FSQA Manager

About Ready Foods

Ready Foods is a family-owned custom food manufacturer based in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1972, we partner with foodservice operators to scale menu concepts with consistency, quality, and reliability. We produce a variety of ready-to-eat and ready-to-use products, including soups, sauces, salsas, beans, and regional specialties. Our commitment to continuous improvement, operational excellence, and being a solutions partner drives us to meet our customers' needs.

Position Summary

This is not a traditional QA role. We are seeking a manager who believes quality should be built into processes—not inspected at the end. The FSQA Manager supports and strengthens our Food Safety & Quality Management System (FSQMS) while partnering with operations and cross-functional teams to ensure processes are designed to prevent issues, reduce variation, and deliver consistent product quality.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the implementation and continuous improvement of the Food Safety & Quality Management System aligned with FSMA, HACCP and GFSI standards

• Partner with Operations to embed food safety and quality into daily production activities and standard work

• Support audit readiness and actively participate in regulatory, customer, and third-party audits

• Use data, root cause analysis, and Lean tools to identify and resolve process issues

• Maintain HACCP plans and prerequisite programs, including validation, verification, and documentation

• Support sanitation, environmental monitoring, allergen control, and GMP programs to ensure compliance and prevent contamination

• Manage supplier approval documentation, material specifications, and incoming material controls

• Support investigation and resolution of quality incidents, customer complaints, and product holds

• Participate in traceability exercises, mock recalls, and recall readiness activities

• Track and communicate FSQA KPIs, trends, and improvement opportunities to leadership

• Maintain document control systems, specifications, and labeling compliance processes

• Supervise and coach FSQA team members and provide day-to-day guidance

• Reinforce a culture where food safety and quality are owned by all team members

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Engineering, or related field required

• 5+ years of experience in food manufacturing, FSQA, or quality systems

• Leads by example with a hands-on, systems-focused approach to food safety and quality

• Partners effectively with operations and cross-functional teams to solve problems at the source

• Translates expectations into clear processes, standard work, and daily execution

• Develops team capability through coaching, feedback, and consistent follow-through

• Strong knowledge of FDA, USDA, FSMA, HACCP and GFSI standards

• Experience supporting or improving quality systems—not just performing inspections

• Strong problem-solving and root cause analysis skills

• Experience in Lean or continuous improvement environments preferred