Food Quality Manager

Actalent; Elk River (MN); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full benefits package

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Job summary

Actalent is seeking a Food Quality Manager in Elk River, MN to oversee QA and food safety within a manufacturing environment. The role leads audits, maintains quality systems, and drives continuous improvement across the organization.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years of QA in food manufacturing, expertise in HACCP, SQF, GMP, and experience with audits and product releases. Competitive benefits and relocation support are available for the right candidate.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5+ years of quality assurance experience in food manufacturing or a closely related industry.
• Strong working knowledge of food safety and quality systems (HACCP, SSOP, GMP, SQF, Food Defense).
• Experience with USDA regulatory compliance and GFSI audits.

Responsibilities

• Oversee QA, food safety, HACCP, SSOP, GMP, SQF and regulatory programs with accurate documentation.
• Develop and update quality procedures, reports, specifications, sanitation records, and related QA documentation.
• Lead HACCP, SSOP, and quality-team meetings and provide training on quality topics.

Skills

Quality assurance

Food safety

Regulatory compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science or related field

Job description

Food Quality Manager

Direct Placement | Excellent Benefits | Will Accept Relocation Candidates | Day Shift

Job Description

The Quality Manager oversees all aspects of quality assurance and food safety within a food manufacturing environment, ensuring that products, processes, and documentation meet regulatory, customer, and internal standards. This role develops and maintains quality systems, leads audits and inspections, manages quality staff, and drives continuous improvement across the organization.

Responsibilities

• Oversee quality assurance, food safety, HACCP, SSOP, GMP, SQF, and regulatory compliance programs, ensuring all required documentation is accurate, timely, and complete.

• Develop, maintain, and update quality procedures, reports, product specifications, sanitation records, maintenance logs, and other quality system documentation.

• Lead, support, and participate in HACCP, SSOP, Food Defense, Quality Team, and company quality meetings, including delivering training and communicating key quality topics.

• Manage internal and external audits, inspections, certifications, verifications, laboratory testing, mock recalls, lot tracking, and product release communication.

• Monitor supplier, cold storage, shipping, receiving, pest control, sanitation, and raw material programs, following up on issues and implementing corrective actions as needed.

• Support label approval processes, UPC creation, carton and bag blueprint review, nutritional documentation, net weight compliance, and product specification accuracy.

• Respond to customer, supplier, cold storage, and USDA concerns, leading timely investigation, resolution, and documentation of product or compliance issues.

• Provide leadership and oversight for QA staff, including the QA Supervisor, managing department supplies and budgets while supporting training, accountability, and overall quality department performance.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to resolve quality and food safety issues and drive continuous improvement initiatives.

• Ensure ongoing compliance with USDA regulations and GFSI audit requirements, maintaining readiness for regulatory and third-party audits.

Essential Skills

• Minimum 5+ years of quality assurance experience in food manufacturing or a closely related industry.

• Strong working knowledge of food safety and quality systems, including HACCP, SSOP, GMP, SQF, and Food Defense programs.

• Demonstrated understanding of USDA regulatory compliance and regulatory and GFSI audit processes.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Meat Science, Microbiology, Food Technology, Chemistry, Biological Sciences, or a related field preferred.

• Experience in quality control, quality checks, and food safety programs within a manufacturing setting.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Elk River, MN.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $80000.00 - $110000.00/yr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Base salary is one component of a competitive compensation package for employees. Full benefits package, including medical/vision/dental/life insurance, 401(k) with company match, and paid time off. We take into consideration a variety of factors including, but not limited to, skills, abilities, experience, education, credentials, and internal equity when determining the base salary offered. Roles are eligible for additional rewards, including an annual incentive program based on individual and company performance.

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Elk River,MN.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Sep 29, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.