FSQA Manager

2 days ago

Suffolk, Virginia, United States Producers Peanut Co., Inc. Full time

The FSQA Manager leads and manages all food-safety and quality-assurance programs at the facility, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and customer requirements. Responsibilities include oversight of the Food Safety & Quality Management System, third-party certifications (e.g., SQF, Kosher, Halal), regulatory documentation, internal audits, and team supervision. The FSQA Manager serves as the designated SQF Practitioner and the company's authorized representative for food-safety and regulatory matters and oversees the development and maintenance of a strong food-safety culture across all departments.

Roles and Responsibilities

  • Serve as the facility's primary food-safety and regulatory representative, including during recalls, inspections, third-party audits, and customer inquiries.
  • Ensure full compliance with FSMA, FDA, USDA, customer specifications, and relevant third-party standards (e.g., SQF, Halal).
  • Act as SQF Practitioner; chair the annual SQF Management Review and issue monthly status reports to senior leadership.
  • Oversee the integrated Food-Safety & Quality Management System (HACCP/Food-Safety Plan, PCQI, SQF Food Quality Plan, sanitation, allergen, pest control, calibration, and document-control programs).
  • Develop, maintain, and annually test the FDA-mandated Food-Defense Plan; function as the Food-Defense Qualified Individual and trainer.
  • Lead the Crisis-Management/Business-Continuity Plan and conduct an annual simulation test.
  • Reanalyze the Food-Safety Plan per regulatory requirements—or sooner if products, processes, or regulations change—and document all revisions.
  • Lead validation and ongoing verification of all preventive controls, retaining scientific evidence of effectiveness.
  • Validate sanitation effectiveness through ATP/protein swabs, microbial testing, visual inspection, and chemical-concentration records.
  • Oversee potable-water, compressed-air, and chemical-control verification, plus glass, brittle-plastic, and wood-control inspections.
  • Manage foreign-material prevention systems, including metal/X-ray detector validation and performance checks.
  • Oversee net-weight and fill-control verification to ensure legal and customer compliance.
  • Ensure all Critical Control Points (CCPs) in the HACCP/Food-Safety Plan are validated, routinely monitored, and verified; review CCP records and escalate deviations for immediate corrective action.
  • Design, implement, and review statistically valid sampling programs for raw materials, in-process products, finished goods, and environmental surfaces.
  • Oversee routine in-process and finished-product quality testing programs to verify specification adherence and product consistency throughout manufacturing.
  • Oversee the QA team's coordination of routine and investigate sample shipments to ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratories; maintain chain-of-custody records and ensure results are promptly reviewed by a PCQI.
  • Trend and analyze data from environmental monitoring, product testing, and process controls; present quarterly reports with corrective-action plans to senior leadership and the Food-Safety Team. Oversee and routinely test traceability and recall programs to meet FSMA and SQF requirements (mock recalls, full-system verification).
  • Control product hold/release and non-conforming-product disposition, ensuring documented approvals and traceability.
  • Investigate deviations, non-conformances, and customer complaints using root-cause analysis and CAPA methodology; verify corrective-action effectiveness.
  • Maintain constant audit readiness for regulators, customers, and third-party certifiers.
  • Develop and oversee FSMA Supply-Chain Program: risk-based supplier approval, verification, and record retention.
  • Lead the Food-Fraud (VACCP) vulnerability assessment and mitigation program; review annually.
  • Maintain certifications and supporting records for Kosher, Halal, and other specialty claims.
  • Manage customer audits, documentation audits, documentation requests, and complaint investigations.
  • Act as the company's authorized regulatory representative; prepare, review, issue, and sign all food-safety and regulatory documents for customers, auditors, and agencies (e.g., Letters of Guarantee, FSMA, GMO, Prop 65, allergen, irradiation, RTE declarations), coordinating with leadership or legal counsel as needed.
  • Conduct periodic reviews of all compliance statements and regulatory letters to confirm they accurately reflect the most current regulations and the company's documented manufacturing practices and controls.
  • Support Sales, Marketing, and R&D to ensure label content meets FDA regulations and customer requirements (nutrition facts, ingredient lists, allergen declarations, claims).
  • Supervise, coach, and develop QA staff; align goals with company objectives.
  • Conduct interviews and making hiring decisions for QA department employees; oversee food-safety training.
  • Drive the food-safety culture program, fostering awareness, engagement, and accountability at every level.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Biology, or a related field.
  • 3-5 years of experience in food safety and quality within food manufacturing.
  • Certified PCQI, HACCP, and SQF Practitioner (or ability to obtain).
  • Strong knowledge of FDA/USDA regulations, FSMA, and GFSI certification schemes.
  • Excellent leadership, communication, and analytical skills.
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office and quality system software (preferred).

Certifications

  • SQF Practitioner
  • PCQI (Preventive Controls Qualified Individual)
  • HACCP Certification
  • Internal Auditor Training (GFSI schemes)
  • Food Defense Qualified Individual / Intentional Adulteration training

Preferred Skills

  • Expert knowledge of FSMA, FDA, USDA, and GFSI/SQF standards.
  • Proficient in traceability, complaint investigation, and CAPA processes.
  • Skilled in electronic document control and record-retention systems.
  • Experienced in calibration program management for critical monitoring devices.
  • Understanding of allergens, aflatoxin, food-defense, and nut-specific hazards.
  • Experienced in maintaining and improving integrated food-safety and quality-management systems, including SQF, HACCP, traceability, and environmental monitoring.
  • Experience managing Kosher, Halal, and other third-party certifications.
  • Experience responding to regulatory inspections and third-party audits.
  • Bilingual (English/Spanish).

Physical Requirements

  • Ability to stand and/or walk for prolonged periods (up to 10-12 hours per shift).
  • Frequent bending, stooping, crouching, and reaching.
  • Use of hands and fingers to handle, feel, and operate tools, machinery, or packaging.
  • Ability to push, pull, lift, and carry objects (commonly up to 50 lbs; occasionally up to 75 lbs) with or without assistance.
  • Ability to climb stairs or ladders as needed.
  • Repetitive hand or arm movements.
  • Work performed in a manufacturing/production environment with exposure to:

o Varying temperatures (hot, cold, humid, or non-climate-controlled areas).

o Food-grade dust and allergens (peanuts and peanut dust).

o Moving mechanical parts and moderate noise levels.

  • May require use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, safety glasses, hairnets, smocks, hearing protection, and beard nets when applicable.
  • Ability to visually inspect products for quality (color, size, packaging integrity).
  • Ability to distinguish product defects through sight and touch.
  • Sufficient hearing to detect alarms, signals, or verbal instructions over plant noise.
  • Ability to remain alert and focused in a fast-paced environment.
  • Ability to quickly respond to safety hazards or production needs.

Benefits:

  • 401(k)
  • 401(k) matching
  • Dental insurance
  • Health insurance
  • Life insurance
  • Paid time off
  • Vision insurance

Application Question(s):

  • Have you ever led an SQF Audit before?

Education:

  • Bachelor's (Required)

Experience:

  • Food safety: 3 years (Preferred)
  • Food production: 1 year (Preferred)
  • Microsoft Office: 1 year (Preferred)

Language:

  • Spanish (Preferred)

License/Certification:

  • Preventive Controls Qualified Individual Certification (Preferred)
  • Safe Quality Food Certification (Preferred)
  • HACCP Certification (Preferred)

Ability to Commute:

  • Suffolk, VA Preferred)

Work Location: In person