Quality Assurance Manager

Position Summary

The Quality Assurance Manager is responsible for leading, managing, and continuously improving the site's Quality and Food Safety Management System (QMS) at the Chico, California manufacturing facility. This position ensures compliance with corporate quality standards, customer requirements, and all applicable federal, state, and local regulations governing food manufacturing.

Primary Responsibilities

• Serve as the site's primary authority for finished product release.
• Administer the plant hold and release program, including evaluation, risk assessment, documentation, and final disposition of nonconforming materials and finished goods.
• Conduct technical risk assessments and disposition recommendations in collaboration with the Senior Director of Quality.
• Own the day-to-day administration and continuous improvement of the site's QMS.
• Maintain all quality documentation, procedures, records, verification activities, and validation records in an audit-ready state.
• Ensure compliance with BRCGS, FDA, Juice HACCP, Organic, Kosher, customer, and corporate requirements.
• Food Safety Leadership
• Serve as the plant Quality & Food Safety leader.
• Lead regular cross-functional Food Safety, Food Defense, HACCP, and Change Management meetings.
• Provide technical leadership to Operations, Warehouse, Maintenance, and Production.
• Operational Quality Oversight
• Conduct routine plant assessments to verify GMP compliance, process controls, and product quality.
• Audit and verify sanitation effectiveness executed by the Operations team, including pre-operational inspections and sanitation verification.
• Review production documentation and quality trends.
• Lead CAPA & Investigations
• Lead investigations involving complaints, deviations, environmental findings, and nonconforming products.
• Implement and verify effective corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs).
• Audits & Regulatory Compliance
• Maintain the facility in a continuous state of audit readiness.
• Cookbook preparation and documentation.
• Coordinate audit preparation, documentation, and internal audits.
• Serve as a key participant during FDA, customer, BRCGS, Organic, and Kosher audits while supporting the Senior Director of Quality as the primary external representative.
• Demonstrate the ability to perform robust product traceability exercises, mock recalls, and Quality Management System audits.
• Leadership
• Supervise, coach, and develop Quality personnel.
• Promote accountability and a strong food safety culture.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Education & Experience
• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, Biology, or related scientific discipline.
• Five or more years of progressive Quality Assurance experience in food or beverage manufacturing.
• Three or more years of supervisory or management experience.
• Experience in a GFSI-certified manufacturing facility preferred.
• Required Certifications
• Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI)
• Juice HACCP
• Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
• Thorough knowledge of FDA regulations, 21 CFR Parts 117 and 120, cGMPs, and GFSI standards.
• Strong working knowledge of BRCGS, Organic, Kosher, sanitation, environmental monitoring, and food defense programs.
• Demonstrated ability to make sound, risk-based product disposition decisions while balancing regulatory compliance, food safety, product quality, customer requirements, and business needs.
• Ability to maintain professionalism, composure, and sound technical judgment while working under pressure, managing competing priorities, and responding to high-consequence quality or food safety events.
• Ability to make timely decisions based on objective evidence, even in challenging or high-pressure situations.
• Strong conflict resolution and communication skills with the ability to effectively challenge decisions that could compromise food safety, product quality, or regulatory compliance.
• Demonstrates the highest standards of ethics, integrity, and professionalism in all business activities.
• Exercises independent judgment and consistently makes decisions based on food safety, regulatory compliance, product quality, and factual evidence.
• Demonstrates the courage to raise concerns, escalate issues when appropriate, and uphold company standards even when faced with conflicting business priorities.
• Builds trust through accountability, transparency, consistency, and respectful collaboration.
• Working Conditions
• Regular presence in manufacturing, warehouse, laboratory, and sanitation environments.
• Able to stand and walk for extended periods.
• Occasional lifting up to 30 pounds.
• Must be able to wear required PPE.
• Occasional travel (