Director, Quality and R&D

About the Job:

We’re looking for a Director of Quality & R&D to join our Operations team! In this role, you will bring your expertise in gluten-free product development while providing strategic oversight of Quinn’s quality and food safety programs. This position is a great fit if your background is rooted in R&D - especially gluten-free formulation, scale-up, and product innovation - and you’re ready to elevate and optimize our quality systems.

In this role you will oversee and enhance our food safety, supplier compliance, and gluten-free certification programs, including managing food safety expectations with co-packers and leading mock recalls. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in defining meaningful KPIs, setting clear measures of success, and ensuring Quinn has the systems and processes needed to deliver safe, compliant, and consistently high-quality products.

What You’ll Do:

• Maintain and strengthen allergen-control programs, ingredient verification systems, and cross-contamination prevention protocols
• Oversee internal and external audits, certification renewals, and regulatory inspections
• Monitor key quality KPIs (defect rates, consumer complaints, gluten testing results, etc.) and drive corrective and prevention protocols
• Partner with Operations and Supply Chain to ensure raw material quality, vendor compliance, and robust traceability
• With support from the R&D Manager, develop new gluten-free formulations that meet taste, texture, nutrition, clean-label, and shelf-life goals
• Guide product optimization, reformulation, and process improvements, including partnering on ingredient sourcing, to enhance product quality and cost efficiency
• Oversee benchtop development, pilot runs, plant trials, and scale-up of new products
• Track emerging gluten-free technologies, ingredients, and consumer trends to fuel a strategic innovation pipeline
• Collaborate with Marketing on consumer insights, competitive benchmarking, and claims development (e.g., gluten-free, non-GMO, keto, vegan)
• Develop a long-term roadmap for quality and innovation aligned with company growth goals
• Build and mentor a high-performing team, fostering a culture of scientific curiosity, accountability, and continuous improvement
• Communicate technical and regulatory concepts clearly to executive leadership and cross-functional partners
• Manage departmental budgets, timelines, and resource allocation

About You:

• Must be comfortable with travel: 20-30%
• Bachelor’s in Food Science, Food Engineering, Microbiology, Chemistry, or related field
• 8 – 12 yrs. of progressive experience in food manufacturing
• Experience working specifically in gluten-free food production or allergen-controlled environments
• Proven experience leading QA/QC, Food Safety, and R&D functions simultaneously
• You have deep expertise in gluten-free product formulation, structure, binding, and sensory optimization
• Hands-on experience with product scale-up, pilot runs, and manufacturing trials
• Strong knowledge of food safety regulations and compliance
• Experience managing allergen control programs and gluten-free certification requirements (GFCO or equivalent)
• Have a deep familiarity with ingredient functionality, shelf-life studies, and sensory evaluation
• You are comfortable working with co-packers and managing supplier compliance to ensure quality and safety standards are met
• Experience leading or participating in mock recalls and proactive risk mitigation initiatives
• Ability to interpret and act on quality and safety data to optimize processes and product performance

The Perks of Working at Quinn:

• Compensation: $150 - $175k, based on experience
• Day One Coverage – Enjoy comprehensive benefits starting your very first day on the team including, full medical, dental, and vision plans
• Invest in your future with both Traditional and Roth 401(k) options via Slavic401k
• Work-Life Balance – Unlimited PTO, 10 paid holidays, plus 2 floating holidays to recharge
• Get $50/month toward your favorite fitness classes or gym membership
• Give Back, Get Matched – We’ll match your charitable contributions to help amplify the causes you care about
• Pets Welcome! – Bring your furry friends along—we’re proud to be a pet-friendly workplace.
• A culture of transparency with regular updates on company performance