Senior Manager, Quality Operations Engineer

About the role

The Senior Manager, Operations Quality Engineering is a leadership position responsible for the strategic direction, daily operations, and long-term success of the company’s Quality and Food Safety department. This role oversees the Quality Engineer II (QE II), Quality Assurance Supervisors, and Quality Technicians to ensure total compliance with Safe Quality Food (SQF) standards, National Organic Program (NOP) requirements, and Fulfilled By Misfits (FBM) initiatives. The Manager serves as the primary SQF Practitioner and HACCP Coordinator, maintaining the integrity of the facilities Food Safety and Quality Plans.

Responsibilities

• Leadership & Strategic Management

  • Team Development

    Manage, coach, and mentor Quality Engineers (QE II) and Quality Supervisors, focusing on high-level problem-solving and process improvement rather than tactical tasks.

  • Succession Planning

    Guide supervisors and engineers through the manager promotion track, ensuring they achieve required SQF Certifications.

  • OKR & KPI Management

    Define and track departmental Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), such as achieving a 95% target score on SQF audits and maintaining 100% compliance for organic audits.

  • Cross-Functional Collaboration

    Partner with Operations, Merchandising, and Operational Excellence teams to champion a collaborative food safety culture.

  • Defect Reduction

    Investigate internal errors (picking mistakes, damaged goods) and external customer complaints. Perform root cause analysis to prevent these issues at the source.

• Food Safety & Compliance (SQF/HACCP)

  • SQF Practitioner

    Lead the development, implementation, and maintenance of the SQF system (Editions 9/10).

  • HACCP Leadership

    Lead the multidisciplinary HACCP team, coordinate monthly meetings, and perform mandatory validation checklists for all Food Safety Plans.

  • Audit Readiness

    Serve as the primary point of contact for third-party, regulatory (FDA/USDA), and customer audits.

  • CAPA & RCA Oversight

    Trigger and manage Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA) and Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for audit non-conformances, customer complaints, or product recalls.

• Operational Quality Control

  • Final Disposition Authority

    Serve as one of the few authorized personnel permitted to provide systematic release for held products and equipment.

  • Traceability Excellence

    Oversee mock recall and mock trace exercises (one step forward, one step back) to ensure a target recovery rate of 100% (+/- 2%).

  • Sanitation & GDP Monitoring

    Monitor the effectiveness of daily hygiene and monthly Good Distribution Practices (GDP) audits, ensuring facility-specific SOPs (e.g., color-coded waste disposal) are followed.

• Technical & Systems Management

  • System Revamp

    Partner with cross-functional teams to improve Jalapeño WMS functionality, including photo documentation for QC functions and enhanced transaction history tracking in line with FDA Traceability requirements.

  • Data Analysis

    Utilize advanced tools like Tableau, SQL, and Statistical Process Control (SPC) to analyze quality trends and roll up Voice of the Customer (VOC) reports.

  • Enhanced Platforms

    Identify and deploy new electronic Food Safety and Quality Management System.

Qualifications

• Education

  Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Industrial, Mechanical, Manufacturing), Food Science, Supply Chain, or a related technical field.

• Experience

  Greater than 5 years of experience in a Quality Assurance, Continuous Improvement, or Process Engineering role within a manufacturing, food production, or high-volume fulfillment environment.

• Technical Skills

  • Strong proficiency in Data Analysis and Statistical Process Control.
  • Experience with Project Management methodologies.
  • Knowledge of Lean Six Sigma principles (Green Belt is a plus).

• Food Safety

  Familiarity with FDA, USDA-AMS & FSIS, GFSI, FSMA regulations, HACCP Certified, and SQF Practitioner Certified.

• Soft Skills

  • Exceptional communication skills—ability to translate technical quality concepts into clear instructions for warehouse associates.

• Regulatory Knowledge

  Deep familiarity with USDA (AMS/FSIS) and FDA regulatory requirements.

• Physical Requirements

  Ability to spend 50% of time on the warehouse floor in cold environments (36°F and below).

Details of Position & Benefits

Salary range: $110,000 - $130,000 / year
Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance
401(k)
Annual Misfits grocery box credit of $1200 paid in weekly installments
Life insurance
Paid vacation time
Paid holidays
Paid sick days
Commuter benefits