FSQA Lead - Little Rock, AR

The Quality Assurance Lead is responsible for overseeing the quality testing process for products and packaging materials to ensure product meets the required quality and food safety standards. This role organizes all aspects of the quality control process, develops testing plans and defines testing strategies in conjunction with the QA Assistant Manager to ensure the product being released is up to industry and customer standards. This individual will lead, coach and mentor QC team members to identify and suggest process improvements. The position reports to the Quality Assurance Manager.

Principal Job Functions include:

• Enforce formal QC process ensuring that the team is using industry-accepted best practices.
• Oversee all aspects of quality control metrics, applying best practices, and working with current tools and workflow processes to ensure quality goals are met.
• Lead, coach and mentor QC team members, this often involves resolving conflicts between individual team members or even between different teams and motivate them during both the stressful and the slow times on the job.
• Ensure QC staff are trained properly and have established developmental plans for all direct reports and conduct annual performance assessments.
• Identify and communicate ways to improve processes and waste reduction to increase efficiency.
• Communicate with other team members to solve problems and follow up with the appropriate channels when mistakes are found. Also asks for feedback from management and implement the suggested changes.
• Implement testing standards and strategies, applying testing plans to ensure the team meets the deadlines and evaluates the team throughout to identify areas where improvements can be made.
• Ensure Good Manufacturing Practices are followed and assist with the development of other quality-related policies to meet product safety and quality standard and regulations.
• Conduct Quality Assurance testing as needed, record results and complete required paperwork in a timely manner to support production trials related to material and product start up and changes.
• Ensure quality records and other manufacturing-related documents are reviewed to verify compliance and record keeping for manufacturing processes, quality checks, testing, sampling, and sanitation activities.
• Ensure compliance with standard operating procedures relative to quality control and food safety programs.
• Oversee the "On Hold" product program, including the status, release, and destruction of "Rejected" products.
• Serve as Internal Audit Coordinator and assist the QA Assistant Manager in ensuring the manufacturing is in adherence to establish Quality Management Systems, Global Food Safety programs and internal and customer audits.
• Ensure quality control of raw materials, packaging components, labels, and finished products meet with established specifications and regulatory standards.
• Start the investigation and correction of quality-related issues, including customer complaints and product hold dispositions (supersacks, cups and finished good cases).
• Maintain the equipment calibration program is followed and run at the established frequency to ensure conformance to requirements.
• Ensure samples are collected for third party evaluation and analytical and sensory data is reviewed before submission.
• Ensure the smooth functioning of QA lab and perform other duties as assigned.