Manager Quality Assurance

Ahold Delhaize USA, a division of global food retailer Ahold Delhaize, is part of the U.S. family of brands, which includes five leading omnichannel grocery brands – Food Lion, Giant Food, The GIANT Company, Hannaford and Stop & Shop. Our associates support the brands with a wide range of services, including Finance, Legal, Sustainability, Commercial, Digital and E-commerce, Technology and more.

This working managerial position is responsible for overseeing all responsibilities for the Distribution Center QA Team and to ensure detailed product safety and quality inspections are conducted of perishable high risk food products delivered to our Distribution Centers. This position serves as the food safety program practitioner directly responsible for implementation and maintenance of all components of the facility Food Safety Management Plans and the processes required to maintain certification for facility GFSI accreditation. This role will partner with Director of QA, Distribution Center and Supply Chain leadership to ensure customer satisfaction & brand protection through maintaining all aspects of the facility food safety and food defense plans, a highly effective perishable product dock inspection program, and implementation of effective strategies and necessary programs to ensure product safety, freshness and quality at receipt and through distribution to retail. This position serves as the facilities lead technical expert and resource for key business stakeholders to ensure compliance with all company standards and applicable federal, state and local regulation including Seafood HACCP, TCS HACCP, FSMA Preventative Controls for Human Foods, Food Defense and Sanitary Transportation of Food, and the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) certified practitioner.

Our flexible/ hybrid work schedule includes 3 in-person days at one of our core locations and 2 remote days.  Our core office locations include Salisbury, NC , Chicago, IL, Quincy, MA, Carlisle, PA, Scarborough, ME, Hyattsville, MD and Mauldin, SC. 

Duites and Responsibilities:

• Responsible for all aspects of the perishable dock inspection program in the distribution center ensuring all perishable products entering the AD supply chain meet both regulatory and company food safety standards & quality specifications. This would include, but is not limited to: quality, condition, wholesomeness, package integrity, temperature, expiration or pack dates, proper counts, weights, and sizes.


• Direct oversight of facility food safety and defense programs and processes required for maintaining of facility GFSI certification. As the lead food safety practitioner, provide technical expertise and assume responsibility for the development, implementation, and maintenance of all components necessary to ensure ongoing facility GFSI accreditation.


• Maintains accreditations and performs the duties of the Preventative Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) responsible for maintaining the written food safety plan and overseeing all validation and records review activities ensuring preventative controls are capable of controlling identified hazards.


• Responsible for ensuring overall regulatory compliance with USDA, FDA, state and local programs. This would include but not be limited to Seafood HACCP, TCS HACCP, Preventative Controls for Human Foods, Food Defense, Sanitary Transportation of Foods, and the facility Food Safety Management Plan.


• Provide technical expertise and be the key resource for Distribution Center Operations Leadership and business partners regarding regulatory compliance, crisis management, cold chain management, product traceability and to ensure compliance with all company standards and applicable federal, state, and local regulations.


• Collaborate with all Brand Category Teams to regularly review perishable product inspection results and commodity trends within the distribution center. Review product specifications with all Brand Category Teams to ensure consistency. Collaborate with Brand Category Teams to drive continuous improvements in product quality.


• Lead role to anlayze, interpret, and incorporate data/metrics to identify products and suppliers with poor quality
  history. Focus inspection team resources to increase inspection levels on products and suppliers with a poor-quality
  history.


• Responsible for ensuring proper training of RBS QA inspectors ensuring in-depth product inspections, sound decisions
  and consistency of product acceptance or rejection based upon regulatory requirements and product specifications
  and company standards at receipt and conducting effective surveillance inspections to monitor the condition of
  perishable products during storage.


• Jessup MD DC Only - Partner with category and 3rd party ripening support to maintain integrity of the banana ripening
  program, ensuring retail stores are receiving suitable quality fruit for maximum sustainable sales.


• Freetown, MA, Chester, NY and Carlisle PA Only – Responsible for managing all aspects associated with banana
  ripening program including order projections assuring that the retail stores are receiving suitable quality fruit for
  maximum sustainable sales.


• Supervise and provide technical expertise for commodity testing/assessment programs (seafood species, ground
  beef, etc.) for quality/food safety attributes at Distribution Centers and retail.


• Overseeing all product quality issues pertaining to the distribution center and retail stores.


• Monitoring all inspection activities assuring they are detailed and completed properly.


• Documenting and communicating weekly updates of team responsibilities to Director, DC QA.


• Act as a liaison between category management, buyers, and distribution to further ensure our desired goals and results are achieved.


• Developing subordinates in all aspects of the QA departments responsibilities.


• Motivate and encouraging associates through the process.

Qualification

• Bachelor’s degree in life science (food science, biology, microbiology, community health) or public health field or an
equivalent combination of education and experience. Applicable experience in supply chain or distribution center
operations can be substituted for the degree requirement.
• Five or more years’ food safety or quality assurance related work in a distribution center, manufacturing, or retail
food store environment with a proven track record of success.
• Knowledgeable of USDA Standards, Rules and Regulations and have the ability to identify certain species, diseases,
varieties and defects and determine their severity as it relates to accepting or rejecting product at delivery.
• Ability to become certified as Food Protection Manager, Certified Professional – Food Safety (CP-FS), FDA
Preventative Controls Qualified Individual, GFSI Food Safety Practitioner and FDA Seafood and General HACCP
Qualified.

• Registered Sanitarian or state equivalent and Certified Professional-Food Safety (CP-FS) credentials.
• Master’s degree in public health or food science related field.
• Certification as a Preventative Controls Qualified Individual required by FSMA.
• Food Safety Practitioner Certification or equivalent
• Seafood and Food Manufacturing HACCP Certification.
• Food Protection Manager Certification

• Effective management skills - ability to manage team resources and to communicate and partner with senior facility
management.
• Well-developed interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to prioritize and handle multiple projects/demands simultaneously.
• Strong negotiating skills.

• Effective written and oral communication.
• Ability to work independently.
• Ability to drive and demonstrate continuous improvements.
• Focus on developing self and others.
• Ability to influence without authority.
• Must have ability to act as a team leader or team builder.
• Ability to actively participate and contribute within industry and regulatory associations.
• Develop contacts and relations with officials responsible for food regulation enforcement (FDA, USDA, Department of
Agriculture, Weights & Measures, etc.). Participate and contribute within regulatory and industry meetings, educate
and be advocate for company food safety standard practices/policies/programs.
• Valid driver’s license

ME/NC/PA/SC Salary Range: $92,640 - $138,960  

Actual compensation offered to a candidate may vary based on their unique qualifications and experience, internal equity, and market conditions. Final compensation decisions will be made in accordance with company policies and applicable laws. 

#LI-ES1

At Ahold Delhaize USA, we provide services to one of the largest portfolios of grocery companies in the nation, and we're actively seeking top talent.

Our team shares a common motivation to drive change, take ownership and enable our brands to better care for their customers. We thrive on supporting great local grocery brands and their strategies.

Our associates are the heartbeat of our organization. We are committed to offering a welcoming work environment where all associates can succeed and thrive. Guided by our values of courage, care, teamwork, integrity (and even a little humor), we are dedicated to being a great place to work.

We believe in collaboration, curiosity, and continuous learning in all that we think, create and do. While building a culture where personal and professional growth are just as important as business growth, we invest in our people, empowering them to learn, grow and deliver at all levels of the business.