Director FSQR, Customer Relations Americas

Barry Callebaut Group; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 160,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Flex Days

Diversity & Inclusion

Job summary

Barry Callebaut Group in the United States seeks a Regional FSQR Customer Relations leader to define and drive the regional customer quality strategy, ensuring alignment with FSQR standards and regulatory requirements. The role partners with commercial teams and global functions to deliver consistent quality, manage risks, and strengthen long-term relationships.

The position leads governance, KPIs, and CAPA while collaborating across Commercial, Operations, R&D, Supply Chain, and Sustainability

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s/Master’s degree in food science/food technology or equivalent.
• Proven leadership in regional or global roles with complex stakeholder environments.
• Fluent English; travel for audits and meetings as needed.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive the regional customer quality strategy.
• Establish governance, KPIs, and performance management across sites.
• Lead engagement with key regional customers and manage escalations.
• Lead root-cause analysis and CAPA for quality issues.
• Collaborate with Commercial, Operations, R&D, Supply Chain, and Sustainability.
• Oversee audits and regulatory compliance.

Skills

Leadership experience

Fluent English

Stakeholder management

Travel availability

Education

Bachelor’s/Master’s degree in food science/food technology or equivalent

Job description

About The Role

Barry Callebaut is a global organization poised for growth; a company which has embraced the vision to delight its customers, while out-performing its competitors, a business which is committed to sustainability, has innovation in its DNA, is a leader in complex manufacturing and supply chain solutions and is focused on being a best-in-class employer. Barry Callebaut seeks diverse and passionate people who thrive in a dynamic environment, focused on continuous learning, living Barry Callebaut (BC)’s Values and of course loving chocolate.

About The Role

Barry Callebaut is a global organization poised for growth; a company which has embraced the vision to delight its customers, while out-performing its competitors, a business which is committed to sustainability, has innovation in its DNA, is a leader in complex manufacturing and supply chain solutions and is focused on being a best-in-class employer. Barry Callebaut seeks diverse and passionate people who thrive in a dynamic environment, focused on continuous learning, living Barry Callebaut (BC)’s Values and of course loving chocolate.

The Regional FSQR Customer Relations

The Regional FSQR Customer Relations is a strategic leadership role responsible for defining and driving the regional customer quality strategy, ensuring alignment between customer expectations, regulatory requirements, and internal Food Safety, Quality & Regulatory (FSQR) standards. The role acts as the primary regional interface for customer quality, partnering with key customers, commercial teams, and global functions to deliver consistent quality performance, manage risks, and strengthen long-term customer relationships. This position plays a critical role in protecting business continuity, enhancing customer satisfaction, and enabling sustainable growth through robust quality governance, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities Include

Strategy & Governance

• Define and execute the regional customer quality strategy, aligned with global FSQR and business objectives
• Establish governance frameworks, KPIs, and performance management systems to ensure consistent execution across sites
• Drive standardization and digitalization of customer-related quality processes

Customer Engagement & Relationship Management

• Act as the senior quality contact for key regional customers, ensuring proactive engagement and strong partnerships
• Lead customer performance reviews and drive improvement actions based on insights and trends
• Manage escalations and ensure effective resolution of critical issues and complaints

Quality Performance & Continuous Improvement

• Define, monitor, and drive customer quality KPIs and service levels across the region
• Lead root cause analysis and ensure sustainable corrective and preventive actions (CAPA)
• Identify trends, risks, and improvement opportunities, driving continuous performance improvements

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure full compliance with customer requirements, regulatory frameworks, and internal standards
• Support and participate in external audits and assessments, leveraging insights to improve processes
• Oversee issue management and customer communication during incidents

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Collaborate closely with Commercial, Operations, R&D, Supply Chain, and Sustainability teams to ensure end-to-end alignment
• Translate customer and regulatory requirements into scalable operational solutions
• Drive alignment across global and regional stakeholders

Team Leadership & Capability Building

• Lead and develop a high-performing regional customer quality team
• Build capabilities in customer engagement, compliance, and issue management
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement

About You

• Bachelor’s/Master’s degree in food science/food technology or equivalent
• Bachelor/master's degree in food science/food technology or equivalent
• Proven leadership experience in regional or global roles, managing complex stakeholder environments
• Experience in audit management, certifications, and regulatory frameworks
• Strong managerial experience with leading direct and indirect teams, ideally with background in confectionery/ food environment
• Fluent English, additional languages are an asset
• Availability to travel for customer meetings, audits (on request), project and departmental meetings

What You Can Expect From Barry Callebaut

• Salary Range of $160,000 - $180,000, depending on factors such as experience and location, plus annual bonus and our comprehensive benefits package.
• Paid time off, Paid Holidays, and Flex Days
• Environment that welcomes workplace flexibility
• An atmosphere where diversity is embraced, and inclusivity is second nature. We call it #OneBC! Just ask our champions with the Americas Women’s Forum and the Racial Equality Forum!
• Ability to grow personally and professionally within an organization that values development and internal career growth.
• Be part of our mission in making sustainability the norm through Forever Chocolate with priorities centered around prospering farmers, zero child labor, carbon and forest positive, and creating 100% sustainable ingredients in all of our products.

At Barry Callebaut, we are committed to Diversity & Inclusion. United by our strong values, we thrive on the diversity of who we are, where we come from, what we’ve experienced and how we think. We are committed to nurturing an inclusive environment where people can truly be themselves, grow to their full potential and feel they belong. #oneBC - Diverse People, Sustainable Growth.