Snr. Manager, Quality Operations – Europe

Balchem; Amsterdam; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Balchem seeks a Senior Manager, Quality Operations – Europe to lead the quality function across its European manufacturing network, ensuring products are safe, compliant, and meet customer, regulatory, and company standards.

You will provide leadership to quality teams Europe-wide, strengthen quality systems, and drive continuous improvement while partnering with Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Commercial teams to support growth and audit readiness.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of quality leadership experience in regulated industries.
• Experience leading quality organizations across multi-site manufacturing.
• Strong knowledge of HACCP, GFSI standards and EU regulations.
• Proven ability to influence stakeholders and lead cross-functional initiatives.
• Strong project management and organizational skills; SPC, CAPA, and continuous improvement experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead, develop, and support the European Quality organization across multiple manufacturing sites.
• Drive a culture of food safety, quality, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Build strong partnerships with site leadership and cross-functional teams across Europe.
• Ensure effective implementation and continuous improvement of quality and food safety systems.
• Maintain audit readiness and oversee internal audit, CAPA, and compliance activities.
• Standardize quality processes and share best practices across sites.
• Lead root-cause investigations and drive sustainable corrective actions.
• Monitor and improve key quality, food safety, and compliance metrics.
• Partner with Operations, Engineering, &D, and Supply Chain to support continuous improvement, commercialization, and new product introduction activities.
• Support customer audits, regulatory inspections, and certification programs.
• Ensure timely escalation and communication of significant quality, food safety, and compliance risks.

Skills

Quality leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

HACCP

GFSI standards

EU regulations

CAPA

Root-cause analysis

Continuous improvement

Project management

SPC

Education

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

Job description

As our new Snr. Manager, Quality Operations – Europe, you will lead the quality function across Balchem's European manufacturing network, ensuring products are safe, compliant, and consistently meet customer, regulatory, and company standards.

As a key member of the Global Quality Leadership Team, you will provide leadership and direction to quality teams across Europe, strengthen quality systems, support operational excellence initiatives, and drive continuous improvement across multiple manufacturing sites. Working closely with Operations, &D, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Commercial teams, you will play a key role in maintaining audit readiness, reducing risk, and supporting business growth throughout the region.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced quality leader who enjoys developing people, improving systems, and influencing quality performance in a complex international manufacturing environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, develop, and support the European Quality organization across multiple manufacturing sites.


• Drive a culture of food safety, quality, accountability, and continuous improvement.


• Build strong partnerships with site leadership and cross-functional teams across Europe.


• Ensure effective implementation and continuous improvement of quality and food safety systems.


• Maintain audit readiness and oversee internal audit, CAPA, and compliance activities.


• Standardize quality processes and share best practices across sites.


• Lead root-cause investigations and drive sustainable corrective actions.


• Monitor and improve key quality, food safety, and compliance metrics.


• Partner with Operations, Engineering, &D, and Supply Chain to support continuous improvement, commercialization, and new product introduction activities.


• Support customer audits, regulatory inspections, and certification programs.


• Ensure timely escalation and communication of significant quality, food safety, and compliance risks.

Candidate Profile

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Microbiology, Engineering, or a related discipline.


• 15+ years of quality leadership experience within food, dietary supplements, ingredients, pharmaceuticals, or a related regulated industry.


• Proven experience leading quality organizations within multi-site manufacturing environments.


• Strong technical expertise and knowledge of HACCP, GFSI standards, food safety systems, and EU regulatory requirements.


• Demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders and lead cross-functional initiatives.


• Strong project management and organizational skills.


• Experience with SPC, quality systems, root-cause analysis, CAPA, and continuous improvement methodologies.

Personal Qualifications

• Strong leadership and influencing skills.


• Collaborative and relationship-oriented approach.


• Strategic thinker with a practical, hands-on mindset.


• Creates a culture of accountability, ownership, and execution.


• Effective communicator across functions, cultures, and organizational levels.


• Comfortable managing complexity, ambiguity, and change.


• Committed to continuous improvement and operational excellence.