Manager Quality Systems and Policy

Our vision is both simple and ambitious: to put our drinks on every table. We are the leading global independent beverage solutions provider, serving a broad range of national and international retailers as well as Global, National, and Emerging (GNE) brands. Our products are distributed worldwide from production sites in Europe, North America, and Australia. Although our own branding may not appear on the labels, there is a good chance you are sipping one of our drinks right now. We are solutions-based, innovative, and continually seek new challenges—an ethos shared by our passionate team.

About the role

The Manager, Quality Systems and Policy provides corporate leadership and subject-matter expertise in the development, maintenance, and governance of the Quality Management System for all Refresco North America facilities. This role owns the development, review, and revision of corporate quality policies, procedures, and validation protocols for equipment, packaging, and ingredients. As the corporate subject-matter expert, you will guide quality-system requirements, identify emerging quality and regulatory needs, and drive consistent application of standards across all sites. You will also support implementation and training of new and revised policies, ensuring readiness for new plant startups, line expansions, and acquisitions.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the overall corporate owner for Quality Management Systems, including document control and quality-data collection applications.
• Maintain direct communication with local site Quality experts to ensure compliance with corporate guidelines and provide guidance on interpretation and application.
• Create, develop, review, and revise corporate quality policies and procedures to address new product types, regulatory and customer requirements, and evolving business needs.
• Act as the corporate Subject Matter Expert for quality testing programs, policies, validation requirements, and Quality Management System practices.
• Evaluate regulatory, customer, product, packaging, ingredient, equipment, and process changes to determine the need for new or revised policies, procedures, validation protocols, or system requirements.
• Partner with Quality, Operations, Regulatory, R&D, and other internal stakeholders to ensure policies and validation protocols meet applicable requirements.
• Develop, review, and maintain corporate validation protocols for equipment installations, packaging changes, ingredient changes, new products, processes, and other changes requiring quality validation.
• Monitor quality trends, site practices, audit findings, regulatory developments, and other relevant information to identify opportunities for new or revised policies, procedures, validation requirements, processes, or training.
• Champion governance, alignment, standardization, and communication of corporate quality policies and best practices across all North America facilities.
• Provide expert guidance and second-level support to key users and site Quality teams regarding policy interpretation, system requirements, testing programs, and complex problem resolution.
• Own the quality-systems project portfolio and drive alignment across the business, mapping requirements to delivered solutions.
• Work with internal customers and cross-functional partners on application support, design, development, testing, and implementation for document control and quality-data collection systems.
• Create and oversee systems and requirements to ensure proper SKU setup and quality testing requirements are implemented before local plant access.
• Assist in the design and delivery of new and/or improved systems functionality to support corporate quality requirements and business needs.
• Identify opportunities and implement solutions for quality process improvements to ensure standardization, simplification, integration, and continuous improvement.
• Drive efforts to refine quality-related business processes and promote effective and innovative use of integrated systems.
• Develop and maintain key-user networks across regions, functional groups, business units, and sites to support communication, implementation, feedback, and continuous improvement.
• Lead projects through design, testing, implementation, and continuous improvement of document control and quality-data collection applications.
• Lead implementation of document control and quality-data collection applications across Refresco locations as needed.
• Support the development and delivery of training for new and revised corporate quality policies, procedures, validation protocols, and system requirements.
• Partner with site Quality teams and key users to support consistent understanding and implementation of new and revised corporate quality requirements.
• Support communication and implementation of corporate quality policies and best practices across applicable facilities.

Requirements

• BS Degree in Food Science or related science discipline.
• 7–10 years of progressive Quality experience within a manufacturing environment, preferably food or beverage manufacturing, with demonstrated experience in Quality Management Systems, corporate quality policy development, and quality program implementation.
• Alternatively, 5+ years of relevant internal experience demonstrating equivalent knowledge, technical expertise, and organizational understanding.
• Experience in policy development and material acceptance testing protocols.
• Experience interpreting regulatory, customer, and industry requirements and translating them into policies, procedures, or Quality Management System requirements.

Skills

• Demonstrated expertise in the development, review, interpretation, implementation, and maintenance of corporate quality policies, procedures, and Quality Management System requirements.
• Strong knowledge of Quality Management Systems within a manufacturing environment, preferably food or beverage manufacturing.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to evaluate trends, identify systemic gaps, and determine appropriate policy, process, system, or training solutions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex quality requirements clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Proficient in Excel, Word, PowerPoint, SAP, and relevant quality management systems and applications.
• Results-oriented, organized, detail-oriented, adaptable to change, and able to work effectively in a complex, cross-functional environment.
• Leadership competency: Foster a culture of empowerment by building relationships based on trust, lead courageously, and inspire growth with a clear and ambitious vision.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Leads and directs the work of other employees and has responsibility for personnel actions including hiring, performance management, and termination.
• Provides training, direction, and instruction, and conducts performance evaluations.
• Provides guidance and training on work standards and expected outcomes.
• Accountable for planning and evaluating performance, staff training and development, recruitment, and may contribute to pay recommendations.

Travel

Up to 50% travel, with the role based on-site at any plant outside of travel.

Pay

Pay range: $119,200–$149,000, plus eligibility for performance-based bonuses based on company objectives.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts.
• Life and AD&D insurance, critical illness, hospital indemnity, and accident insurance.
• Short-term and long-term disability.
• Pet insurance.
• Legal benefits.
• 401(k) Savings Plan with company match.
• 12 paid holidays.
• 10 vacation days and 5 paid (sick) time off days.
• Well-being benefit discount and total reward programs.