Food Safety Quality Assurance Director

UniSea, Inc.; Redmond (WA); On-site; USD 177,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work environment

Competitive benefits

Job summary

UniSea, Inc. is seeking a passionate Food Safety Quality Assurance Director to lead UniSea’s FSQA staff in Redmond, WA and Dutch Harbor, AK. You will direct the FSMS, oversee audits, manage budgets, and mentor teams across multiple sites from the corporate office in Redmond.

The role requires managing regulatory compliance, driving continuous improvement, and ensuring customer quality expectations are met. Occasional travel to Alaska may be required; hybrid work is supported.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant scientific field is required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum 8 years of seafood or food quality control exp, incl. 5 years leading a QA team.
• Experience managing SQF certifications.
• Experience managing employees in remote locations is highly desired.

Responsibilities

• Direct the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of the FSMS and ensure regulatory compliance.
• Lead, mentor, and develop FSQA staff and establish department goals and succession plans.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, local, and international food safety regs and communicate impacts.
• Provide strategic direction on food safety initiatives and serve as the lead technical authority.
• Oversee HACCP plans, hazard analyses, and prerequisite programs; manage audits.
• Collaborate with customers on specs, inquiries, and corrective actions; support commercial team.

Skills

Leadership

Budget management

QA team management

Regulatory compliance

Root cause analysis

Data analytics

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Biology, Chemistry, or related

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

UniSea is looking for a passionate Food Safety Quality Assurance Director to lead and mentor UniSea’s FSQA employees working in our Redmond, Washington and Dutch Harbor, Alaska operations. The FSQA Director will be working at our Corporate Office located in Redmond, Washington.

The FSQA Director will be responsible for directing and overseeing UniSea’s companywide Food Safety Management System (FSMS) and assures that UniSea’s processing operations are maintaining compliance with all Federal and State agency requirements. The FSQA Director will also ensure that UniSea’s customers’ quality expectations and product specifications are achieved.

This position will require occasional travel to Dutch Harbor, Alaska as necessary during our processing seasons or during facility audits. Travel to Dutch Harbor, Alaska will usually be coordinated with advance notice, and the duration of the trips may be for up to two weeks at a time. Other business travel to visit our customers’ operations may also be required and will be scheduled with advance notice.

Essential Duties

• Direct the development, implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of UniSea’s Food Safety Management System (FSMS). Ensure that UniSea’s operations are in compliance with Seafood HACCP, SQF, FSMA, FDA, USDA, GMPs, SSOPs, sanitation, food defense and food fraud requirements.
• Lead, mentor and develop FSQA managers, supervisors, technicians and laboratory personnel, while establishing department goals, performance expectations, and succession plans. Foster a culture within the FSQA department of accountability, continuous learning, and operational excellence. Ensure that the department is adequately staffed and trained to support food safety and quality system requirements.
• Maintain compliance with all federal, state, local, and international food safety regulations. Monitor for changing regulatory requirements and provide timely communications about the impacts throughout the organization.
• Provide strategic direction for food safety and quality initiatives that support corporate directives and serve as the Company’s lead technical authority on all food safety and quality matters. Promote and strengthen UniSea’s proactive food safety culture throughout the organization.
• Establish and maintain quality standards for incoming raw materials, in-process operations, packaging, and finished products. Oversee laboratory operations, product testing and product destruction decisions.
• Ensure that customer specifications and quality expectations are consistently being met. Collaborate and work with customers regarding specifications, technical inquiries, and food safety concerns. Actively manage customer complaints, investigations, responses and any corrective actions. Provide support to UniSea’s Commercial department by providing technical expertise and quality assurance leadership in communications to our customers and vendors.
• Lead root cause analysis and preventive action activities related to quality and food safety incidents. Analyze quality metrics and implement corrective actions to improve performance and reduce future risk.
• Serve as the primary liaison with regulatory agencies, auditors, customers, and certification bodies. Responsible for leading all third party, customer, regulatory, and customer audits. Ensure that effective resolutions of audit findings and regulatory observations are received and implemented in a timely manner.
• Oversee all HACCP plans, hazard analyses, validation studies, verification activities, and prerequisite programs. Oversee food defense, food fraud, and crisis management preparedness programs.
• Maintain a supplier approval and verification program and continuously monitor supplier performance and implement risk-based improvement initiatives as necessary.
• Assess food safety risks and ensure effective preventive controls are established and maintained. Ensure that traceability, recall, and withdrawal procedures are current and effective.
• Establish food safety and quality performance metrics and KPIs. Utilize data analytics and trend analysis to identify and recommend improvement opportunities. Lead initiatives that improve product quality, processing capability, regulatory compliance, or customer satisfaction.
• Communicate and present food safety and quality performance updates to Executive leadership. Make recommendations and provide technical leadership and support for capital improvement projects for quality related investments.
• Responsible for developing and managing departmental budgets and resource requirements.
• This position may require occasional travel to UniSea’s Alaska operations or to visit customers operations.
• Perform other duties as directed.

Position Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Biology, Chemistry, Food Engineering, or in another related scientific disciplines, or equivalent is required. Master’s degree preferred.
• Must have at least 8 years of seafood or other food related quality control experience, including 5 years of experience managing a QA team.
• Previous experience managing and maintaining SQF certifications.
• Previous experience managing employees in a remote location is highly desired.
• Experience in budget management and strategic planning.
• Must have excellent leadership, communication and interpersonal skills.
• Must be able to pass a post offer drug screen and criminal background check.

This is a salaried exempt position located in Redmond, Washington with a starting salary within the range of $177,000 – $210,000 per year.

UniSea offers a rich benefits package including:

• Hybrid work environment. UniSea’s Corporate office is currently working 4 days in office and 1 day remote.
• 4 hours of free EV/plug-in hybrid vehicle charging at the Office during business hours.
• Medical/Dental/Vision insurance available after 60-day eligibility period is satisfied
• A variety of different voluntary coverages are offered – including AFLAC policies and additional life insurance for self and family members
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Dependent Care Accounts are available after 60-day eligibility period is satisfied
• 401(k) plan and additional 3% employer contribution – after 6-month eligibility period is satisfied. UniSea matches 100% of your contributions up to the first 5%, plus makes an additional 3% employer contribution.
• Employer paid life insurance
• Paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays

UniSea is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.