SQA Manager (External Manufacturing & Warehouse / Logistics), North America

About Us

We’re the original oatmilk company, founded in Sweden over 25 years ago and now growing rapidly in the U.S. Our mission is to drive sustainability, health, and transparency—helping people live healthier lives while reducing the planet’s resource strain by cutting cow’s milk consumption. If this resonates with you, you might be a great fit for Oatly.

Responsibilities

• Supplier Quality Management – external manufacturing partners, warehouse and logistics
  • Approve and manage external manufacturing, warehouse, and logistics partners from a quality and food safety perspective
  • Ensure supplier compliance with Oatly standards, GFSI schemes, and regulatory requirements
  • Approve new production lines (commissioning/validation) at new and existing external manufacturers
  • Conduct supplier risk assessments, including HACCP and food safety plan reviews
  • Own supplier audits, deviation management, and CAPA follow-up
  • Drive supplier performance through KPIs and supplier development plans, in line with the defined global strategy
  • Support product traceability and planned traceability tests for all Co-Manufacturers (including hybrid partners)
• Release & Positive Release Management
  • Provide backup support to the Release Manager to secure the release of externally produced products
• Incident Management & Issue Resolution
  • Lead food safety and quality investigations related to external manufacturing, warehouse, and logistics partners
  • Coordinate root cause analysis and corrective actions with suppliers handled by Oatly
  • Support deviations, complaints, and regulatory investigations
  • Provide risk-based recommendations during supply disruptions
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Work closely with Q&RA team, Procurement, Operations, Logistics, Innovation, and Site QA teams
  • Support product development and specification changes with process and product risk input
• Authority & Decision Rights
  • Authority to block or release products produced by external Co-manufacturers
  • Lead approval decisions and recommend supplier disqualification based on quality or food safety risks, in consultation with the Global Director SQA
  • Escalate and stop material use and product release when food safety risk is identified

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, or related field
• HACCP certification and FSMA PCQI certification required
• 5+ years of experience in food safety and quality roles within the food industry
• Experience with supplier quality management and auditing
• Strong knowledge of food safety systems, regulations, and GFSI standards (BRCGS, SQF, FSSC 22000)
• Experience working with ERP systems (e.g., D365) and product lifecycle management tools
• Strong analytical, structured, and risk-based problem-solving skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills

Qualities We Value

• Alignment with our mission of encouraging health, sustainability, and transparency
• Self-starter mentality with strong individual accountability and ownership
• Readiness to contribute to a growing brand and build something lasting
• Comfort with ambiguity and an entrepreneurial spirit
• Enjoyment of collaboration and sharing your unique talents with coworkers

Benefits

We offer flexible vacation (take it when you need it), comprehensive benefits (including pet insurance), paid volunteer days off, free oatmilk, and a supportive team environment. Our workplace balances agility with a long-standing company history.

Pay

Salary is based on factors like geographic location, internal equity, experience, education, and training. Our good faith estimate for the base salary is $115,000. Compensation may also include bonus, commission, or equity as applicable.