Food Safety and Quality Assurance Manager

Our client is an established, family-owned food manufacturer based in the Suffolk, Virginia area. The company has operated for more than 100 years and serves customers across the United States and in more than 20 countries.

About the role

You will lead all food-safety and quality programs at the facility, serving as the designated SQF Practitioner and the company's authorized representative for food-safety and regulatory matters. You will keep the facility compliant with federal, state, customer, and third-party requirements, and build a strong food-safety culture across every department.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the facility's main food-safety and regulatory contact during recalls, inspections, third-party audits, and customer inquiries.
• Keep the facility compliant with FSMA, FDA, USDA, customer specifications, and third-party standards such as SQF and Halal.
• Act as SQF Practitioner, chair the annual SQF management review, and report status to senior leadership.
• Oversee the food-safety and quality management system, including HACCP and food-safety plans, preventive controls, sanitation, allergen control, pest control, calibration, and document control.
• Develop, maintain, and test the FDA-mandated Food Defense Plan, and serve as the Food Defense Qualified Individual and trainer.
• Lead the crisis-management and business-continuity plan and run an annual simulation.
• Validate and verify preventive controls and critical control points, and keep scientific evidence of effectiveness.
• Manage foreign-material prevention, including metal and X-ray detector validation, plus net-weight and fill-control checks.
• Design and review sampling programs for raw materials, in-process products, finished goods, and environmental surfaces.
• Investigate deviations, non-conformances, and customer complaints using root-cause analysis and CAPA.
• Run traceability and recall programs, including mock recalls and full-system verification.
• Lead the FSMA supply-chain program and the food-fraud (VACCP) vulnerability assessment.
• Maintain certifications and records for Kosher, Halal, and other specialty claims.
• Prepare, review, and sign food-safety and regulatory documents such as Letters of Guarantee and allergen, GMO, and Prop 65 statements, working with leadership or legal counsel as needed.
• Support Sales, Marketing, and R&D so labels meet FDA rules and customer needs.
• Supervise, coach, and develop the QA team, and drive food-safety awareness and accountability at every level.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Biology, or a related field.
• 3 to 5 years of food-safety and quality experience in food manufacturing.
• SQF Practitioner certification, or the ability to obtain it.
• Internal Auditor Training for GFSI schemes, or the ability to obtain it.
• Food Defense Qualified Individual or Intentional Adulteration training, or the ability to obtain it.
• Strong knowledge of FDA and USDA regulations, FSMA, and GFSI certification schemes.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and analytical skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• PCQI (Preventive Controls Qualified Individual) certification.
• HACCP certification.
• Bilingual (English and Spanish).
• Experience managing Kosher, Halal, and other third-party certifications.
• Knowledge of allergens, aflatoxin, food defense, and nut-specific hazards.
• Experience with electronic document control and record-retention systems.
• Calibration-program management for critical monitoring devices.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and quality-system software.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

• Work is performed in a manufacturing environment that processes peanuts, with exposure to peanut dust and allergens, moving machinery, moderate noise, and varying temperatures.
• Ability to stand or walk for prolonged periods, up to 10 to 12 hours per shift.
• Frequent bending, stooping, crouching, and reaching.
• Ability to lift and carry objects commonly up to 50 pounds, and occasionally up to 75 pounds, with or without assistance.
• Ability to climb stairs or ladders as needed.
• Use of personal protective equipment such as gloves, safety glasses, hairnets, and hearing protection.
• Ability to visually inspect products and to stay alert and responsive in a fast-paced environment.

Benefits

• 100,000 to 120,000 USD per year
• 401(k)
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life and AD&D insurance
• Supplemental coverage
• Auto allowance
• Paid vacation, PTO, and paid holidays