Director, Plant Quality

drinkpak; Santa Clarita (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PPO medical, dental, and vision

Cell phone stipend

Annual discretionary bonus

401(k) match

Pet insurance

Life insurance

Job summary

DrinkPAK, a rapidly growing beverage producer, seeks a Director of Quality to lead QA/QC at DP3 in Philadelphia with travel to TX and CA. You will shape quality strategy, food safety, regulatory compliance, and certifications while guiding a 45-person team in a 24/7 manufacturing environment.

The role partners with senior leadership to set benchmarks, drive continuous improvement, and ensure robust documentation and compliance across all sites.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in food science or related field required.
• Advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of direct leadership experience in a large, complex quality environment.
• Deep understanding of Title 21 of the Food, Drug, & Cosmetic Act and related regulations.

Responsibilities

• Oversee 24/7 QA and QC across production buildings and warehouse.
• Develop and oversee quality policies, procedures, and methods.
• Ensure compliance with local to international laws and regulations.
• Serve as primary customer contact for quality and food safety.
• Lead digitization of quality reporting and compliance processes.
• Manage certification processes (SQF, NSF, Organic, Kosher).
• Develop annual departmental budget for quality activities.

Skills

Quality leadership

Regulatory compliance

Food safety

Multi-site leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in food science

Advanced degree in food science

Job description

Power your Thirst for More at DrinkPAK, where we revolutionize beverage manufacturing, driven by automation and sustainability. Together, through grit and innovation, we break new ground in record time by acquiring the most advanced technology and attracting the brightest talent. Our explosive growth and journey through uncharted territories offers unique career opportunities enabling passionate individuals to reach their full potential. To support our teams, we offer enriching lifestyle accounts, comprehensive benefits, formal development programs, and an energizing environment. Drive your success at DrinkPAK, where we refresh, hydrate and nourish the world and our employees alike.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Director of Quality will provide strategic and operational leadership for DrinkPAK's Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) functions at DP3 in Philadelphia, PA, overseeing quality strategy, food safety, regulatory compliance, certifications, quality systems, commercialization, and continuous improvement in a complex 24/7 manufacturing environment. This role will partner with senior leadership, serve as a key quality and food safety contact for customers, and lead a team of approximately 45 quality professionals, including 2 Quality Managers, 7 Supervisors, and 35 technicians. The ideal candidate will have strong food and beverage manufacturing experience, expertise in quality systems, food safety, regulatory compliance, and multi-site leadership, with knowledge of Title 21 of the Food, Drug, & Cosmetic Act and regulations governing food and supplement manufacturing.

LOCATION

The position is fully on-site and based in Philadelphia, PA; however, the role requires significant travel to DrinkPAK facilities in Texas and California, including approximately 80% travel during the first 3-4 months. Travel requirements may vary based on business and operational needs.

BENEFITS

• PPO medical, dental, and vision insurance for our employees AND their dependents, 100% paid by the Company
• A cell phone stipend
• Annual discretionary bonus
• 401(k) match program, pet insurance, life insurance, and more.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Oversee all 24/7 quality assurance and quality control activities for DP3, which includes across 1 production buildings and 1 warehouse.
• Develop and oversee quality policies, procedures, and methods to inspect, test, and validate product and production processes.
• Ensure that all quality systems are in full compliance with local, regional, state, federal, and international laws and regulations.
• Serve as DrinkPAK's primary point of customer contact for all quality and food safety-related communication.
• Collaborate with the senior management team to set quality benchmarks and ensure high-quality documentation based on the latest industry standards.
• Lead digitization efforts of all quality reporting and compliance processes.
• Serve as the primary quality liaison for all commercialization and qualification efforts.
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement of existing processes and procedures and oversee implementation of enhanced initiatives.
• Develop and maintain an annual departmental budget for all quality activities.
• Manage all certification processes including SQF, NSF, Organic, Kosher, and similar.
• Responsible for maintaining and qualifying all critical food safety functions including recall and withdrawal procedures.

Please note this job description is not designed to contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without prior notice.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in food science, microbiology, or a related field required.
• Advanced degree in food science or a related field highly preferred.
• 10+ years of direct leadership experience in a large, complex quality environment.
• Deep understanding of Title 21 of the Food, Drug, & Cosmetic Act, including the regulations governing the manufacturing of both food products and supplements.
• Demonstrated history of managing multi-site organizations.
• Proven experience motivating and inspiring a team to achieve industry-leading performance.
• Self-motivated and self-directed with strong business acumen.
• Proven commitment to safety with a clean safety record.
• Ability to work actively on your feet for extended periods of time, navigate stairs comfortably, and lift up to 50 lbs.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, and ability to adjust focus.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

OUR VALUES

Our company's culture is guided by our shared values of Speed, Intensity, and Purpose. These values are demonstrated in the following ways based on the role within the organization.

Speed: Conti