Manager, Food Safety and Quality Assurance

Full-time position with a pay range of $95,000.00/Yr. - $111,000.00/Yr. Shift: Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM.

Overview

At KeHE, we’re obsessed with creating solutions, unboxing potential, and serving others—and it all starts with you. As an employee-owned distributor of natural and organic, specialty, and fresh products, we’re committed to making a positive impact and scaling our success together. With a culture that fosters development and opportunity, you’ll be embarking on a career that’s moving forward. When you join KeHE, you’re becoming part of a team that is a force for good.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the subject matter expert on applicable food safety regulations and regulatory compliance.
• Act as the Safe Quality Food (SQF) practitioner for the site.
• Develop, maintain, and execute Food Safety Quality Assurance (FSQA) systems, knowledge, and practices to ensure compliance with food safety regulations, company policies, and external audits, including customer, certification, Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), and regulatory.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to integrate quality standards across all operations.
• Collaborate during the product development (R&D) stage to set, maintain, and adapt food safety and quality standards/processes across all new and existing SKUs.
• Oversee food safety risk assessments and implement necessary controls.
• Monitor, improve, and communicate quality control performance using key performance indicators (KPIs) to site leadership and corporate quality functions.
• Conduct quality control and food safety checks during shift start-up, changeovers, and shut-down.
• Conduct regular audits and inspections to ensure compliance and identify continuous improvement opportunities.
• Analyze quality data to identify trends and areas for continuous improvement.
• Maintain relationships with vendors to ensure adherence to quality requirements.
• Lead third-party and customer audits and manage corrected actions.
• Serve as a resource for operational issues, process improvements, and new product launches.
• Conduct performance evaluations, provide feedback, and support team goal setting.
• Lead continuous improvement of food safety and quality systems across all departments.
• Develop and implement training for all food safety and quality programs.
• Implement and monitor sanitation programs to meet stringent SQF and GFSI standards.
• Other duties and projects as assigned.

Requirements

• Minimum seven years’ experience working in the food industry in a food safety and quality assurance role.
• Associate’s degree in food science, quality systems, or a related field required; Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Experience implementing SQF/GFSI programs preferred.
• Experience “chairing” Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspections and SQF audits highly desired.
• SQF Practitioner certification required.
• Minimum 1-3 years of experience managing teams.
• Preventative Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) certification required.
• Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) certification highly desired.
• Food Defense Coordinator experience highly desired.
• Experience with internal audit procedures highly desired.

Skills

• Excellent communication skills for all levels of team members, including front-line associates, peers, customers, vendors, and executives.
• Collaborative, continuous improvement mindset.
• Proficient in Microsoft 365 or similar programs.
• Thorough knowledge of food safety, Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs).
• Thorough knowledge of sanitation procedures.
• Self-starter with the ability to work without close supervision.
• Adaptable to changing business needs.
• Ability to influence others to achieve shared results.
• Ability to read and understand technical documents.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift, lower, and carry 12 to 50 pounds throughout the day.
• Ability to push and pull throughout the day.
• Ability to stand, walk, climb, and sit throughout the day.
• Subject to a warehouse and production environment, with varying temperatures from very cool to very warm.

Benefits

• Benefits available on day 1.
• Health/Rx coverage.
• Dental coverage.
• Vision coverage.
• Flexible and health spending accounts (FSA/HSA).
• Supplemental life insurance.
• 401(k).
• Paid time off.
• Paid sick time.
• Short-term & long-term disability coverage (STD/LTD).
• Employee stock ownership (ESOP).
• Holiday pay for company designated holidays.