Manager, Quality Assurance

About the Role

The Quality Assurance Manager ensures compliance with all applicable local, state, and federal food safety regulations. This role leads the development, implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the Food Safety and Quality Management Systems (FSMS/QMS), including certification oversight, and provides leadership to Quality staff to ensure product safety, legality, and quality at all times.

In the absence of the Quality Assurance Manager, responsibilities fall upon the Director of QA Operations, who may delegate to qualified personnel to maintain the integrity of the Food Safety Management Systems.

Responsibilities

• Follow and enforce all internal Quality and Food Safety requirements.
• Ensure facility compliance with Federal, State, and GMP standards.
• Act as primary SQF Practitioner, PCQI, and manage the facility’s SQF system.
• Develop, implement, maintain, verify, and validate the Food Safety Management System and prerequisite programs to ensure compliance with SQF, HACCP, FSMA, GMPs, and internal enterprise standards.
• Lead and support scheduled and unannounced regulatory inspections and third-party audits (FDA, SQF, customer, etc.).
• Ensure corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs) are implemented, documented, and verified.
• Maintain continuous audit readiness and certification status.
• Hire, train, supervise, and evaluate quality staff.
• Ensure required training and competency requirements are met and documented.
• Promote and lead a strong food safety culture within the facility.
• Oversee incoming inspections, in-process monitoring, product testing, and finished product release.
• Manage product holds, investigations, and disposition of non-conforming materials.
• Participate in traceability, recall readiness, and mock recall exercises.
• Analyze audit results, complaints, testing data, and KPIs to identify trends and risks.
• Communicate food safety and quality risks to leadership and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Maintain effective working relationships with Operations, Maintenance, Sanitation, Regulatory, and Supply Chain teams.
• Participate in leadership and production meetings and provide routine communication on food safety and quality status.
• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned by management.