Quality Assurance Lead Specialist-Princeton, NJ.

Quality Assurance Lead Specialist

Location: Princeton, NJ, US

Are you passionate about quality, food safety, and operational excellence? We are looking for a Quality Assurance Lead Specialist to lead Quality Assurance activities at our Princeton facility. In this high-impact role, you will be at the forefront of ensuring Raw Material Quality, advancing Food Safety programs, and strengthening our Quality Management System to drive compliance, minimize risk, and deliver safe, high-quality products that consumers trust.

Your key responsibilities

• Promote a strong quality mindset across the site. Drive the site’s quality goals in alignment with global and regional strategies. Oversee the creation, control, and maintenance of quality documents and policies. Ensure compliance with global quality standards and legal requirements including raw materials.


• Monitor food safety performance and ensure key programs are effective. Support and improve hazard control programs such as HACCP, food defense, and food fraud prevention.


• Support internal and external audits and maintain applicable certifications, including Kosher, Halal, RSPO, and Organic.


• Train employees on quality, food safety, raw material, and management system requirements while promoting ongoing awareness and engagement. Lead root-cause investigations for quality issues and raw material rejections, manage non-conformances and CAPAs, conduct risk assessments, and support appropriate final disposition.


• Review and maintain raw material specifications, ensure vendor alignment, manage supplier non-conformances, and escalate significant concerns as required.


• Partner with suppliers and internal stakeholders to investigate raw material quality issues, obtain corrective actions, and ensure timely resolution. Support mock recall and raw material traceability exercises and perform inspections, sampling, and testing as required. Report quality and raw material performance, identify improvement opportunities, and lead small-scale quality improvement projects.

We offer

• Unique career paths across health, nutrition and beauty - explore what drives you and get the support to make it happen


• A chance to impact millions of consumers every day – sustainability embedded in all we do


• A science led company, cutting edge research and creativity everywhere – from biotech breakthroughs to sustainability game-changers, you’ll work on what’s next


• Growth that keeps up with you – you join an industry leader that will develop your expertise and leadership


• A culture that lifts you up – with collaborative teams, shared wins, and people who cheer each other on.


• A community where your voice matters – it is essential to serve our customers well.

You bring

• Bachelor's degree in microbiology, biology, chemistry, or related.


• 2+ years’ experience in pharmaceutical or food industry, within a manufacturing background.


• Fluency in local language essential, English language fluency essential


• Highly self-motivated showing strong self-discipline and a structured approach to practices & improvements


• Food Hygiene Supervisor Level), HACCP, VACCP, TACCP and Lead Auditor Qualifications essential


• Understanding of Food Safety and Quality Management Systems is essential (BRC, FSSC , ISO).

The salary or hourly wage scale provided reflects the pay range dsm-firmenich expects to pay the successful candidate for the position. Individual pay offered will be based on the applicant’s job-related skills, experience, relevant education, or training, and primary work location. Salary range: $78,000-$95,000.

In addition to base salary, we also offer a comprehensive total rewards package, inclusive of annual incentive pay, a retirement savings plan, health care coverage, paid time off, recognition programs and a broad range of other benefits. All benefits and incentives are subject to eligibility requirements.

About dsm-firmenich

At dsm-firmenich, we don’t just meet expectations – we go beyond them.

From elevating health to making fortified food and sustainable skincare, the impact of your work here will be felt by millions – every single day. Whether it’s fragrance that helps you focus, alternative meat that’s better for the planet, or reducing sugar without losing flavor, this is where you help shape the future of nutrition, health, and beauty for everyone, everywhere.

And while you’re making a difference, we’ll make sure you’re growing too. With learning that never stops, a culture that lifts you up and the freedom to move across businesses, teams, and borders. Your voice matters here. And your ideas? They’re essential to our future. 

Because real progress only happens when we go beyond, together.

Inclusion, belonging and equal opportunity statement

At dsm-firmenich, we believe being a force for good starts with the way we treat each other. When people feel supported, included, and free to be themselves, they do their best work – and that’s exactly the kind of culture we’re building. A place where opportunity is truly equal, authenticity is celebrated, and everyone has the chance to grow, contribute, and feel they belong.

We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and we’re serious about making our hiring process as fair and inclusive as possible. From inclusive language and diverse interview panels to thoughtful sourcing, we’re committed to reflecting the world we serve.

We welcome candidates from all backgrounds — no matter your gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or anything else that makes you, you.

And if you have a disability or need any support through the application process, we’re here to help – just let us know what you need, and we’ll do everything we can to make it work.

Agency statement

We’re managing this search directly at dsm-firmenich. If you’re applying as an individual, we’d love to hear from you. We’re not accepting agency submissions or proposals involving fees or commissions for this role.