Director of Food Safety

SUMMARY

At Harvest Food Group (HFG), our mission is to create products that make a positive impact in the world. HFG is a private equity–backed company headquartered in Naperville, IL, with a production facility currently in Chicago, IL, and relocating to East Chicago, IN in Q1 2026.

JOB SUMMARY

The Director of FSQA is responsible for leading the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of food safety and quality systems across a frozen food co-packing operation serving multiple branded and private label customers. This leadership role ensures compliance with all FDA, USDA (if applicable), FSMA, SQF/BRC, GFCP, customer requirements, and global regulatory standards. The Director will oversee FSQA strategy, certifications, regulatory interactions, customer audit management, co-manufacturing quality agreements, and continuous improvement initiatives that protect brand reputation and drive operational excellence.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership & Compliance]

• Develop and execute the company's FSQA strategic vision to support business growth, customer expectations, and regulatory compliance.
• Ensure full compliance with FSMA Preventive Controls, HACCP, HARPC, GMPs, FSVP, allergen controls, traceability, and recall readiness.
• Maintain and elevate facility certifications including SQF, Organic, Kosher, GFCP, Halal, Non-GMO, and customer addendums.
• Lead regulatory inspections and serve as the primary liaison with federal, state, and local agencies.

Food Safety & Quality Systems Management

• Oversee development, approval, and maintenance of all FSQA programs, SOPs, policies, and quality management systems.
• Direct Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP), sanitation verification, and pathogen control strategies.
• Ensure robust documentation control, label accuracy, ingredient specification management, and formula verification.
• Lead root cause analysis, corrective and preventive action (CAPA), and continuous improvement processes.

Customer & Co-Manufacturing Oversight

• Manage co-packing quality agreements and ensure alignment with each customer's brand standards and regulatory expectations.
• Lead customer audits, visits, and technical calls; ensure high audit performance and zero major non-conformances.
• Oversee specification adherence, formula change approvals, first production runs, and commercialization trials.

Operational Excellence

• Partner with Operations, R&D, Supply Chain, and Engineering on process capability, yield improvements, line validations, and hygienic design initiatives.
• Implement data-driven performance metrics (KPIs), including consumer complaints, non-conformances, audit scores, and quality costs.
• Lead incident management, including product holds, deviations, foreign material control, and recall/traceability exercises.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop Regulatory Compliance manager, FSQA manager, supervisors, and technicians to foster a proactive food safety culture.
• Establish departmental goals, succession planning, training initiatives, and performance management.
• Promote collaboration, accountability, and continuous learning across all levels of FSQA and Production teams

Requirements

SKILLS/QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, or related field required
• Minimum 5-8 years of progressive FSQA leadership experience in frozen food manufacturing, preferably in a co-packing environment
• Extensive knowledge of FDA/USDA regulations, SQF/BRC certification schemes, and GFSI standards.
• Experience managing complex customer relationships and technical agreements
• PCQI (Preventive Controls Qualified Individual) and HACCP certification required.
• SQF Practitioner, BRC Site Lead, or equivalent GFSI certification strongly preferred.
• Strong leadership presence with ability to influence cross-functional teams.
• Exceptional understanding of quality systems, food microbiology, and risk-based decision making.
• Excellent communication, project management, and customer-facing skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic co-manufacturing environment.
• Six Sigma/Lean certification a plus

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to work within timelines and under pressure based on production needs

• Availability to work scheduled hours, including weekends as required

• Ability to stand, bend, and climb stairs for extended periods (10–12 hours per day as needed)

• Ability to work in a refrigerated environment (32–36 °F)

Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds multiple times throughout the day