EU/UK Contract Manufacturing QA Lead

Beyond Meat, Inc.; Amsterdam; Hybrid; EUR 90,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

Beyond Meat, Inc. is seeking a Contract Manufacturing Quality Manager for EU/UK to oversee external manufacturers across Europe, including the UK.

You will ensure compliance with regulatory and company standards, lead qualifications, and drive improvements across the co‑manufacturing network. You will manage audits, CAPA, and supplier performance, while partnering with R&D, Regulatory, and Supply Chain to support product evaluations and shelf‑life extensions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, Engineering, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 7+ years of experience in Quality Assurance within food manufacturing, with at least 3 years managing contract manufacturers or external suppliers.
• Strong knowledge of EU food safety regulations, HACCP, GMP, and third‑party certification schemes (BRCGS, IFS).
• Demonstrated experience leading audits, investigations, and cross‑functional quality initiatives.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship‑building skills.
• Ability to travel across the EU to support co‑manufacturer oversight.
• Strong operational discipline and attention to detail.
• Ability to influence without authority across diverse stakeholders.
• Proactive problem‑solver with a continuous improvement mindset.
• Confident communicator who can represent Quality in high‑stakes discussions.
• Fluent in English; fluency in Dutch is highly preferred; any other language (German, French) is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead qualification, onboarding, and periodic re‑qualification of all EU/UK contract manufacturers. Ensure each site meets company quality standards, food safety requirements, and regulatory obligations.
• Maintain and enforce Quality Agreements aligned with operational and regulatory expectations. Experience with Quick Service Restaurants systems and qualifications a plus.
• Verify that contract manufacturers maintain effective quality systems, including HACCP, GMP, allergen control, sanitation, traceability, and complaint management.
• Review and approve product specifications, process controls, and change management requests.
• Ensure adherence to company policies for document control, deviation management, and CAPA.
• Evaluate ingredients and finished products for shelf‑life extension, including review of stability data, sensory results, and micro performance.
• Support product reviews and release decisions by assessing compliance with specifications, regulatory requirements, and customer expectations.
• Partner with Strategic QA to deliver accurate, complete, and customer‑aligned specifications and quality expectations.
• Lead quarterly business reviews with each co‑manufacturer, including scorecard performance, audit findings, and improvement plans.
• Track and analyze key quality metrics (defects, non‑conformances, micro results, customer complaints).
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to strengthen process capability and reduce quality risk.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for product releases, quality incidents, deviations, and product non‑conformances originating from EU co‑manufacturers.
• Lead root cause investigations and ensure timely, effective CAPA implementation.
• Partner cross‑functionally with Supply Chain, R&D, Regulatory, and Operations to resolve issues and prevent recurrence.
• Ensure all products manufactured in the EU comply with applicable regulations (EU food safety legislation, labeling requirements, country‑specific standards).
• Support regulatory submissions, certifications, and customer audits as needed.
• Monitor emerging regulatory changes and assess impact to co‑manufacturing operations.
• Collaborate with R&D, Operations, and Supply Chain to support product and production trials at co‑manufacturer sites.
• Ensure trial protocols, data collection, and quality assessments are executed consistently and aligned with company standards.

Skills

Fluent English

Excellent communication

Travel EU

Stakeholder management

Quality systems

Education

Bachelor's in Food Science/Microbiology/Chemistry/Engineering

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Beyond Meat, Inc. is seeking a Contract Manufacturing Quality Manager for EU/UK to oversee external manufacturers across Europe, including the UK.

You will ensure compliance with regulatory and company standards, lead qualifications, and drive improvements across the co‑manufacturing network. You will manage audits, CAPA, and supplier performance, while partnering with R&D, Regulatory, and Supply Chain to support product evaluations and shelf‑life extensions.