Associate Manager Quality Assurance

The J.M. Smucker Co.; Orrville (OH); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

The J.M. Smucker Co. in Orrville, OH, seeks an Associate Manager, Quality Assurance to ensure co-manufactured products meet FDA and JMS quality and food safety standards. The role involves oversight of external facilities, QA programs, and cross-functional collaboration.

Hybrid work arrangement, with travel up to 40% annually. Requires a Bachelor’s in Food Science or related field and 2–3 years in food QA/food safety. Strong communication and project management skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science or related field.
• Minimum 2–3 years of quality/food safety experience in a food manufacturing plant environment.
• Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (human or animal food) or HACCP experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support co-pack/co-man partnerships by auditing, managing relationships, and seeking continuous improvement opportunities.
• Support R&D teams during on-site production start-ups, trials, and commercialization activities to ensure quality and food safety expectations are met.
• Maintain current, accurate, and copacker documentation to support TraceGains requirements.
• Manage, share, and update Prodika specification systems to ensure product information remains accurate, complete, and aligned with business needs.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to advance innovation, transformation projects, portfolio changes, and other strategic business initiatives.
• Contribute to additional quality assurance projects and business priorities as needed – complaint management, ETQ Holds, scorecard ownership, and other activities pertinent to achieving high co-pack/co-man standards.

Skills

Quality assurance

Food safety

Cross-functional teamwork

Project management

Communication

Detail-oriented

Problem solving

Advanced Excel/Office

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science or related field

Tools

ETQ

Prodika

SharePoint

TraceGains

Centric

Job description

Your Opportunity as the Associate Manager, Quality Assurance

This role ensures co-manufactured, co-packed, and repacked products meet FDA and JMS quality and food safety standards through effective oversight of external manufacturing facilities, personnel, and QA and operational programs.

Location: Orrville, OH

Work Arrangements: Monday to Friday - Hybrid

In This Role You Will

• Lead and support co-pack/co-man partnerships by auditing, managing relationship, and seeking continuous improvement opportunities.
• Support R&D teams during on-site production start-ups, trials, and commercialization activities to ensure quality and food safety expectations are met.
• Maintain current, accurate, and copacker documentation to support TraceGains requirements.
• Manage, share, and update Prodika specification systems to ensure product information remains accurate, complete, and aligned with business needs.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to advance innovation, transformation projects, portfolio changes, and other strategic business initiatives.
• Contribute to additional quality assurance projects and business priorities as needed – complaint management, ETQ Holds, scorecard ownership, and other activities pertinent to achieving high co-pack/co-man standards.

Minimum Requirements

What we are looking for:

• Bachelor's degree is required in Food Science or related scientific degree
• Minimum 2-3 years of quality/food safety experience in food manufacturing plant environment
• Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (human or animal food) or HACCP experience is preferred

Additional skills and experience that we think would make someone successful in this role:

• Solid working knowledge of quality assurance, food manufacturing, food safety, processing, packaging, and distribution
• Strong ability to work in cross-functional & team-oriented environment with multiple disciplines
• Proven capabilities in project management
• Better Process Control School Certified
• Self-starter; take charge, positive & proactive attitude
• Ability to lead several projects altogether and concurrently
• Detail & process oriented with strong problem-solving skillsets
• Strong computer skills (Excel, Word, PowerPoint); other systems desired (ETQ, Prodika, SharePoint, TraceGains, Centric, etc.)
• Ability to communicate clearly within the organization and externally
• Excellent written and verbal communication skillsHigh emotional intelligence and ability to work with ever changing conditions
• Position may require up to 40% travel annually

The Right Place for You

We are bold, kind, strive to do the right thing, we play to win, and we believe in a strong community that thrives together. Our culture is rooted in our Basic Beliefs, and we believe in supporting every employee by meeting their physical, emotional, and financial needs.

Stay connected with us on LinkedIn®

We're an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, age, national origin, disability status or protected veteran status.