Quality Assurance Manager

Title: Quality Assurance Manager

Location: Cabot, VT

Reports to: Quality Assurance Director

Position Overview:

The QA Manager reports directly to the Quality Assurance Director and is responsible for the food safety and quality systems for the Company’s Manufacturing Plant. The QA Manager provides leadership and support for company growth and continuous improvement to ensure that all products manufactured by the plant meet customer specifications and achieve food safety and quality targets. Responsibilities include overall leadership of the QA team in a 24/7 operation while meeting high cheese and cultured product quality standards. The QA Manager will maintain, develop, evaluate, recommend, and implement Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP), Safe Quality Food (SQF), and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) quality assurance, along with quality control, tests and guidelines. Excellent technical knowledge of cheese and cultured products is essential along with strong leadership, problem solving, communication and interpersonal skills.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Manage the QA Supervisor and Plant Sanitarian directly, with indirect supervision of lab technicians.
• Oversee laboratory tests on raw milk, manufactured products, and plant samples in a timely and accurate manner to assure that the Company’s’ quality standards are met.
• Responsible for maintaining the Plant Lab including staffing, scheduling, testing, supplies, equipment and facilities, and for maintaining a Certified State Lab for Producer Testing.
• Work in a safe manner following all required safety procedures including but not limited to wearing all required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Ensure that the team follows all safety rules and required training is completed.
• Responsible for the regulatory compliance of all Food Safety and Quality programs, including Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Food Defense, and Pest Control programs.
• Provide employee training to promote and ensure the hygienic handling of product and other sanitary requirements including HACCP, SQF, and GMP.
• Oversee all customer and regulatory audits and certifications including but not limited to SQF, FDA, USDA, State ratings, Kosher and Halal. Lead corrective action plans and responses.
• Serves as the site SQF Practitioner. (Backed up by QA Supervisor)
• Lead, promote and help oversee the Food Safety Culture in the facility.
• Responsible for the product status program including management and maintenance of Hold, Release, Rework, and Reject programs for cheese and cultured products. Has direct authority and responsibility for final disposition determination.
• Review production paperwork to ensure that it complies with regulatory requirements and provide responses to inquiries on associated documentation.
• Develop, maintain, and implement all QA documentation for the facility including policies and procedures. Update Plant Recall manual annually.
• Initiate and complete mock recalls and traceability exercises.
• Manage the consumer and customer complaint programs. Investigate root cause, track and trend data, and provide timely communications for all complaints.
• Maintain the plant’s Pathogen Environmental Monitoring program including investigation and CAPAs for any out of specification results.
• Manage all in process and finished product testing. Keep accurate and complete records of all tests performed and trend and report to management any results which do not meet The Company’s quality standards.
• Work closely with team members to improve plant key performance indicators and manufacturing/operational metrics.
• Schedule, lead, and report regular plant inspections.
• Provide technical support and implement continuous improvement processes while working with interdepartmental teams.
• Perform miscellaneous duties and responsibilities as deemed necessary.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a scientific field.
• 5+ years of experience in a food manufacturing / dairy environment.
• Excellent understanding of microbiology, food science, HACCP, and SQF or equivalent experience
• HACCP, PQCI, and SQF certifications preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years in management and/or senior supervisory role.
• Excellent computer skills including Windows, Excel and Word.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Solid analytical and deductive reasoning skills along with attention to detail.
• Ability to interpret and implement regulatory rulings.
• Ability to effectively work independently and/or in a team environment, and to handle multiple tasks simultaneously. Ability to work flexible hours when required.
• Strong analytical skills and experience with implementation and administration of Quality Assurance metrics and key performance indicators.
• Excellent problem solving and interpersonal communication skills are a must. Previous continuous improvement and/or project management experience is a plus.
• Strong leadership skills that inspire team confidence and respect, while motivating team members in a creative and effective manner, are required.
• Must have a desire for achieving excellence in customer satisfaction, process and product quality, and reliability.
• Working knowledge of sanitation operations, and current and developing sanitation techniques.