Chief Quality & Food Safety Officer

F&S Produce; Vineland (NJ); On-site; USD 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation package

Comprehensive benefits: Medical,Dental

401(K) including company match

Paid Time Off annually + Paid Holidays

Tuition Assistance

Job summary

F&S Fresh Foods, headquartered in Vineland, NJ, seeks a Vice President of Quality & Food Safety to lead QA, food safety, regulatory compliance, supplier and customer quality across all facilities. This executive sets enterprise-wide strategy, standards, and systems to keep products safe, compliant, and audit-ready with regulators and customers.

You will partner with Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, Product Development, Sales and Leadership to drive data-based improvements, manage audits

Qualifications

• Must have: Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Food Technology, Engineering, or a related scientific discipline; Master’s degree preferred
• Must have: HACCP and Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) certifications
• Must have: 15+ years of progressive Quality and Food Safety leadership, including 7+ years leading multi-site organizations
• Must have: Extensive experience in fresh, refrigerated, ready-to-eat, produce, protein, or other highly regulated food manufacturing
• Must have: Proven success leading customer audits, regulatory inspections, certification audits, recalls, and crisis events
• Must have: Strong knowledge of FDA, USDA, FSMA, GFSI, Environmental Monitoring Programs, and Quality Systems
• Nice to have: Lead Auditor, SQF Practitioner, BRCGS, or equivalent certification
• Personal quality: Strategic, consumer- and customer-focused decision-maker who uses metrics, risk assessments, and audit results to set priorities while balancing operational and commercial objectives
• Personal quality: Executive presence and influence with customers, regulators, and leadership, with a track record of building high-performing teams and delivering measurable results

Responsibilities

• Set and execute the long-term Quality and Food Safety strategy, including enterprise goals, standards, KPIs, and governance processes aligned with business objectives
• Lead all corporate Quality Assurance, Food Safety, Regulatory Compliance, Supplier Quality, and Customer Quality functions, ensuring consistent programs across all facilities
• Own the enterprise Food Safety Management System, including HACCP, Preventive Controls, Environmental Monitoring, Allergen Management, Traceability, Food Defense, and pathogen control
• Establish and maintain enterprise quality management systems so products consistently meet specifications, customer expectations, and regulatory requirements
• Ensure compliance with FDA, USDA, FSMA, GFSI, state, local, and customer requirements, interpreting emerging regulations and maintaining audit and inspection readiness at every site
• Serve as senior liaison with regulatory agencies, certification bodies, and customer auditors, overseeing closure of audit findings, regulatory actions, and corrective actions
• Serve as executive authority and decision-maker for food safety incidents, recalls, and crisis response, maintaining risk assessment, traceability, mock recall, and incident management programs
• Represent F&S during customer visits, audits, business reviews, and quality events, building strategic relationships and leading resolution of significant complaints and brand-risk events
• Partner with Commercial, Product Development, and Operations to support growth while maintaining product integrity and improving customer satisfaction
• Establish supplier approval, audit, and monitoring standards and drive supplier performance improvement, partnering with Procurement to mitigate supply chain risk
• Drive data-based improvement to reduce defects, waste, and customer complaints and improve process capability, publishing executive dashboards and performance updates for leadership
• Lead and develop Directors, Managers, and technical leaders, building succession plans, bench strength, and a culture of accountability, engagement, and high performance
• Establish enterprise training standards and competency requirements, partnering with Operations and Human Resources to build food safety and quality into talent development and performance management
• Champion a companywide culture where food safety and quality are everyone’s responsibility, promoting proactive risk identification and continuous improvement
• Serve as the company’s senior subject matter expert on food safety, quality systems, microbiology, compliance, and regulatory matters
• Participate in strategic planning, acquisition integration activities, and enterprise transformation initiatives

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Food Technology, Engineering, or a related scientific discipline

Master’s degree

Job description

F&S Fresh Foods, headquartered in Vineland, NJ, seeks a Vice President of Quality & Food Safety to lead QA, food safety, regulatory compliance, supplier and customer quality across all facilities. This executive sets enterprise-wide strategy, standards, and systems to keep products safe, compliant, and audit-ready with regulators and customers.

You will partner with Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, Product Development, Sales and Leadership to drive data-based improvements, manage audits