Food Safety Program Manager

JOB SUMMARY

The Manager, Food Safety Program (Food Safety Program Manager (FSPM)) is responsible for providing proactive leadership and instruction in Food Safety within the Operating Site. This position drives the corporate Global Support Center (GSC) food safety strategy at the local level to mitigate food safety risk through implementation of the field level risk-based food safety preventive controls program for the Distribution segment at 1-4 Sysco Operating Site(s). Sites are assigned to FSPMs based on risk and complexity.

The Manager, Food Safety Program (Food Safety Program Manager) oversees the implementation of the requirements, policies, procedures (SOPs), programs and training components of the food safety system. This position also serves as the lead for product recall execution and internal communications, regulatory inspections completed by local, state/provincial, and/or federal regulatory agencies, Global Food Safety Initiative and Customer 2nd or 3rd party audits, food defense and for interaction with customers on issues related to food safety.

The Manager, Food Safety Program (Food Safety Program Manager) oversees the implementation of the requirements, policies, procedures, programs, and training components of the food safety system. This position is also responsible for supporting tracking and communicating the Food Safety Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and working with multiple Operating Site stakeholders to seek continuous improvement in KPIs.  This role frequently partners with stakeholders at the site(s) (1-4 locations), region and market levels including the Region President and leaders from Operations, Environmental Health & Safety (EHS), Merchandising, Finance (Compliance), Sales, and HR functions to provide food safety leadership and subject matter expertise.

The Manager, Food Safety Program (Food Safety Program Manager) reports directly to a GSC Field Director, Food Safety and has dotted line reporting to the OpSite Regional President.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• ​Execute all GSC food safety related strategies, policies, and procedures; maintain open communication with all related departments to address the identification of food safety hazards and process improvement opportunities. Develop, receive approval, and implement non-standard Food Safety SOPs as dictated to comply with specific local, state, or provincial regulations. Provides data to support reporting on Operating Site Food Safety compliance and overall performance against food safety KPIs. Ensure compliance with applicable food safety regulatory requirements (Federal, State/Provincial and, Local) including US FDA Seafood HACCP, FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Foods, FSVP, 204 Traceability Rule, USDA National Organic Regulations, CFIA Safe Foods for Canadian Regulations, and State regulations such as California Prop 12. Lead execution of the Food Safety Preventive Controls Program at assigned sites (1-4), inclusive of HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) plan, pre-requisite programs, Food Safety Policies, and specific SOPs. Completes verification activities associated with all Preventive Controls programs. Conducts food safety observations of colleagues with “Key Roles” performing food safety activities (Receivers, Selectors, Forklift Operators, Loaders, Delivery Partners, Will-Call, and Sanitation and others as necessary. Provides coaching for improvement or positive feedback to reinforce effective behaviors and actions.

• Manages and leads Sysco’s participation in Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), audits by BRC, independent third parties, customers, and Sysco’s internal audit process, analyze results, determine root cause, and gather corrective action plans for audit non-conformance(s). Reviews results with Field Food Safety Director. Acts as the site’s primary contact during Food Safety regulatory authority inspections by local, state/provincial, or federal agencies. Defends Sysco’s preventive food safety controls plan to regulators to support compliance with applicable regulations. Working with site functional leaders, the FSPM promptly responds to any non-compliances with documented corrections, corrective actions, and preventive measures. Escalates issues to GSC FSQA Field Director and Regulatory & Technical Services team for support. Complete and maintain documentation/verification requirements per Sysco policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements (ex. FSMA). Trains and ensures execution of verification tasks at sites by qualified individuals when FSPM is working at another site(s). Uses the OpenText document control system to collect, maintain, and update GSC standard operating procedures, policies, and templates for all Food Safety related records used by Operating Site colleagues. Collaborate with GSC Field Director, Food Safety to complete annual Food Safety Program reassessments; communicate and implement required changes with Operating Site stakeholders and others as necessary.

• Follow-up promptly and thoroughly on food safety complaints from customers.  Effectively communicate resolutions to internal and external stakeholders as needed by serving as the Food Safety customer lead at the Operating Site for product complaints with potential for food safety issues and to support the Claims Process with Sysco’s 3rd party claims administrator. Frequently interacts with other functions (Sales, Merchandising, Operations to collect data for Sysco’s legal team during claims issues to ensure relevant purchase and sales records are provided. Maintains effective working relationships with regulatory authorities, industry trade groups, suppliers, owned companies, internal stakeholders, and customers.

• Oversees the product recall process to ensure timely communication and execution of product recalls and completion of related documentation. Completes vulnerability assessment and develops mitigations for the Food Defense Program to ensure requirements are carried out in a timely, accurate manner to decrease risk of Intentional Adulteration. Completes or assures completion of the Regulatory Visit Report and documents corrective and preventive action plans for non-conformances identified in Local, State/Provincial, Federal regulatory inspections.

• Leads implementation of the site level food safety culture program including food safety awareness and culture assessment activities (i.e., culture survey) and corresponding action plans for improvement. Delivers and assures food safety training is tracked within the specified GSC online training platform for all OpSite Key Role colleagues and supervisors with direct Food Safety program responsibilities. Assures all colleagues with food safety touch points as described in the SOPs are trained during on-boarding and receive refresher training as dictated by GSC FSQA.  Supports Academy training for Delivery Partners, Selectors and Supervisors as directed by GSC FSQA including delivery of training and/or verification observations of training by Qualified Trainers.

