Director of Quality

Director of Quality (Food Safety, QC & Sanitation)

Chicagoland | $120,000 – $155,000 Bonus

This is not a typical Quality role.

This is a plant-embedded leadership position where you’ll take full ownership of food safety, quality systems, customer quality, and sanitation — and build the structure needed to support a fast-scaling food manufacturing business.

If you’re someone who prefers being on the floor, fixing root causes, and building systems that actually work — this is where you’ll have real impact.

The Opportunity

We’re partnering with a growing, vertically integrated food manufacturing platform that supports emerging brands from farm to shelf.

The business is scaling quickly — and with that comes the need to move from:

reactive quality → to → structured, proactive, audit-ready systems

This role sits at the center of that transformation.

What You’ll Be Responsible For

You’ll lead across four core areas:

Food Safety

• Own and evolve the site’s Food Safety Plan (FSMA, HACCP, SQF, Preventive Controls)
• Ensure audit readiness at all times (regulatory, customer, third-party)
• Lead environmental monitoring, traceability, and recall readiness

Quality Systems

• Build and strengthen QC systems across raw materials, WIP, and finished goods
• Implement robust inspection, testing, and hold/release processes
• Drive improvements in:
• First-pass quality
• Process capability
• Waste reduction

Customer Quality

• Own customer complaints, investigations, and CAPA
• Lead customer audits, scorecards, and quality reviews
• Build proactive relationships with key customers to improve performance and trust

Sanitation

• Lead the Master Sanitation Program end-to-end
• Strengthen SSOPs, allergen controls, and cleaning validation
• Drive sanitation effectiveness through ATP/micro programs and trend analysis

What Success Looks Like (6–12 Months)

• Audit-ready, structured food safety systems
• Reduction in customer complaints and quality deviations
• Improved first-pass yield and reduced waste
• A sanitation program that is measurable, consistent, and effective
• A stronger quality culture embedded across the plant

What We’re Looking For

• 7 years in food manufacturing quality / food safety leadership
• Strong grounding in:
• FSMA
• HACCP
• SQF / GMPs
• Experience leading audits (customer regulatory)
• Proven ability to:
• Build or upgrade quality systems
• Drive root cause and corrective action (CAPA)
• Influence operations and cross-functional teams

This Role Suits Someone Who:

• Prefers hands-on, plant-level leadership over corporate oversight
• Has built systems — not just maintained them
• Is comfortable operating in a growing, evolving environment
• Wants ownership, visibility, and impact

Why This Role?

• Genuine ownership across food safety, quality, and sanitation
• High visibility with leadership and customers
• Opportunity to build and shape the function, not inherit a finished system
• A business with strong growth trajectory and ambition

If this aligns, or you’d like to explore it further, get in touch.