Director, Plant Quality and Food Safety

About the role

The QFS (Quality & Food Safety) Director will strategically oversee the plant quality department, driving organizational excellence and ensuring product superiority in the competitive food manufacturing landscape. The QFS Director will deliver the value promises to the customer and consumer by ensuring conformity in product, processes and behaviors. Act as guardian of compliance to legal and regulatory standards (master governance) by driving the delivery of the “best product every day, every time" and acting as a product superiority ambassador at the plant level.

Key Responsibilities

• Food Safety, Compliance & Product Integrity

  • Ensure food safety, quality, and regulatory compliance for all products delivered to market, aligned with plant SQCDMN objectives and Danone Food Safety policies.
  • Own product conformity through validation, approval, and release of raw materials, packaging, processes, and finished goods, including non-conforming product management.
  • Ensure full compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, including PMO, LACF, and applicable certification and regulatory requirements.

• Quality Systems, Controls & Audits

  • Lead and sustain robust Quality & Food Safety systems, including sampling, monitoring, metrology, sanitation, environmental programs, preventive maintenance (cPM), and laboratory operations.
  • Manage all plant certifications and audit programs (e.g., GFSI/FSSC, Kosher, Organic), driving strong preparation, execution, and corrective action plans.

• Continuous Improvement & Performance Management

  • Drive a strong quality culture through KPI ownership, performance tracking, PDCA problem-solving, and continuous improvement of key quality metrics (complaints, first pass cases, specification conformance, losses).
  • Promote Built-In Quality, risk assessment, and process capability across all manufacturing steps and plant initiatives, including new products, processes, and equipment.

• Change Management, Innovation & Projects

  • Own quality elements of plant change management, ensuring proper validation, risk assessment, and execution of trials, renovations, and productivity initiatives in compliance with global standards.

• Stakeholder Leadership & Communication

  • Serve as the primary Quality & Food Safety representative for the plant, ensuring strong engagement, visibility, escalation, and communication with internal leaders, corporate partners, suppliers, and regulatory authorities.

• Talent, Training & Leadership

  • Develop, coach, and lead the Quality & Food Safety team, including capability building, training of first-line leaders, and cross-functional collaboration.
  • Lead the plant Quality Pillar within TPM / Lean systems, modeling Danone Leadership Behaviors and driving ownership across operations.

• Financial & Resource Stewardship

  • Build and manage the plant Q&FS budget (FTE, OPEX, CAPEX) in close partnership with the Plant Director and Corporate Quality.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential function of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to handle or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs and ladders, balance; stoop, kneel or crouch; talk and hear.
• Occasionally required to lift and / or move up to 50 pounds.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works near moving mechanical parts and is regularly exposed to wet and/or humid conditions.
• The employee may be exposed to fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals and may be exposed to loud noises in the plant.
• The employee occasionally works in high, precarious places and is occasionally exposed to extreme cold, risk of electrical shock and vibration.

Engagement in our Integrated Work Systems

Ensure adherence to plant standards and procedures (including but not limited to GMP, AIB, FDA, IWS, Quality, Safety, Finance, ISO, HOPE, Danone Behaviors, Daily Direction Setting, Driving OE). As a fundamental piece of the organization, your responsibility is to participate and own the implementation and deployment of IWS system and its pillars (Leadership foundation, Daily Direction Setting, Driving OE; Autonomous Maintenance; planned Maintenance; Focused Improvement; Education and Training; Environmental, Health and Safety; Quality; Organization; Supply Network; Early Equipment Management) with the objective of owning your space, owning your performance (Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery, Mobilization, Nature) and owning your continuous improvement.

Compensation & Benefits

The salary range for this position is: $150K-$200K per year. The exact salary offered will depend on several factors, including the candidate’s relevant experience, internal equity, and market conditions. Danone USA additionally offers a performance-based bonus and has a strong benefits package including Medical, Dental, Vision, Prescription Drug Coverage, 401k Plan, Wellness Program, Life Insurance, Tuition Reimbursement, Flexible Time Off, and Paid Parental Bonding Leave, among other benefit plan options.

About You

The ideal candidate will bring a combination of education, experience, and skills that enable them to excel in this position. The following qualifications outline what we’re looking for, including both required and preferred criteria:

• Education & Experience

  • Bachelor’s degree in food science or microbiology or related field, required.
  • 10+ years of quality experience within a food or beverage manufacturing environment, required.
  • Prior experience within dairy or beverage manufacturing environment is highly desired.

• Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

  • Hightly developed communication, leadership, interpersonal, project management skills, coupled with organizational sensitivity and the ability to influence key decision makers at all levels.
  • Act as a change agent who is able to build positive relationships on a foundation of trust and mutual respect.
  • Technical expertise in finding root cause of quality issues and implementing best solution possible.
  • Formal root cause analysis training preferred and must be demonstrated.
  • Able to sift through data to find key factors that contribute to a successful product and the ability to communicate this information to non-technical plant leaders and employees.
  • Able to anticipate and prepare 3–5-year strategic vision for Quality excellence.
  • Knowledge of local, state, and federal quality regulations is desired.
  • Ability to support a 24/7 manufacturing environment as business needs dictate. Work schedules could include early morning, late night or weekend work as needed.