Director of Food Safety

Our client is a leading producer of premium cured meats in the United States, committed to delivering authentic Italian flavors and culinary excellence to consumers nationwide. With a rich heritage spanning generations, our client combines traditional craftsmanship with innovative techniques to create a diverse range of high-quality charcuterie products. Renowned for their dedication to quality, taste, and authenticity, our client continues to set the standard for excellence in the industry, captivating the palates of discerning customers across the country. Join our client's team and be a part of a dynamic company that values passion, craftsmanship, and a commitment to culinary excellence.

The Director of Food Safety, Quality, and Vendor Assurance provides strategic direction and leadership for Food Safety and Quality Systems. The person in this role will develop and implement food safety and quality assurance strategies, programs, policies, and procedures to ensure the highest levels of food safety at all our facilities. The Director manages the quality assurance, food safety, and vendor assurance functions and staff, makes decisions on workforce planning, and ensures products are manufactured on a timely basis within quality assurance company standards and regulations. This person will be expected to work with cross-functional leadership to align efforts and measure performance in product quality, food safety, vendor assurance, sanitation, maintenance and operations. This role also influences new product development, including feasibility for equipment, packaging, regulations, and labeling.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Business Process Excellence

• Ultimate accountability for Quality and Food Safety systems programs’ design and compliance.
• Lead and develop plans to standardize quality systems and food safety personnel and programs.
• Actively participate and serve as the senior authority on quality, food safety, product safety, and regulatory compliance, with responsibility for advising senior leaders on all issues affecting product and process quality, food safety, product safety, and food regulatory compliance
• Serve as the point person for product investigations that have the potential to lead to external actions, such as marketplace withdrawals or product recalls; oversee a crisis management committee and decision-making in such matters while reporting to senior management.
• Provide input to research and development teams and plant personnel in connection with the design and development of new products or changes to existing portfolios and processes that conform to established company standards.
• Be responsible for any regulatory, internal and external audits such as BRC and other customer audits.
• Develop food safety plans and training programs to ensure the highest level of food safety and regulatory compliance as well as interpret food safety policies, procedures, and USDA regulations.
• Provide guidance and oversight for supplier activities relating to quality, food safety, and product safety matters; set standards for supplier qualification, purchasing of raw materials and ingredients.
• Develop benchmarking and metrics for company food safety and quality assurance performance through leveraging external industry standards.
• Establish guidelines and train team on formal product recall, withdrawal process and communication.
• Be a subject matter expert and establish external expert network on behalf of the organization for food safety and quality compliance issues.
• Be the point person for any validation studies.
• Have strong knowledge of microbiology and pathogens of concern surrounding food safety.
• Ensure new manufacturing equipment design and installations meet sanitary standards.
• Lead product testing protocols; protect the brands through Continuous Improvement in compliance with food safety, and quality standards.
• Ensures Product Tracking/Traceability program is managed and measured along the supply chain, from raw material/ ingredients’ suppliers, through processing, to final point of sale.
• Leads for any product recall proceedings.

Compliance & Regulatory Affairs

• Provide leadership in all Food Safety and Quality Assurance areas including Plant program coordination/ decision-making, common customer communication, and management updates.
• Serve as a key resource for operational quality and food safety professionals overseeing preoperational or operational inspections from the USDA.
• In connection with proposed acquisitions, oversee the due diligence review of the target’s regulatory, quality and food safety practices and programs.
• Perform customer audits and participate in BRC audits.
• Proactively address key customers' needs to improve internal and external client satisfaction.
• Lead shelf-life studies for the business to ensure consumer expectations are met every time.
• Develop and maintain HACCP plan and train personnel on quality programs.
• Oversees the sanitation program to ensure all processes and procedures meet USDA requirements.

Budget Analysis & Organizational Planning

• Define and approve budgets for expenses or capital investments for own department and influences others when connected to food safety programs improvement.
• Develop organizational strategies and apply total quality management tools and approaches to analytical reporting processes including KPIs and actions to deliver safe quality products and drive continuous improvement year over year.

People Development & Cross Functional Partnership

• Has direct oversight and responsibility to hiring, training, managing, developing, and leading the following functions: Quality Assurance, Food Safety, Sanitation, and Vendor Assurance departments.
• Act as the organizational leader to consistently optimize the organizational structure to meet objectives.
• Responsible for talent development, including performance reviews, training, coaching as well as succession planning.
• Provide FSQA updates to Operations Management, Executive Leadership team (ELT) and other support departments on FSQA key initiatives, challenges, failures, and improvements.
• Collaborate closely with key functional groups (HR, R&D, Operations, Marketing, Sales, Customer Service, and Procurement) to drive company-wide or cross-functional initiatives.
• Align with Sales, Operations, & product Development to ensure the commercial process is efficient and effective for new products.
• Provide technical support to Operations to continually improve product quality and line efficiencies.
• Promote Continuous Improvement on FSQA processes to achieve stronger alignment between departments and the company overall process.
• Provide technical assistance to R&D in developing, evaluating, and documenting new and improved products.
• Participate in the short and long-range planning of new product opportunities to ensure complete quality and food safety risk analysis.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE:

Qualifications & Requirements:

• A minimum of 10 years of experience in quality assurance and/or food safety management systems, including significant leadership roles relating Food Safety or Quality Assurance and Plant Quality Assurance with demonstrated expertise managing food safety and quality initiatives.
• Must have a minimum of 5 years’ experience in a USDA Ready to Eat facility.
• Knowledge of quality control processes related to the food processing industry, sanitary design, and total quality management principles or Quality Management System techniques.
• Must have experience and understanding of industry-pertinent USDA standards and regulations.
• Must have food manufacturing experience.

Qualifications:

• Master of Science Degree in Food Science, Biology, Chemistry, or another related field preferred, a bachelor’s degree in food science, food chemistry, biology, engineering, chemistry or microbiology required; a combination of education and experience will be considered, provided that the candidate has demonstrated proficiency in food processing technology and food quality and regulations, standards and policies.
• Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) certified, Preventative Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) certified, BRC Certified
• First-hand knowledge of Sanitation Standard Operation Procedures (SSOP), Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Statistical Process Control (SPC), and related food safety standards