Director, Food Safety & Quality

Key Responsibilities

• Assess and identify key food safety and quality improvement areas.
• Partner with senior leadership to set and align priorities with business goals.
• Convert priorities into clear, actionable plans with defined sequencing.
• Report progress and adjust priorities as needed.
• Lead and develop FSQ leaders to build bench strength, accountability, and consistent execution across operations.
• Serve as the senior technical expert on food safety, quality, and regulatory matters, providing hands-on guidance and problem-solving.
• Strengthen team capability to effectively execute FSQ systems through standardized processes, training, and clear decision frameworks.
• Drive performance and engagement through coaching, development planning, and a collaborative, accountable team environment.
• Foster a culture where food safety and quality are shared responsibilities across all functions.
• Partner cross-functionally to embed FSQ considerations into decisions on budgeting, product development, customer commitments, and suppliers.
• Build trusted relationships and influence stakeholders without relying solely on authority.
• Represent FSQ in cross-functional and leadership forums, ensuring early and consistent integration into decision-making.

Requirements

• 10-15 years of progressive food safety and quality experience, including leadership of direct reports who themselves lead teams.
• Experience contributing to or helping mature a food safety and quality program, not just maintaining an existing one.
• Strong technical grounding in HACCP/HARPC, preventive controls, sanitation, and GFSI scheme requirements (SQF, BRC, or equivalent) and certifications (organic, kosher, etc.).
• Rice, milling, or grain processing experience strongly preferred.
• ASQ Certified Quality Manager (CQM), Lean Six Sigma Black Belt preferred.
• Proven ability to influence cross-functionally and build food safety ownership in groups that don't report to you.
• Comfort operating at both a strategic level (priority-setting, planning, communicating with leadership) and a hands-on level (floor coaching, technical troubleshooting, incident response).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to adapt message and tone for peers, technical teams, and senior leadership.