QA Manager

Position Overview:

 The Quality Assurance Manager will play a crucial role within the Quality and Product Safety Team, providing strategic direction and overseeing the implementation of essential food and dietary supplement product safety and quality programs. 

 This leadership position requires a proactive and collaborative approach to find solutions aligned with established objectives while ensuring compliance of all established product safety, quality, and regulatory requirements. 

 The Quality Assurance Manager position incorporates the development and execution of quality processes and systems, managing a team of quality assurance professionals, and collaborating with other departments to maintain and improve product safety and quality.

The QA Manager’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Administer and implement policies and programs ensuring that organizational products and processes meet established product safety and quality standards at every stage of the process.
• Ensure compliance with all GFSI, FDA, USDA and state/local food safety regulations.
• Assist with leading the facility in all Food Safety, Packaging Quality and Product Quality related activities.
• Serve as liaison within the facility for all Company Quality Assurance Initiatives and Third-Party Audits.
• Serve as the facility Food Safety Program Coordinator, HACCP Coordinator and communicates to relevant personnel all information essential to ensure the effective implementation and maintenance of the Quality Management System.
• Manage quality assurance/quality control personnel and monitor the performance, competencies, and provide leadership, coaching, training, discipline, and development as needed.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement and accountability within the Quality team.
• Support cross functional teams with input as needed from a quality perspective for customer specific audit/testing/inspection requirements.
• Manage sampling/testing program for all materials (i.e. packaging components, film/labels, bulk/ finished material, in-process materials, and finished products).
• Ensure product quality meets specifications and monitor shift-to-shift processing variability.
• Manage unsellable and non-conforming inventory. Maintain the Hold and Release Program, prepare hold reports, and conducts weekly meetings to check status of any hold issues which are not resolved in a timely manner. Works with purchasing, inventory control, and warehouse personnel to investigate and manage quality assurance holds.
• Conducts finished product and raw material traceability/troubleshooting in response to customer complaints or in-house product issues.
• Trend analytical data and develop initiatives to improve plant performance against WePackItAll (WPIA) quality measures and ensure plant compliance with company and regulatory standards.
• Assist with trouble-shooting process and product deviations in Operations.
• Manage the Corrective Action and Continuous Improvement process.
• Track, analyze, and lead root cause analysis for all quality and customer complaint issues within the plant.
• Work with sanitation and our in-house laboratory to validate cleaning process and implement corrective actions.
• Routinely report on key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and lead the continuous improvement activities supporting them.
• Ensure compliance and record keeping for mandated quality checks, testing, sampling, and sanitation activities within all facilities. 
• Conduct training sessions for employees to enhance awareness and understanding of food safety and quality standards. Assists plant with plant-wide training in the areas of HACCP, Sanitation, Allergen Control, Facility Security, Food Safety, and GMP's.
• Work with other certification bodies such as Kosher, Organic, and local regulatory agencies.
• Oversee pest control program and ensure pest control binder summaries are current.        This includes implementing corrective actions to mitigate pest control operator findings and suggestions.
• Manage budgeting, purchasing and inventory of QA operating supplies.
• Maintain a safe work environment and support all plant safety programs.
• Other duties as assigned. 

Qualifications or Skills Required:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (e.g., Food Science, Biology, Chemistry, Engineering).
• 5+ years of experience of quality management in food or dietary supplement manufacturing.
• Knowledge of Food Safety, Dietary Supplements, Cosmetics & Medical device relevant regulations and industry standards. (21 CFR Parts 101,111,117,201,210,211, & 820)
• Certified HACCP and PCQI.
• Experience with 3rd party Audit systems, preferred NSF & SQF.
• Familiar with quality improvement tools such as Lean or Six Sigma techniques.
• Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
• Effective communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Attention to detail and a commitment to continuous improvement.
• Schedule flexibility, including the ability to work some weekends.
• Spanish language is a plus.