Sr Quality Manager

About the role

Founded in 2009, client is an award-winning, state-of-the-art manufacturer specializing in premium Mexican, Caribbean, and Central American style authentic cheeses and creams. Operating a heavily expanded, world-class production plant in Illinois, we are recognized for our industry-leading SQF Level 3 Certification, commitment to sustainability, and strict adherence to natural ingredients. We are looking for a dedicated Quality Assurance Manager to oversee our testing laboratory, lead compliance programs, and champion our food safety culture.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and optimize the benchmark SQF Level 3 program.
• Coordinate and lead all third-party, customer, and regulatory (FDA/Illinois Department of Agriculture) food safety audits.
• Direct the daily operations of the Quality Assurance Lab, ensuring accurate chemical, physical, and microbiological testing of raw milk, in-process curd, and finished Hispanic cheese varieties (e.g., Oaxaca, Fresco, Cotija).
• Act as the site HARPC/HACCP coordinator and ensure strict enforcement of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs), and allergen control databases.
• Recruit, train, mentor, and schedule QA supervisors, coordinators, and lab technicians; foster an environment of continuous improvement and internal career growth.
• Oversee vendor compliance requirements and manage the hold-and-release program for finished goods to ensure 100% accurate, high-quality inventory leaves the distribution centers.
• Spearhead investigations into customer complaints or product deviations; author and execute robust Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA).
• Partner closely with Plant Operations, Sanitation, and the Head Cheesemaker to optimize pasteurization, batch management, and Clean-in-Place (CIP) efficiencies.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum of 3–5 years of quality leadership or supervisory experience specifically within a food manufacturing environment (dairy or cheese processing facility experience is highly preferred).
• PCQI (Preventive Controls Qualified Individual) and HACCP certifications are required.
• Certified SQF Practitioner preferred.
• Deep understanding of dairy science, milk chemistry, pasteurization requirements (PMO), fluid retention, and continuous-run plant instrumentation.
• Bilingual (English / Spanish) is highly preferred to effectively train and lead our diverse, close-knit production teams.

Pay

$110,000 – $130,000 per year