Food Safety & Quality Assurance Manager

Ditsch; Cincinnati (OH); On-site; USD 95,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading pretzel manufacturer in Cincinnati seeks a Manager, FSQA to oversee Food Safety and Quality programs. The role involves ensuring compliance with standards, leadership in quality systems, and collaboration across teams. Candidates should have extensive FSQA experience in food manufacturing and relevant qualifications. The position offers a competitive salary and opportunities for growth.

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits package

Opportunities for growth and development

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive FSQA leadership experience in food manufacturing preferred.
• SQF Practitioner, HACCP Certification and PCQI; or Equivalent required.
• In-depth knowledge of HACCP, FSMA, GFSI, GMPs.

Responsibilities

• Oversee dual-site FSQA programs.
• Manage compliance with HACCP, FSMA, GFSI standards.
• Lead the development of quality programs and audits.

Skills

HACCP knowledge

Leadership

Regulatory compliance

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Quality management systems (QMS)

Job description

Current job opportunities are posted here as they become available.

DITSCH USA creates memorable pretzel experiences! We bake artisan pretzels available for both food service and retail markets. As a leading producer of pretzels, we are committed to freshness and providing clean-label products. The quality of our irresistible products comes from more than 100 years of experience and craftsmanship in the ART OF PRETZEL MAKING!

We seek those who want to learn and grow within our organization. Ditsch USA offers development options to add to your skill set and open new opportunities for you within our organization. At Ditsch USA you will find a welcoming, safe, and team-orientated environment.

The Manager, FSQA will provide leadership and oversight of Food Safety, Quality, and Sanitation programs across two bakery facilities. This role ensures compliance with regulatory, customer, and company standards while fostering our culture of food safety, product quality, and continuous improvement. The FSQA Manager will play a critical role in developing, maintaining, and verifying quality systems, product specifications, and labeling compliance to protect the brand and ensure consistent excellence across both sites.

Key Responsibilities:

• Oversee dual-site FSQA programs, ensuring consistent implementation of food safety, quality, and sanitation standards.
• Manage and verify compliance with HACCP, FSMA, GFSI/SQF, and customer-specific requirements.
• Lead the development, monitoring, and verification of quality programs, including finished product standards, raw material specifications, and Food Safety process controls.
• Oversee specification controls to ensure raw materials, packaging, and finished products meet defined requirements and customer expectations.
• Ensure label compliance with FDA regulations, allergen declarations, ingredient statements, and nutritional accuracy.
• Audit and verify sanitation programs, ensuring proper cleaning and validation across all facilities.
• Partner with Plant Operations and Sanitation teams to ensure consistent compliance, while providing oversight, training, and verification.
• Support internal and external audits, regulatory inspections, and customer visits.
• Lead investigations and root cause analysis for customer complaints, deviations, and non-conformances.
• Provide training and coaching to site FSQA and operations staff on food safety, sanitation, labeling, and quality programs.
• Collaborate across all functions on product launches, specification approvals, and quality risk assessments.
• Monitor and analyze FSQA performance metrics across sites, identifying opportunities for improvement and ensuring corrective actions are implemented.
• Act as the subject matter expert on regulatory compliance, emerging food safety trends, and industry best practices.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Microbiology, or related field
• 8+ years of progressive FSQA leadership experience in food manufacturing, preferably bakery or CPG.
• SQF Practitioner, HACCP Certification and PCQI; or Equivalent
• Dual-site experience is strongly preferred.
• In-depth knowledge of HACCP, FSMA, GFSI (SQF/BRC), GMPs, allergen management, sanitation, and labeling regulations.
• Demonstrated experience managing quality systems, specification control programs, and regulatory label compliance.
• Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
• Ability to influence cross-functional teams and drive alignment on FSQA expectations.
• Skilled in root cause analysis, problem-solving, and implementation of corrective actions.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and quality management systems (QMS, ERP preferred).

Compensation Range: $95,000 - $120,000
Reports to: Director/VP Operations
Direct Reports: Quality Supervisors & Sanitation Supervisor

This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on relevant experience, and other job-related qualifications/skills. The Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. We offer a comprehensive benefits package, and opportunities for growth and development.

Please note this job posting is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee in this role. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

The physical requirements are representative of those an employee may encounter while performing the job's essential functions. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

*Recruiters* We are not accepting resumes/referrals from outside recruiters unless we have signed a contract. We value our relationships with our recruiting partners and all potential candidates. As a recruiter, if you share a resume/referral and we do not have a signed agreement, we still may contact the candidate and reserve the right to not engage your recruiting partnership.

Ditsch USA, is an equal-opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.