Food Safety & Quality Assurance Supervisor

Kent Quality Foods; Grand Rapids (MI); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Attendance bonus

Profit sharing

Health benefits

Retirement benefits

Job summary

Kent Quality Foods is seeking a Food Safety & Quality Assurance Supervisor to lead day-to-day FSQA activities, support sanitation verification, and ensure compliance with USDA-FSIS, SQF, and regulatory standards. This hands-on leadership role emphasizes technical excellence and people development in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

The ideal candidate has five or more years in food manufacturing with HACCP and GFSI experience, and a commitment to building a strong food safety culture

Qualifications

• Minimum five years in food manufacturing, quality assurance, or related technical field.
• Experience with HACCP and GFSI-based systems is required or achievable.
• Strong communication and organizational skills are essential.

Responsibilities

• Direct FSQA Technicians and foster a strong food safety culture.
• Oversee HACCP, prerequisite programs, SQF, sanitation verification, and environmental monitoring.
• Lead investigations, root cause analysis, and corrective actions for quality and safety issues.
• Ensure products, processes, records, and practices meet USDA-FSIS, SQF, and regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate across Operations, Sanitation, Maintenance, and other teams to drive improvements.
• Review data and trends to identify recurring issues and opportunities for improvement.
• Support onboarding, training, documentation accuracy, and technician development.
• Utilize Redzone system for checks, documentation, and efficiency.

Skills

Leadership

HACCP

USDA-FSIS

SQF

Documentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science/Microbiology/Quality Systems

Job description

Kent Quality Foods, a premier manufacturer of specialty meat products, is seeking a Food Safety & Quality Assurance Supervisor to step into a hands-on leadership role supporting daily food safety, quality assurance, sanitation verification, environmental monitoring, technician development, and regulatory compliance activities. This opportunity is well suited for an experienced quality professional who is ready to grow as a people leader while continuing to use strong technical knowledge to strengthen food safety systems, resolve issues, and partner cross-functionally to deliver safe, high-quality products.

What You'll Do

• Provide day-to-day directions, coaching, and support for FSQA Technicians while promoting accountability, professionalism, open communication, and a strong food safety culture.
• Oversee daily execution of HACCP, prerequisite programs, SQF requirements, sanitation verification, environmental monitoring, product checks, documentation review, and audit readiness activities.
• Support investigations, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and follow-up verification for food safety, quality, sanitation, customer, regulatory, or environmental concerns.
• Help ensure products, processes, records, and employee practices meet company, customer, USDA-FSIS, SQF, and regulatory expectations.
• Partner with Operations, Sanitation, Maintenance, Warehouse, R&D, HR, Safety, and leadership teams to resolve issues, support process changes, and drive continuous improvement.
• Review quality data, technician observations, product trends, customer feedback, and nonconformance activity to identify recurring issues and improvement opportunities.
• Support onboarding, training, scheduling, documentation accuracy, technician competency development, and routine performance feedback.
• Use the Redzone system to support checks, documentation, food safety, and departmental efficiency.

What We're Looking For

• High school diploma or GED required; bachelor's degree in food science, Microbiology, Biology, Quality Systems, Manufacturing, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of five years of food manufacturing, quality assurance, food safety, sanitation, laboratory, or related technical manufacturing experience.
• HACCP certification or ability to obtain certification within an approved timeframe.
• Working knowledge of USDA-FSIS requirements, HACCP, GMPs, SQF or other GFSI-based systems, sanitation verification, environmental monitoring, allergen controls, traceability, corrective actions, and documentation practices.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, organizational, and time management skills.
• Ability and willingness to learn core leadership practices, including setting expectations, coaching performance, addressing issues professionally, supporting change, and maintaining a positive work environment.
• Computer competency and ability to use systems for checks, documentation, and follow-up.
• Comfort working in refrigerated areas, wet conditions, noisy environments, and production spaces with moving equipment.
• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods, wear required personal protective equipment, access production and support areas, review records, use computer systems, and communicate effectively in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Why Join Kent Quality Foods?

In this role, you lead a critical function that directly impacts food safety, product quality, customer satisfaction, and operational excellence. You will receive support from FSQA leadership as you develop team members, strengthen systems, influence cross-functional improvements, and contribute to a workplace where accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement matter.

Pay is based on experience. Eligible for attendance bonus valued at $1 per hour and profit sharing. Kent Quality Foods offers a competitive benefits package including comprehensive health benefits and retirement benefits. We are a well-established business with almost seven decades of success, and even if you do not know our name, you will surely know our products.