Food Safety And Quality Assurance Manager

Facility Food Safety and Quality Assurance (FSQA) leader who oversees and manages US Foods Stock Yards protein manufacturing FSQA and Sanitation teams in a complex production environment and ensures compliance with all corporate and regulatory requirements across all processes and products, including raw and/or ready to eat (RTE) products and/or ground products, processes and audits across multiple shift operations, multiple HACCP categories, multiple species, (e.g., beef, pork, poultry, seafood) and/or multiple federal inspection jurisdictions. Drive continuous improvement of existing and new products and processes through FSQA programs. Maintain, update and implement national and regional customer FSQA programs. Develop plant-specific FSQA, sanitation, and operations programs in conjunction with corporate and plant leadership. Coordinate, implement and maintain Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), and other audit standards. The FSQA Manager will develop and maintain a strong Food Safety culture across the facility.

Responsibilities:

• Manage, update, reassess, verify and/or periodically validate FSQA and Sanitation programs as needed, including but not limited to Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), Sanitation Standard Operation Procedures (SSOP), Sanitation Performance Standard (SPS), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), approved supplier program, Quality Management System (QMS), foreign material controls, allergen controls, crisis management, product commercialization, sanitary design, change management, environmental monitoring, pest control, customer complaints, Food Defense and product traceability/recall.
• Provide technical expertise and training to facility FSQA, Sanitation, Manufacturing, Maintenance, Product Procurement, Product Development and Sales management to ensure FSQA policy adherence and regulatory compliance.
• Contribute to the professional growth of FSQA and Sanitation associates through goal setting, experiential learning, continuous improvement and stretch projects that align with corporate, plant and customer objectives.
• Update existing FSQA programs and develop/implement new facility programs, procedures and processes to improve upon corporate FSQA metrics, GFSI audits and customer satisfaction.
• Foster a Food Safety and product Quality culture of proactivity, collaboration, supportable decision making and value-added Associate behaviors in which all are engaging to take care of the customer.
• Collaborate across Manufacturing, Sales, Maintenance, Product Development and Procurement on FSQA matters to understand root cause, implement corrective/preventative measures and solution effectiveness criterion.
• Responsible for internal and third party GFSI and other plant audits that assess plant FSQA systems with the intent of mitigating external and internal risks, developing and implementing effective and sustained corrective actions, ensuring regulatory compliance and meeting customer expectations.
• Responsible for and critically assesses existing and new data streams that objectively provide corporate feedback of FSQA systems effectiveness.
• Serve as the facility FSQA liaison for plant and corporate leadership meetings and for local, state and federal government agencies and other authorities.
• Manage third-party FSQA vendor relationships to ensure corporate and regulatory compliance.
• Other responsibilities as assigned by the Regional Manager or as the need arises.

Supervision:

• 1-2 FSQA Technicians with oversight of 3rd party sanitation services

Relationships:

Internal: Corporate and plant management in FSQA, Manufacturing, Legal, Operations, Procurement, IT, Human Resources, Sales, Maintenance, Sanitation, Product Development and Broadline.
External: Third-party vendors and suppliers, including plant sanitation, sanitation chemical, laboratory, research, raw materials, equipment, governmental agency officials, including USDA-FSIS and/or FDA; Customers regarding product specifications or product complaints, expectations and/or programs; trade association representatives and other industry experts.

Work Environment:

• Routinely works in refrigerated or frozen meat production and storage environments.
• Works with or near meat production equipment and/or other mechanical parts.
• Moderate/loud noise level and occasional exposure to fumes, e.g., sanitation, antimicrobial solutions and mechanical hazards in production plants.
• Occasionally works in wet and/or humid conditions.
• Occasionally lifts or moves up to 100 pounds.
• May travel to support other plant locations, suppliers, warehouses, third parties, etc. that the role supports in addition to corporate and professional meetings.
• Often interacts with corporate and plant management, vendors, suppliers, regulatory agency officials, trade association representatives and other industry experts in person or remotely.

Qualifications:

• Minimum of 5 years of meat, poultry, seafood or food FSQA managerial experience at a federally inspected USDA-FSIS and/or FDA food production facility.
• Experience with meat, poultry and/or seafood HACCP and/or FSPCA Preventative Controls for Human Food.
• GFSI scheme experience, BRC or FSSC preferred, and/or SQF Practitioner or equivalent. Experience with other audit schemes, e.g., ISO organic, Halal, sanitation preferred.
• A servant leader who actively contributes to the success of others, earns strong relationships through critical thinking and supportable decision making and leads the facility's FSQA vision.
• Demonstrates a thorough technical knowledge of Food Safety, food processing, USDA regulations, Quality standards/product specifications/AQL's, food ingredients, nutritional labeling, allergen management, crisis management, food defense, product commercialization support, environmental monitoring, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), HACCP, and GFSI certification schemes.
• Knowledge of Food Microbiology, basic Statistics, Sanitation and sanitary equipment design.
• Basic computer skills, proficient in Microsoft Office and Teams, experience with ERP and/or product traceability software, e.g., CSB.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, able to explain business and regulatory requirements with clarity.
• Adept at problem solving, assessing risks and thinking outside of the box to identify the best solution.
• Strong interpersonal skills, skilled at building relationships, must be a team player with an ability to inspire trust and confidence with stakeholders at all levels.
• Positive attitude, self-motivated, collaborative, strong organizational skills, able to manage multiple projects, detail-oriented, works well under pressure, manages high stress situations and expedited timelines.
• Ability to be on call after hours.

Certifications/Training:

• HACCP and/or FSPCA Preventative Controls for Human Food

Licenses:

• Valid driver's license

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Animal Science, Food Science or related field from a four-year college or university preferred. Graduate degree recipients welcomed.

This role will also receive an annual incentive plan bonus.

Benefits for this role may include health insurance, pre-tax spending accounts, retirement benefits, paid time off, short-term and long-term disability, employee stock purchase plan, and life insurance.

Compensation depends on relevant experience and/or education, specific skills, function, geographic location, and other factors as applicable by law (for example: state or local minimum wage thresholds). The expected base rate for this role is between $75,000 - $125,000.

***EOE Race/Color/Religion/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin/ Age/Genetic Information /Protected Veteran/Disability Status***