Are you passionate about food safety, quality assurance, and leading a team towards excellence? We are seeking a dynamic Quality Assurance Manager to oversee and elevate our quality standards at our Maple Lake, MN facility! In this key leadership role, you’ll work closely with the management team to ensure our products meet the highest levels of safety, compliance, and quality.
1st Major Area of Responsibility – Product Safety & Quality/Regulatory
(Key Duties)
- Serve as Lead SQF Practitioner to develop and implement Food Safety & Quality SQF fundamentals, and the Food Safety Plan throughout the assigned facility, but also across the organization.
- Ensure compliance with, as well as coordinate plant inspection activities with government & regulatory agencies.
- Develop and maintain effective food safety and quality programs (HACCP, Pre-requisite, SQF), and take immediate action to identify and resolve food safety/food defense issues.
- Develop, coordinate, and participate in annual training (HACCP, SQF and related subcategories).
- Maintain complete documentation files on HACCP deviations, corrective actions and outcomes. Initiate discussion with production management and employees to develop proactive approaches to reduce the chance of a repeat occurrence.
- Provide leadership with mock recall and business continuity planning.
2nd Major Area of Responsibility – Quality Assurance/Control
(Key Duties)
- Analyze and communicate data/information concerning product quality. Assist in resolution of quality opportunities.
- Conduct and direct routine quality audits of the plant and identify/coordinate required corrective actions.
- Maintain and monitor quality assurance surveillance programs (water, air, etc.) and coordinate any corrective actions.
- Develop and monitor in-process testing programs (Finished Product Quality Evaluation) and coordinate appropriate responses to unfavorable trends or results.
- Monitor and validate calibration programs for equipment (thermometers, RTD, in-process test equipment).
- Coordinate and participate in the continuous revision of SOP’s, SSOP’s, Pre-requisite program, critical processing specifications, and electronic collection of production data.
- Assist facility management with root cause analysis (RCA) of customer complaints and develop and document appropriate preventive and corrective actions (CAPA).
- Apply lean six sigma/statistical process control tools to promote continuous improvement.
- Develop, maintain and share reports that clearly summarize and communicate information on product quality, in-process test results, customer complaints and equipment comparison/calibration data.
- Collaborate with other Quality Assurance Managers and Production Management to improve product quality and safety.
3rd Major Area of Responsibility – Leadership
(Key Duties)
Proactively supervise employees through coaching/mentoring, training, discipline, performance management, conflict resolution, etc., while fostering a positive work environment that encourages teamwork and continuous improvement.
- Set clear department goals and communicate expectations to employees on a regular basis.
- Provide guidance to facilitate learning and growth, enhance skills & knowledge, and improve performance.
- Ensure employee compliance with company policies and procedures.