Director of Food Safety

The Star Group; Calgary; On-site; CAD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading produce company in Calgary is seeking a full-time Director of Food Safety to lead the Food Safety Department. Responsibilities include driving food safety culture, ensuring regulatory compliance, and developing safety programs. Ideal candidates will have over three years in food safety and leadership experience, with a Bachelor of Food Science. Join a dynamic team committed to quality and innovation.

Benefits

Company RRSP

Dental care

Extended Healthcare

Disability Coverage

Vision Care

Life Insurance

Employee Assistance Program

Qualifications

• Minimum of three (3) years of Food Safety experience in the produce sector or a related food industry.
• Minimum of three (3) years of leadership/managerial experience.

Responsibilities

• Leading the Food Safety Culture across the Star Group.
• Understanding and implementing regulatory requirements.
• Planning and developing Food Safety Programs for current and emerging businesses.

Skills

Organizational skills

Analytical skills

Interpersonal skills

Problem-solving skills

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor of Food Science

Job description

Director of Food Safety

Star Produce Ltd (The Star Group)

Calgary, AB T3N 1A7

Status: Full-time, Permanent

Salary: $100k - $130k/Annually

At the Star Group, we strive to be the most innovative team in produce with an unwavering commitment to value and taste.

We started as a tomato repacker in 1989 and quickly discovered we needed to be doing a lot more! The Star Group is involved in every part of the fresh produce supply chain. From seed selection to smart growing and creating smart products, all the way to delighting our customers, we are leading the way.

With a worldwide network of direct growers, a state of the art hydroponics greenhouse, RTE manufacturing plants, repacking facilities and a dedicated marketing and logistics teams, we have gained an industry leading reputation for quality, selection and service. In addition to the Saskatoon head office, we have over 800 team members in Vancouver, Kelowna, Calgary, Lethbridge, Arizona, and Florida.

Passion, Persistence and Teamwork with a dash of prairie humility are our company values.

If you embody those values and want to hit the ground running in a fun, fast paced, dynamic environment and work for a company with a culture based on collaboration and innovation then you may be just what we are looking for!

We are looking for a full time Director of Food Safety to join our team!

Focus

The Director of Food Safety will be the leader of the Food Safety Department across the Star Group of Companies.

Key Accountabilities

• Leading and driving the Food Safety Culture across the Star Group of Companies
• Leading and providing technical support for the Food Safety Team
• Understanding and implementing requirements from regulatory authorities (CFIA, FDA), GFSI audits, and customers
• Relaying CFIA and FDA program requirement changes to the facility teams and to senior management
• Understanding and influencing requisite changes to audit systems and government programs
• Overseeing the supplier approval program for each Star Group Company
• Leading and coordinating the Recall Team for each Star Group Company
• Planning and developing Food Safety Programs for current and emerging businesses
• Conducting root cause analysis and communicating with customers, CFIA/PHAC and FDA/USDA on food safety related complaints
• Conducting or overseeing internal audits for all Star Group facilities and for potential partners prior to onboarding
• Providing support to each Food Safety Coordinator prior to and during the 3rd party audit process (CanadaGAP, SQF)
• Representing the company on Industry Food Safety Committees such as CPMA and CanadaGAP – these are beneficial to Star so they have a heads up on what is to come so we can prepare each facility ahead of announcements
• Representing the company in technical discussions with CFIA, FDA, customers’ food safety leads, and vendors’ food safety leads
• Managing and updating customer vendor approval platforms
• Managing and updating CFIA SFCR and FDA Licenses for each facility within the Star Group
• Providing and coordinating timely responses and recommendations to Company Presidents on Food Safety related items when needed
• Reviewing and approving of food safety related costs
• Reviewing and strategizing food safety costs across the Star Group
• Providing food safety technical expertise during the new product development process
• Reviewing and revising Corporate Food Safety SOPs according to regulatory, GFSI, and customer requirements

Key Attributes and Skills

• Proven understanding of the industry and area of service
• Excellent organizational, strategic, planning, and implementation skills
• Ability to create realistic schedules and meet deadlines under stress and interruptions
• High level of critical and logical thinking, analysis, and reasoning to identify underlying principles, reasons, and facts
• Strong analytical and research skills
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and relationship management skills
• Excellent attention to detail with a high degree of accuracy and a completer of tasks
• High level of integrity, confidentiality, and accountability
• Ability to respond appropriately in high‑pressure situations with a calm and steady demeanor
• A well‑defined sense of diplomacy, including solid negotiation, conflict resolution, and people management skills

Education and Experience

• Minimum of three (3) years of Food Safety experience in the produce sector or a related food industry
• Minimum of three (3) years of leadership/managerial experience
• Education Requirement - Bachelor of Food Science or equivalent related degrees

Working Conditions

• Flexible hours, which may include nights, weekends and holidays.
• Travel will be required to visit suppliers, customers nationally and to the Star facilities for reviews/audits

Why Us?

• Company RRSP
• Dental care
• Extended Healthcare
• Disability Coverage
• Vision Care
• Life Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program

The Star Group is expanding and there are always new and exciting opportunities for professional growth and development.

We invite you to visit our website to obtain more information about our companies, divisions, brands and products – www.starproduce.com

How to Apply

Please submit your resume in PDF file format in confidence. If you are submitting a cover letter, please attach it as a separate PDF with your name on it. While we sincerely appreciate all applications, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.