Quality Manager

We are looking for an energetic and experienced Quality Manager to join the team at a fast-growing, industry-leading food and beverage manufacturing company. In this role, you will oversee food safety, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance for all products, ensuring they meet the highest standards. As a key member of the team, you will work closely with various departments within the plant and across corporate quality to drive alignment with the company's objectives and core values. This is an exciting opportunity to make a significant impact in a rapidly expanding organization.

Location: Oswego County, NY

Job Responsibilities:

• Leads development and continuous improvement of the plant quality programs and processes.
• Assesses food safety and quality risks & recommends mitigation strategies in collaboration with production, sanitation, and maintenance.
• Maintains, and improves the quality management systems (HACCP)
• Sets realistic goals, provides regular feedback, and completes mid-year and year-end appraisals
• Prepares and distributes Food Safety objectives
• Lead integration of the current quality assurance and food safety processes to form a comprehensive food safety and quality program (SQF). These processes include HACCP, regulatory audits, standard operating procedures (SOP’s), incoming ingredient inspections, product scoring, food safety audits, field complaints, and standardized work instructions.
• Interviews, hire, and trains employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.
• Maintains appropriate records that support a robust food safety program (e.g. HACCP and pre-requisite programs) and other documentation to support compliance with policies and procedures.
• Conducts effective root cause analysis on food safety and quality issues and implements corrective and preventative actions.
• Implements process control limits and applies in-process corrective actions when needed.
• Reviews in-process testing requirements to produce consistent products.
• Oversees the pest control program, sanitation program, environmental control program, and plant sensory program, ensuring duties are performed on schedule.
• Review and maintain all product specifications in collaboration with Production Manager.
• Oversees site vendor performance and meets quality expectations with non-conformance reports and corrective actions as appropriate.
• Participates in the preparation of operation shutdown weeks, engineering projects, sanitation and start-up practices before resuming production.
• Works with corporate cross-functional team members to drive continuous improvement at the site and with vendors and services associated with Quality and Sanitation. Including but not limited to Procurement, R&D, and Corporate Quality.
• Reviews consumer and customer complaints and works cross-functionally to decrease complaints.
• Primary interface with routine & non-routine regulatory agency representatives at the facility.
• Communicates with all necessary parties (employees, plant management, etc.) on regulation changes related to Quality and Food Safety.
• Develop and execute SQF plans to achieve/maintain SQF Level 3 Certification at the facility (s) and to meet all requirements related to quality and food safety programs.
• Prepares and leads SQF audits
• Maintain systems to assure compliance to all SQF 2000 System requirements. This includes Commitment, Document Control and Records, Specifications, Attaining Food Safety, Verification, Product Identification trace and recall, incident management, food safety fundamentals and their prerequisite programs, and building and equipment design and construction.
• Develops and trains a team of internal auditors.
• Collaborates with Corporate Quality in the development of plant KPIs and scorecard
• Works cross-functionally with all departments at the plant.

Required Skills/Qualifications:

• BS in Food Science, Agriculture, or a science related discipline preferred
• 3+ years of food & beverage manufacturing experience is required.
• Bilingual preferred
• Comprehensive experience developing HACCP programs, SQF, GFSI, and GMO systems and food safety strategy. (HACCP Certified).
• Experience in food manufacturing is required, ready to eat is preferred.
• Ability to analyze data and situations, as well as causes/effects, and select only appropriate information to make effective decisions.