulatory representative, including during recalls, inspections, third-party audits, and customer inquiries.
• Ensure full compliance with FSMA, FDA, USDA, customer specifications, and relevant third-party standards (e.g., SQF, Halal).
• Act as SQF Practitioner; chair the annual SQF Management Review and issue monthly status reports to senior leadership.
• Oversee the integrated Food-Safety & Quality Management System (HACCP/Food-Safety Plan, PCQI, SQF Food Quality Plan, sanitation, allergen, pest control, calibration, and document-control programs).
• Develop, maintain, and annually test the FDA-mandated Food-Defense Plan; function as the Food-Defense Qualified Individual and trainer.
• Lead the Crisis-Management/Business-Continuity Plan and conduct an annual simulation test.
• Reanalyze the Food-Safety Plan per regulatory requirements—or sooner if products, processes, or regulations change—and document all revisions.
• Lead validation and ongoing verification of all preventive controls, retaining scientific evidence of effectiveness.
• Validate sanitation effectiveness through ATP/protein swabs, microbial testing, visual inspection, and chemical-concentration records.
• Oversee potable-water, compressed-air, and chemical-control verification, plus glass, brittle-plastic, and wood-control inspections.
• Manage foreign-material prevention systems, including metal/X-ray detector validation and performance checks.
• Oversee net-weight and fill-control verification to ensure legal and customer compliance.
• Ensure all Critical Control Points (CCPs) in the HACCP/Food-Safety Plan are validated, routinely monitored, and verified; review CCP records and escalate deviations for immediate corrective action.
• Design, implement, and review statistically valid sampling programs for raw materials, in-process products, finished goods, and environmental surfaces.
• Oversee routine in-process and finished-product quality testing programs to verify specification adherence and product consistency throughout manufacturing.
• Oversee the QA team’s coordination of routine and investigate sample shipments to ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratories; maintain chain-of-custody records and ensure results are promptly reviewed by a PCQI.
• Trend and analyze data from environmental monitoring, product testing, and process controls; present quarterly reports with corrective-action plans to senior leadership and the Food-Safety Team. Oversee and routinely test traceability and recall programs to meet FSMA and SQF requirements (mock recalls, full-system verification).
• Control product hold/release and non-conforming-product disposition, ensuring documented approvals and traceability.
• Investigate deviations, non-conformances, and customer complaints using root-cause analysis and CAPA methodology; verify corrective-action effectiveness.
• Maintain constant audit readiness for regulators, customers, and third-party certifiers.
• Develop and oversee FSMA Supply-Chain Program: risk-based supplier approval, verification, and record retention.
• Lead the Food-Fraud (VACCP) vulnerability assessment and mitigation program; review annually.
• Maintain certifications and supporting records for Kosher, Halal, and other specialty claims.
• Manage customer audits, documentation audits, documentation requests, and complaint investigations.
• Act as the company’s authorized regulatory representative; prepare, review, issue, and sign all food-safety and regulatory documents for customers, auditors, and agencies (e.g., Letters of Guarantee, FSMA, GMO, Prop 65, allergen, irradiation, RTE declarations), coordinating with leadership or legal counsel as needed.
• Conduct periodic reviews of all compliance statements and regulatory letters to confirm they accurately reflect the most current regulations and the company’s documented manufacturing practices and controls.
• Support Sales, Marketing, and R&D to ensure label content meets FDA regulations and customer requirements (nutrition facts, ingredient lists, allergen declarations, claims).
• Supervise, coach, and develop QA staff; align goals with company objectives.
• Conduct interviews and making hiring decisions for QA department employees; oversee food-safety training.
• Drive the food-safety culture program, fostering awareness, engagement, and accountability at every level.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Biology, or a related field.
• 3-5 years of experience in food safety and quality within food manufacturing.
• Certified PCQI, HACCP, and SQF Practitioner (or ability to obtain).
• Strong knowledge of FDA/USDA regulations, FSMA, and GFSI certification schemes.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and analytical skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and quality system software (preferred).

Certifications

• SQF Practitioner
• PCQI (Preventive Controls Qualified Individual)
• HACCP Certification
• Internal Auditor Training (GFSI schemes)
• Food Defense Qualified Individual / Intentional Adulteration training

Preferred Skills

• Expert knowledge of FSMA, FDA, USDA, and GFSI/SQF standards.
• Proficient in traceability, complaint investigation, and CAPA processes.
• Skilled in electronic document control and record-retention systems.
• Experienced in calibration program management for critical monitoring devices.
• Understanding of allergens, aflatoxin, food-defense, and nut-specific hazards.
• Experienced in maintaining and improving integrated food-safety and quality-management systems, including SQF, HACCP, traceability, and environmental monitoring.
• Experience managing Kosher, Halal, and other third-party certifications.
• Experience responding to regulatory inspections and third-party audits.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish).

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand and/or walk for prolonged periods (up to 10-12 hours per shift).
• Frequent bending, stooping, crouching, and reaching.
• Use of hands and fingers to handle, feel, and operate tools, machinery, or packaging.
• Ability to push, pull, lift, and carry objects (commonly up to 50 lbs; occasionally up to 75 lbs) with or without assistance.
• Ability to climb stairs or ladders as needed.
• Repetitive hand or arm movements.
• Work performed in a manufacturing/production environment with exposure to:

o Varying temperatures (hot, cold, humid, or non-climate-controlled areas).

o Food-grade dust and allergens (peanuts and peanut dust).

o Moving mechanical parts and moderate noise levels.

• May require use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, safety glasses, hairnets, smocks, hearing protection, and beard nets when applicable.
• Ability to visually inspect products for quality (color, size, packaging integrity).
• Ability to distinguish product defects through sight and touch.
• Sufficient hearing to detect alarms, signals, or verbal instructions over plant noise.
• Ability to remain alert and focused in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to quickly respond to safety hazards or production needs.

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Application Question(s):

• Have you ever led an SQF Audit before?

Education:

• Bachelor's (Required)

Experience:

• Food safety: 3 years (Preferred)
• Food production: 1 year (Preferred)
• Microsoft Office: 1 year (Preferred)

Language:

• Spanish (Preferred)

License/Certification:

• Preventive Controls Qualified Individual Certification (Preferred)
• Safe Quality Food Certification (Preferred)
• HACCP Certification (Preferred)

Ability to Commute:

• Suffolk, VA 23434 (Preferred)

Work Location: In person