Food Safety Manager/ SQF Practitioner

Purpose and Scope of Position

The QA Manager is a key member of the management team and is accountable for the company's overall food safety and quality program, ensuring production of safe and high-quality bakery products for our customers. This individual is responsible for ensuring food safety and sanitation standards are in full compliance with all regulatory bodies, food certification requirements and company standards. The QA Manager role is responsible for the development, documentation, and implementation of the Quality Assurance systems and programs. This individual will be the champion of establishing company-wide food safety and quality culture, proactively eliminating barriers to this end and reinforcing positive behaviors.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Responsible to ensure the highest quality standards and good relations are maintained with customers, regulatory agencies and certifying bodies, such as FDA, USDA and SQF
• Apply knowledge of food quality, controls, packaging, and labeling to ensure full compliance in a fresh and frozen food environment along with raw materials.
• Prepare and monitor QA procedures.
• Prepare regular reports and establish daily accomplishments and efforts toward meeting objectives.
• Provide training and motivation to team members, using recognition, and positive feedback. Give direction based upon the daily production plan and related product specs, GMP's, HACCP, CCP's, and QA-related SOP's/ SSOP's.
• Actively coach, train and develop team members to build confidence and implement process control methods for proper specs and sanitation.
• Work closely with the processing team to document proper date codes, samples, and trials.
• Conduct pre-screening of potential ingredient suppliers.
• Assess supplier performance via QA specifications.
• Ensure environmental monitoring program meets or exceeds the FDA guidance on preventive controls.
• Assist in facility food safety internal audits as well as manage third-party audits. Audit and approve, with the appropriate management personnel, all co-packers, suppliers, and storage facilities.
• Verify food safety and quality within the operation and from supplier factories from raw material stage to finished product.
• Monitor and report raw material and processing deviations to standards.
• Verify texture, visual quality, shelf life, extended shelf life, temperature logs, packing alternatives, etc.
• Deliver and implement procedures to maintain proper protocol. Oversee the development, implementation, review and maintenance of the SQF System, including food safety fundamentals outlined in 2.4.2, and the food safety plan outlined in 2.4.3.
• ii. Take appropriate action to ensure the integrity of the SQF System; and
• Iii. Communicate to relevant personnel all information essential to ensure the effective implementation and maintenance of the SQF System.
• Recall Team Leader (QC/QA, liaises with regulatory authorities)
• Member of the Business Continuity Planning Team
• Responsible for regulatory matters (quality, food safety)
• Food Safety Culture Plan Leadership
• Food Security Team Leader
• Approval of SQF procedures, policies and HACCP/food safety plans
• Validation of HACCP/Food Safety Plans
• Oversees internal audits
• Oversees Customer Complaints
• Leads the Management Reviews and SQF Updates
• Leads the annual review of the HACCP Plan/Food Safety Plan, Food Fraud Vulnerability and Mitigation Plan
• Responsible for CAPA, Traceability, Product and Equipment Hold Programs
• Involved in the New Product Development process
• Oversees training of Service Providers and Contractors
• Managed the Vendor Management Files (foreign and domestic suppliers).

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Extensive knowledge of office management systems and procedures.
• Excellent management and supervisory skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Able to work unsupervised and manage independently with strong initiative
• Have strong communication skills and proficiency in English reading and writing
• Must be flexible with work hours and days when needed
• Experience in monitoring and improving internal controls and processes

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Must be an SQF practitioner
• One year of Food Safety required
• Five years or more of related experience required.

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

Behavioral Characteristics and Expectations:

• Interacts with others in a positive manner
• Under all circumstances maintains professional composure in dealing with customers and fellow employees
• Consistently represent work unit and department in a positive manner
• Assists others when needed
• Arrives at work on time and whenever scheduled (unless there is an illness or other emergency) to ensure that the rest of the staff is not put in a hardship situation
• Regularly keeps supervisor informed of progress, issues, and potential problems
• Delivers work as promised
• Shows consistent flexibility in adjusting to system, procedural, cultural, managerial, and philosophical changes in the work unit.

Salary: 90-100k