Senior Quality Manager

About the role

Company 🌱 RYZE was founded in 2019 by Andrée Werner and Rashad Hossain, out of a parents' basement, with a mission to change daily health, starting with the morning routine: a nutrient-dense mushroom coffee delivering clean energy, mental clarity, and immune support. Built on a Direct-to-Consumer foundation with a performance marketing engine, RYZE achieved hockey-stick growth and a community of over 1 million active subscribers. DTC remains the foundation, but RYZE has expanded into mass retail, quickly becoming the #2 item in Target's overall coffee category and is now executing a multi-channel expansion, with a cross-category launch coming in early 2027. RYZE is uniquely positioned to redefine how people think about daily wellness. We’re a lean, fast-moving, mission-driven team who believe daily rituals create the foundation for living your greatest life, and we’re just getting started!

Responsibilities

• Reporting to the VP of Quality, the Senior Quality Manager will own the systems, data, and compliance backbone behind RYZE's manufacturing and co-manufacturer network.
• As RYZE scales across DTC, mass retail, and a cross-category launch in early 2027, this role will rebuild and simplify our core quality processes - from product specs to crisis response - so quality keeps pace with growth.
• Support the VP of Quality in driving robust quality solutions across Ryze Coffee's manufacturing and co-manufacturer network.
• Own the product launch quality system, building a total finished-good specification framework covering blend controls, ingredient order, quality checks, sensory panels, packaging, and testing.
• Cross-check co-manufacturer Quality Manager KPIs and support quarterly senior co-man visits alongside the VP of Quality to drive standards across the network.
• Own the monthly Quality performance report (CPMU, NCRs, and other core metrics), acting as the department's data lead to drive logical, pragmatic decision-making.
• Own the relationship with regulatory authorities, retailers, and raw material senior teams, ensuring compliance with FSMA and applicable FDA and state regulations.
• Critically review RYZE's existing Qualio system and lead a simplification of Quality and Process, including how co-man Quality Managers are supported through the process & regulatory team.
• Own and lead the Crisis/Incident Management plan, acting as key coordinator during quality incidents to ensure timely, structured resolution.
• Own sign-off and oversight of the change control process for formulation changes and label modifications, ensuring changes are risk assessed and communicated cross-functionally.
• Partner with the Raw Material Manager to assess raw material risk, build the audit schedule, and drive best-in-class specs, COAs, and supplier quality questionnaires (SQQs).

Qualifications

• 10+ years in Quality/Food Safety within food or beverage manufacturing, including experience across chilled, ambient, and/or frozen categories.
• Deep working knowledge of FDA 21 CFR Part 117, FSMA, and dietary supplement/food regulatory frameworks, including direct experience handling regulatory enquiries.
• Proven experience managing quality performance across a multi-site co-manufacturer network, including supplier/co-man KPI oversight and on-site audits.
• Hands-on experience with eQMS platforms and a track record of simplifying quality systems and document control without compromising compliance.
• Strong analytical, data-led approach to quality decision-making, comfortable building reporting and trending from complaints, NCR, and audit data.
• Experience leading crisis/incident management and recall programs, with a calm, structured approach under pressure.

Skills

• Low-ego, team-first: The best idea wins, no matter whose it is
• Self-starter: You see what needs doing and get after it, no waiting for direction
• Comfortable in ambiguity: Fast pace and shifting priorities energize you
• Builder at heart: You're energized by a fast-moving environment where you help create the processes and playbooks
• Mission-driven: You genuinely care about wellness and are excited to help build RYZE's next chapter