Product Quality Assurance Manager

Background

BS in Food Science, Engineering, Chemistry, Biology or other related technical field with 4-6 years of experience in the food manufacturing industry OR Graduate degree (MS or PhD) in Food Science, Engineering, Chemistry, Biology or other related technical field with 2-4 years of experience in the food manufacturing industry. Must have had at least 2 years of FSQA and cross-functional leadership positions. Must have documented experience in working for at least 2 years in an agile work environment.

Skills and Experience

• Working knowledge of GFSI certification standards such as SQF, BRC, ISO 22000, etc.
• Working knowledge of an agile product development process vs linear like Stage Gate or Waterfall
• Successful track record of leading cross-functional technical teams towards the accomplishment of work goals
• QA experience in support of product development and commercialization processes is desirable
• Experience in a USDA-regulated monitored work environment and sous vide food manufacturing industry a plus
• Continuous Improvement and Project Management certification and/or experience preferred but not mandatory
• Ability to effectively work cross-functionally in a fast-paced work environment

Product Development QA

• Assist R&D/Innovation in developing their process flows, documentation and other compliance standards for product development and commercialization
• Assure that new or improved Cuisine products follow all FSQA and R&D/Innovation standards during the development process
• QA representative on R&D/Innovation team meetings and development discussions
• Lead and accountable for the timely results of the biweekly Corporate QA and R&D/Innovation cross-functional meetings
• Manage the interface between QA and R&D/Innovation during product development and product improvement activities
• Ensure that department functional teams deliver all FSQA requirements to each R&D and Innovations project in a timely manner
• Ensure that FSQA has the correct R&D/Innovation information needed to support the business effectively on product development and improvement projects
• Routinely communicate to R&D/Innovation the status of FSQA development deliverables
• Routinely communicate to FSQA team members the project status

Clearance and Post-Launch Conformity Control Processes

• Develop standards, assure Continuous Improvements via PDCA, and maintain compliance around the Product Clearance and Post-Launch Conformity Control Processes (PLCC) or equivalent like QCF299s for new products
• Manage the interface between FSQA and other Cuisine departments in the fulfillment of all Clearance requirements leading up to and during the Commercialization runs, including First Batch Requests, to assure a timely and compliant market release
• Support R&D/Innovation and other FSQA functional teams to define and verify product specifications through the Clearance and PLCC processes, respectively, using valid statistical approaches

QA Project Management

• Team member on Commercial/Sales and other strategic business projects that require FSQA input (e.g., actions, advice, regulations, etc.). This membership must be defined in consultation with the FSQA Corporate Management as other functional teams like Process, Compliance, or Commercial QA can also perform Project Manager responsibilities
• Assure that all departments comply with FSQA standards in the execution of the project
• Ensure that department functional teams deliver all FSQA requirements to each strategic business project in a timely manner
• Routinely communicate to Project team the status of FSQA project deliverables
• Routinely communicate to FSQA team members the project status