Sr. Food Safety Specialist

Essential Job Functions

• Lead and maintain facility food safety and quality programs to ensure compliance with SQF, HACCP, USDA, FDA, state regulations, and customer requirements
• Supervise daily QA and food safety activities, including oversight, training, and development of the quality team
• Monitor production, laboratory, and microbiological results to verify product specifications and authorize product release
• Conduct validations, verifications, internal audits, and record reviews to ensure ongoing compliance and program effectiveness
• Prepare for and lead third-party, regulatory, and customer audits, including corrective action management and documentation
• Partner with operations leadership to investigate nonconformities, resolve customer complaints, and implement preventive and corrective actions
• Maintain supplier documentation and perform ingredient and process risk assessments
• Develop and deliver food safety and quality training programs for QA and operations personnel
• Support new product launches, equipment changes, and process improvements from a quality and regulatory perspective
• Track and analyze KPIs, compliance metrics, and performance trends to drive continuous improvement
• Serve as facility PCQI, HACCP Lead, and SQF Practitioner while promoting a culture of food safety aligned with company values

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Microbiology, or related field preferred (or equivalent experience)
• 6+ years of experience in food safety or quality assurance within USDA or FDA regulated environments with at least 1 year of supervisory or team leadership experience
• Strong knowledge of food safety systems, HACCP principles, SQF standards, and regulatory compliance requirements
• HACCP Certification, PCQI certification, and Advanced SQF Practitioner certification required
• Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and quality documentation systems

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience driving employee engagement and ownership of compliance programs
• Bilingual English/Spanish skills