Poultry Manufacturing Production Supervisor

Position Overview

The Director of Quality Assurance and Food Safety will lead and manage the QA and Food Safety programs of the company's poultry manufacturing facilities. This role ensures that all products meet regulatory requirements, internal quality criteria, and customer expectations. The Director will work continually to improve processes, drive a culture of food safety and consistent best practices, and minimize risk to ensure the highest quality product and compliance with food safety regulations and standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Leadership and Strategy
• Act as the primary liaison with regulatory agencies (USDA, FSIS) and customers to ensure compliance with food safety standards.
• Develop and implement quality assurance and food safety strategies aligned with company goals.
• Provide leadership and direction to the QA and food safety team, ensuring proper training, performance, and accountability.
• Foster a culture of quality and food safety across the organization.
• Food Safety Management
• Oversee the implementation and management of the HACCP plan, always ensuring adherence.
• Manage and ensure the application of Good Manufacturing Practices, Standard Operating Procedures, and other food safety protocols.
• Lead the development and execution of corrective and preventive actions in the response to food safety incidents, audits, or customer complaints.
• Ensure that the facilities are prepared for internal and external food safety audits, including USDA and third- party inspections and audits.
• Quality Control and Assurance:
• Develop and enforce quality standards for all products throughout the production process, ensuring the finished goods, wip, and raw materials meet internal and external specifications.
• Monitor quality metrics such as yield, defect rates, and customer complaints.
• Perform regular audits and assessments to identify areas for improvement and ensure continuous quality improvement.
• Supervise the development and implementation of product specifications and ensure consistency across production lines.
• Regulatory Compliance and Reporting
• Ensure compliance with all relevant local, state, and federal food safety regulations.
• Oversee documentation for traceability and recall readiness, maintaining accurate records of all food safety and quality activities.
• Prepare and submit detailed reports to senior management regarding food safety and quality assurance performance.
• Respond to regulatory findings and customer inquiries promptly, ensuring proper follow-up actions are taken.
• Training and Development
• Oversee the training of staff on food safety, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance.
• Develop and implement ongoing training programs to ensure the team is knowledgeable about the latest food safety standards, regulatory updates, and quality improvement techniques.
• Evaluate training effectiveness and adjust programs as needed.
• Continuous Improvement:
• Lead the continuous improvement efforts to streamline food safety and quality control processes while reducing costs and improving efficiency.
• Work closely with R&D and production teams to support product development and innovation while maintaining food safety and quality.
• Promote a culture of accountability, consistency, and continuous improvement, engaging employees in identifying potential issues and offering solutions.
  
  

Key Performance Indicators

• Compliance Metrics
• Audit Pass Rate: percentage of successful internal and external audits, including USDA, FSIS, and customer audits.
• Regulatory Non-Compliance Incidents: Number of non-compliance findings during audits or inspections.
• Regulatory Reporting Timelines: Percentage of reports submitted on time (traceability, recalls, audits).
• Food Safety Metrics
• Incident Rate: Number of food safety incidents, including recalls, contamination, or product quality failures.
• CAPA Completion Rate: Percentage of corrective and preventive actions that are closed within an agreed timeframe.
• HACCP Compliance Rate: Adherence rate to HACCP protocols and the completion of regular reviews and updates.
• Quality Metrics
• Customer Complaints: Number and severity of customer complaints related to quality and food safety.
• Product Defect Rate: Number of defects of products produced, tracking issues like size, weight, or contamination.
• Product Quality: Percentage of products produced that meet quality standards versus rejected or reworked products
• Training and Development Metrics
• Training Completion Rate: Percentage of employees trained in food safety and quality control standards.
• Employee Competency: Employee performance evaluations based on knowledge of QA processes, food safety protocols, and regulatory compliance.
• Efficiency and Continuous Improvement Metrics
• Process Improvement Initiatives: Number of initiatives or process improvements implemented annually to enhance food safety and quality.
  
  

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in food science, Animal Science, Poultry Science, Microbiology, Biological Sciences, or related field.
• 10 years of experience in food manufacturing quality assurance, with at least 5 years in a leadership or management role.
• In-depth knowledge of USDA, FSIS, HACCP, GMPs, SSOPs, and food safety regulatory requirements specific to poultry processing.
• Certified HACCP Practitioner with demonstrated experience developing and maintaining HACCP plans.
• Proven experience managing QA programs, regulatory compliance, audits, product specifications, and labeling in a poultry or meat-processing environment.
• Strong understanding of microbiological testing, environmental monitoring, and pathogen-control programs.
• Demonstrated experience leading Regulatory, GFSI, SQF, or BRC audits.
• Excellent leadership, communication, team development, and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally with Operations, Production, Maintenance, and R&D.
• Strong skills in data analysis, trend identification, and root-cause investigation.
• Demonstrated ability to interact effectively with customers, third-party auditors, and regulatory agencies.
  
  

Preferred

• Experience specifically in poultry slaughter, deboning, further processing, and ready-to-cook/ready-to-eat operations.
• SQF Practitioner or PCQI certification strongly preferred.
• Experience implementing or managing GFSI-certified quality systems.
• Background in continuous improvement methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma, etc.).
• Experience with automation, inline process monitoring, and digital quality systems.
• Proven success leading corrective/preventive actions (CAPA) programs and strategic improvement initiatives.
• Strong working knowledge of statistical process control (SPC), quality metrics, and performance dashboards.