• Oversees the execution of the site level Sanitation Program, including training for internal colleagues and/or 3rd party provider employees, maintaining the facility cleanliness and sanitation standards.  Routinely measures operational sanitation program compliance to ensure food is received, stored, handled, and transported in a food safe condition to customers and their patrons. Verifies the Food Safety capabilities, Food Safe conditions, and execution of food safety procedures of any potential third-party warehouses, third party carriers, or suppliers of services (ex. Sanitation) that are intended to be used by the site. Routinely audits ongoing food safe conditions as well as operational food safety practices of all approved over-flow food storage warehouses. Leads implementation of the site level integrated Pest Management Program, reviews records and reports from Pest Control Operator, completes site level inspections and liaises with applicable stakeholders at GSC FSQA, Operations, Fleet & Facilities to immediately respond to pest issues which could lead to food safety risk.

• Routinely audits food safety practices (internal audits, cross dock and shuttle yard facility audits, delivery inspections, to objectively evaluate performance and provide feedback to other personnel as necessary to ensure compliance with Preventive Controls Program and any Regulatory requirements (federal, state/provincial, and local). Facilitates requests from national and/or local customers for information supporting compliance with Sysco, Regulatory, or Customer requirements such as questionnaires, surveys, COI, HHA, provision of BRC Food Safety Certificates, food safety audits for suppliers, and shelf-life data, etc.

• Complete and maintain documentation/verification requirements per Sysco policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements (ex. FSMA). Trains and ensures execution of verification tasks at sites by qualified individuals when FSPM is working at another site(s). Uses the OpenText document control system to collect, maintain, and update GSC standard operating procedures, policies, and templates for all Food Safety related records used by Operating Site colleagues. Collaborate with GSC Field Director, Food Safety to complete annual Food Safety Program reassessments; communicate and implement required changes with Operating Site stakeholders and others as necessary.

Education Required:

High School or GED Equivalent Required. In lieu of an associate or bachelor’s Degree, a combination of education and experience may be considered for candidates, provided that the candidate has demonstrated technical proficiency in the areas of food safety, food microbiology, food chemistry, animal science, biology, food defense, bacteriology, food processing technologies, and food regulations & policy.

Education Preferred:

Preference will be given to candidates with an associate or bachelor’s degree (Food Science, Animal Science, Biological Science or related)

Experience Required:

• Minimum 5 years of experience in Distribution Center Food Service Operations, Food Safety Quality Assurance/Control, Research & Development, Food Production/Operations, Supply Chain, or related discipline. Internal Sysco candidates must have a minimum of three years Sysco experience.

• Knowledge of product traceability

• HACCP, ServSafe, FDA Preventive Controls Qualified Individual certification preferred

• Understanding of Food Safety regulations, laws, and best practices including those from FDA, USDA, CFIA, and other state/provincial/ local entities

• Basic knowledge of food microbiology, food safety, and food defense

Licenses/Certifications Required:

Valid driver’s license. Certifications in Food Safety, HACCP and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)

Licenses/Certifications Preferred:

HACCP, ServSafe, FDA Preventive Controls Qualified Individual certification preferred

Technical Skills and Abilities:

• Intrinsic Capabilities: The successful candidate will be comfortable working independently with minimal oversight. They will have a high-level of integrity and accountability, specifically the ability to speak and act with complete honesty and trustworthiness. They will be flexible and adaptable to adjust quickly to new circumstances. In addition, this person will demonstrate active curiosity with a strong focus around proactively soliciting and acting on received feedback. This person will have a very high level of maturity and be able to read an audience and adapt his/her communication and influencing style quickly and appropriately. They will have high energy and thrive on solving complex challenges. They will be able to handle multiple assignments simultaneously, often with competing priorities.

• Developing and Leveraging Relationships: The successful candidate will have superior communication, relationship building and influencing skills. They will be open-minded, transparent and they will have exceptional listening skills. This person will communicate ideas in a clear, practical, and compelling manner.  Further they will balance data, personalities, and conflicting interests when influencing others and recognize nuances in reading others. Finally, this person will possess the highest level of integrity and character.

• Language Skills: The successful candidate will have the ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations in English. The candidate must demonstrate the ability to write reports, business correspondence, policies, and procedures, as well as effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of associates, managers, customers, and suppliers.

• Mathematical Skills: The successful candidate must demonstrate the ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals, as well as have ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to create and interpret graphs.

• Reasoning Ability: The successful candidate must demonstrate the ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.

• Other Skills and Abilities: Ability to use a personal computer and office communication equipment.

Physical Demands

Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.

This position may require travel to one or more Sysco facilities or Operating Sites. The work requires the following physical activities: sitting, finger dexterity for activities such as data entry, speaking, hearing, visual acuity, and mobility between departments. Work may require bending, stooping, squatting, kneeling, and crouching; extensive telephone work; ability to receive detailed information through both verbal and written communication, ability to express or exchange ideas by means of the spoken word; ability to lift up to 50-75 lbs. Use of both hands is required. The work is performed primarily indoors. Occasionally some work may be performed for short periods in temperature-controlled warehouse environments (freezer, cooler, and exterior environments).

Travel Requirements:

Travel 15-25% (single site)

Travel for FSPMs with 2-4 shared locations will be 40-75%.

Work Environment

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Plant audits/inspections and working at remote in-transit warehouses and Sysco Operating Companies contain both moderate/loud noise and exposure to fumes and mechanical hazards.

Flexible work hours (periodically may include 2nd or 3rd shift)