Director of Quality and Safety

Talent Wave Associates; Lexington (KY); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Talent Wave Associates is seeking a senior leader to drive quality assurance, food safety, regulatory compliance, and occupational safety across manufacturing operations. The role supports rapid growth, ensuring product integrity during expansion, and scaling systems to protect consumers and the brand.

The successful candidate will collaborate with multiple departments, oversee audits and CAPA, and build a high-performing Quality and Safety team while partnering with Operations and Engineering

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a food-related science field.
• 10+ years in quality assurance and food safety in manufacturing.
• 5+ years in a leadership role managing teams.
• Experience in USDA-inspected environments preferred.
• HACCP/PCQI and GFSI certifications strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead development, implementation, and improvement of Food Safety and Quality Management Systems.
• Ensure regulatory compliance in USDA-inspected operations and liaise with inspectors.
• Oversee certifications, audits, and CAPA processes.
• Manage environmental monitoring, sanitation, allergen and recall readiness programs.
• Mentor the Quality and Safety team and drive supplier quality programs.
• Collaborate with Operations and Engineering on new equipment and validation.

Skills

Leadership

Regulatory compliance

USDA FSIS

Quality systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science / related field

Job description

Are you ready to lead quality and safety initiatives in a rapidly growing, innovative environment? Join a dynamic team that is redefining the food industry with cutting-edge facilities and ambitious growth targets.

About the Role

This position provides strategic and hands-on leadership for quality assurance, food safety, regulatory compliance, and occupational safety programs across manufacturing operations. This role is essential for supporting rapid growth, ensuring product integrity during expansion, and fostering a culture of quality and safety. The successful candidate will collaborate with various departments to scale systems that protect consumers, employees, and the brand.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of comprehensive Food Safety and Quality Management Systems.
• Ensure full regulatory compliance in a USDA-inspected environment and manage interactions with USDA-FSIS inspectors.
• Oversee third-party certifications, audit readiness, and drive corrective and preventive actions.
• Manage environmental monitoring, sanitation verification, allergen control, pathogen control, traceability, and recall readiness programs.
• Establish and monitor quality metrics and testing to ensure consistent high-quality output.
• Lead supplier quality and raw material programs to support ingredient integrity.
• Build, mentor, and develop the Quality and Safety team.
• Partner with Operations and Engineering on new equipment commissioning and process validation.
• Oversee workplace safety programs and promote a safe working environment.
• Support incident management, root-cause investigations, and consumer complaint handling.
• Provide strategic input to leadership on quality/safety risks and opportunities.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Food Technology, Chemistry, or a related field.
• 10 years of experience in quality assurance and food safety within food manufacturing, with at least 5 years in a leadership role.
• Experience in USDA-inspected food environments is highly preferred.
• Deep knowledge of USDA-FSIS regulations, HACCP, SSOP, FSMA Preventive Controls, GMPs, and GFSI standards.
• Current certifications such as HACCP, PCQI, and GFSI scheme practitioner strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to lead teams and scale quality systems in a high-growth environment.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Experience supporting new equipment installation, process validation, and product commercialization is desirable.

We're proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and are committed to fostering an inclusive, people-first recruiting experience.

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