Food Quality Assurance Manager

Salary: $90,000 - $110,000

Benefits: 401K, Medical Insurance, Bonus Scheme

Job Type: Direct Hire

Location: Hawthorne NJ

Job Start date: ASAP

We’re supporting our client, a leading food manufacturer based in Hawthorne, New Jersey who are looking for a Quality Assurance Manager to join their growing team. The successful Quality Assurance Managerwill have experience in food manufacturing quality assurance, with at least two years in a managerial role.

Job Summary:

As a Quality Assurance Manager, you’ll be responsible for ensuring the highest standards of product food safety and quality within the sausage manufacturing operations. This role will oversee food safety, quality assurance and hygiene processes, develop and implement quality assurance and hygiene programs, and ensure compliance with regulatory standards, customer requirements, and company policies. The QA Manager will lead a team to foster a culture of food safety and quality excellence and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities:

• Develop, implement, and maintain quality assurance and hygiene programs and policies to ensure product quality and safety.
• Lead and manage the QA and Hygiene teams, providing training, mentoring, and performance evaluations.
• Act as the primary point of contact for quality-related and hygiene-related issues and communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with food safety standards such as USDA, Customer-related, HACCP, GMPs, and SQF.
• Provide direct support for audits and inspections from regulatory agencies, customers, and third-party certifiers.
• Stay updated on regulatory changes and ensure the company adapts as needed.
• Monitor production processes to ensure they meet established quality & hygiene standards.
• Investigate and address quality deviations, implementing corrective and preventive actions.
• Lead root cause analysis for product food safety, quality, hygiene, or safety issues and develop long-term solutions.
• Maintain accurate records of quality control and hygiene checks, inspections, and testing.
• Prepare regular reports on quality and hygiene metrics and improvement initiatives.
• Work closely with Operations, R&D, Supply Chain teams to ensure alignment of food safety and quality goals.
• Support new product development by establishing quality and safety standards.
• Conduct employee training in quality and hygiene practices and food safety protocols.
• Evaluate and monitor the quality of raw materials and ingredients from suppliers.
• Collaborate with procurement teams to resolve supplier quality issues.

About You:

• Bachelor’s degree in food science, Microbiology, Chemistry, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years in food manufacturing quality assurance, with at least 2 years in a managerial role. Experience in meat or sausage manufacturing is preferred.
• HACCP, SQF Practitioner, or equivalent are highly desirable.
• Proficient in quality management systems, statistical process control, and root cause analysis tools.
• Strong Technical proficiency in Microsoft Office suite.
• Capable and knowledgeable in Redzone (or other compliance software) and ERP systems.
• Must demonstrate a strong aptitude for learning and optimizing digital tools, with an eagerness to innovate and improve processes through collaborative, partner-oriented approaches.
• Strong ability to lead, motivate, and develop a team.
• Bilingual (English and Spanish), excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across departments.
• Exceptional focus on accuracy and thoroughness in quality assurance practices.