FS&Q, Food Safety Manager

McCain Foods; Villeneuve-d'Ascq; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

McCain Alimentaire SAS is seeking a Food Safety Manager to lead standardized microbiology and food safety programs across the GEM region from farm to fork. You will partner with Plant FS&Q teams and act as back-up to the regional Sanitation Manager, with potential support to MAE Appetizers plants.

You will drive HACCP, allergen management, and regulatory compliance, and manage external labs while championing a strong food safety culture across the organization.

Qualifications

• Master's degree required in food science, microbiology or related field.
• HACCP certification required; FSMA PCQI certification preferred.
• Experience with FSMA components and regulatory requirements (EU, US) is essential.
• Knowledge of microbiology principles and foodborne pathogens required.
• Auditing and risk assessment experience; certification a plus.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement and oversee standardized food safety programs (HACCP, GMP, training) across regional plants.
• Perform and validate risk assessments of facilities, processes, and ingredients.
• Design and co-execute food safety validation studies with the FSQ team.
• Support validation, verification and maintenance of detection equipment maps and cycles.
• Ensure compliance with EU and US regulatory requirements; monitor changes and adapt programs.
• Drive a data-driven culture with monitoring and trend analysis on food safety performance.

Skills

HACCP certification

FSMA knowledge

GFSI familiarity

Microbiology knowledge

Root cause analysis

Auditing and risk assessment

EU/US regulations knowledge

Education

Master's degree in food science, microbiology or related technical discipline

FSMA PCQI certification

Job description

Position Title: FS&Q, Food Safety Manager

Position Type: Regular - Full-Time

Requisition ID: 45428

In every role, McCainers are ambitious, curious, and passionate about creating exceptional work experiences - together. With a customer-first mindset, we make doing business with McCain easy.

About The Role.

The Food Safety Manager has overall responsibility for getting standardized microbiology and food safety programs implemented across the GEM region, acting from farm to fork, including Innovation and Research & Development, to ensure product safety and stability.

The Food Safety Manager brings credible expertise and provides leadership and oversight for food safety, including HACCP, micro risk assessments, thermal validation, allergen management, foreign material controls, hygienic equipment design, capability development and culture. The role ensures food safety programs meet not only McCain requirements, but also those of key customers and regulators.

The Food Safety Manager works collaboratively with the regional Sanitation Manager and can act as their back-up. The role may also provide food safety expertise and operational support to MAE Appetizers plants, based on business needs.

What You’ll Be Doing.

• Food safety programs: Assure the development, execution and implementation, in partnership with Plant teams, of standardized programs (HACCP, GMP rules, food safety training, micro risk assessments, thermal validation, allergen management, etc.) across the regional plants and at regional level.
• Risk assessments: Perform and/or validate risk assessments of facilities, programs, processes, equipment, products, cooking instructions, ingredients and allergens, including changes arising from the management of change process, and coordinate the monitoring plans that result.
• Food safety critical points: Design and co-execute validation studies with the Plant FS&Q team.
• Detection equipment: Support validation and verification, and develop and maintain a map of all equipment including ongoing efficiency and replacement cycles.
• Food safety regulatory requirements: Ensure compliance with applicable food safety regulatory requirements (EU, national, local, including FSMA) by monitoring changes in legislation, performing risk analysis and implementing the required adaptations with Plant FS&Q teams; ensure the relevant statements are available and up to date for customers.
• Food safety standards: Be knowledgeable on the food safety requirements of the standards (BRC, IFS, AIB, SQMS, KEFSQ, etc.), evaluate each new version and ensure compliance, in collaboration with Plant FS&Q teams, within the food chain.
• Food safety performance: Drive a quality-first mindset with food safety built into business processes at the earliest point; provide data-driven measures and share trend analysis on food safety performance with Plant Leadership Teams.
• Food safety incidents: Support Potato regional teams with expertise on sampling plans (e.g. AQL), risk analysis and product disposition, and support all food safety CAPAs to ensure they are effective, closed and validated.
• External laboratory: Serve as the regional point of contact for external laboratories supporting regional and plant operations; lead the annual performance review process and coordinate timely resolution of service, quality and compliance issues.
• Food safety culture: Champion a strong food safety culture across the organization by advising and supporting regional and plant FS&Q culture, and providing or coordinating training for relevant stakeholders as required.

What You’ll Need To Be Successful.

• Master's degree in food science, microbiology or a related technical discipline
• Minimum five (5) years of experience in a food manufacturing organization with progressive roles in FS&Q
• Experience with FSMA (including Preventive Controls, FSVP, Sanitary Transport and Intentional Adulteration); HACCP/HARPC plan design, measurement, documentation and training required
• HACCP certification required; FSMA PCQI and GFSI (IFS, BRC, SQF or FSSC 22000) certifications preferred
• Understands and can apply microbiological principles, with in-depth foodborne pathogen knowledge
• Knowledge of EU food law and U.S./Canadian regulations is a plus
• Knowledge of chemistry, with specifics in chemical food contaminants and sanitation applications
• Experience in auditing and risk assessment (microbiology, allergens, foreign material, food fraud, food defense, pest control, ingredients, suppliers, deviations, etc.); a certification is an advantage
• Experience in root cause analysis (DMAIC; 5 Whys, 5Ms, etc.)

McCain Foods is an equal opportunity employer. As a global family-owned company, we strive to be the employer of choice in the diverse communities around the world in which we live and work. We recognize that inclusion drives our creativity, resilience, and success and makes our business stronger. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

McCain is an accessible employer. If you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process (including alternate formats of materials or accessible meeting rooms), please let us know and we will work with you to find appropriate solutions.

Your privacy is important to us. By submitting personal data or information to us, you agree this will be handled in accordance with McCain’s Global Privacy Policy and Global Employee Privacy Policy, as applicable. McCain leverages AI in the hiring process, though all final decisions are made by humans. You can understand our approach to AI and how your personal information is being handled here.

Job Family: Quality & Food Safety

Location(s): FR - France : Nord : Villeneuve-d'Ascq

Company: McCain Alimentaire SAS