FSQ Product Manager

Socket.dev; Minnetonka (MN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Education reimbursement

Paid Time Off from day one

Retirement plan contributions

Job summary

Lactalis US Yogurt is seeking a FSQ Product Manager based in Minneapolis, MN. You will lead quality, food safety, and regulatory strategies for yogurt production locations, ensuring products meet specifications throughout their life cycle.

You will partner with plants, R&D, and global Quality teams to champion consumer-first design and continuous improvement, driving best practices across sites and ensuring regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree is required; engineering, food science, or microbiology preferred.
• 8+ years Food Safety & Quality Yogurt experience is required.
• Solid knowledge of GFSI, HACCP, US food regulations (PMO, FDA) and understanding of SQC principles.
• Understanding of statistical process control and its application to product quality.

Responsibilities

• Lead quality, food safety, and regulatory strategies for Lactalis US Yogurt production locations.
• Champion consumer-first product design and quality as manufactured throughout the product life cycle.
• Lead product quality and food safety improvement efforts.
• Facilitate plant floor evaluations, new equipment commissioning, new product launches, and ongoing product evaluations; focus on issue resolutions and FSQ requirements.
• Monitor and identify quality and food safety improvement opportunities using manufacturing, customer, and consumer data; determine next actions and drive change.
• Maintain partnership with internal plants and collaborate on continuous improvement activities.
• Alert senior management on major issues and promote best practices across the organization.
• Manage a portfolio of projects across multiple brands, support prioritization and escalation of critical points.

Skills

Quality leadership

Food safety

Regulatory compliance

Cross-functional collaboration

Data analysis

GFSI knowledge

HACCP knowledge

US FDA knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree required

Engineering, food science, or microbiology preferred

Job description

Description

Ready for more than just a job? Build a career with purpose.

At Lactalis in the USA, we’re committed to providing meaningful opportunities for our people to learn, grow, and thrive—whether you’re just starting your journey with us or looking to take the next step in your career. From day one, we offer the tools and support to help you succeed.

As the world leader in dairy, Lactalis is a family‑owned company with over 85,000 pragmatic and ambitious professionals across the globe. Each day, we’re proud to produce award‑winning dairy products that bring people together.

In the US, we proudly offer an unrivaled house of beloved brands, including Galbani® Italian cheeses and ricotta, Président® specialty cheeses and butters, Kraft® natural and grated cheeses, Breakstone’s® cottage cheese, Cracker Barrel®, Black Diamond® cheddar, and Parmalat® milk. Our yogurt portfolio includes siggi’s®, Stonyfield Organic®, Brown Cow™, Oui®, Yoplait®, Go‑Gurt®, :ratio®, Green Mountain Creamery®, and Mountain High®, along with a growing family of ethnic favorites like Karoun®, Gopi®, and Arz®.

At Lactalis, we live by our core values—Ambition, Engagement, and Simplicity. We foster a workplace where innovation thrives, diverse perspectives are celebrated, and everyone’s unique background and ideas are valued.

Even if you don’t meet every qualification, we encourage you to apply. We want to hear about your PASSION, your STORY, and how your EXPERTISE can help us shape the future of dairy.

From your PASSION to ours

Lactalis US Yogurt, part of the Lactalis family of companies, is currently hiring a FSQ Product Manager based in Minneapolis, MN. The FSQ Product Manager, will lead quality and food safety strategies for Lactalis US Yogurt (LUSY) facilities by championing our consumers’ needs first via proper product design implementation followed by quality of manufactured product throughout the product life cycle. The role will support product projects across our portfolio of facilities. Additionally, the FSQ Product Manager will partner with our Production Plants, R&D, Business, Supply Chain, and global Quality teams, along with external partners, to champion quality, safety and regulatory compliance of our products. to align duties with the company's goals and values. The FSQ Product Manager will report to FSQ Product Sr Manager for LUSY.

From your EXPERTISE to ours

Key responsibilities for this position include:

• Lead quality, food safety, and regulatory strategies for Lactalis US Yogurt production locations.
• Champion consumer first product design and quality as manufactured throughout the product life cycle. Ensure plants are capable of consistently delivering products within specification.
• Lead product quality and food safety improvement efforts.
• Facilitate plant floor evaluations, new equipment commissioning, new product launches, and ongoing product evaluations. Focus on issue resolutions and promoting FSQ requirements for delivering superior products.
• Monitor and identify quality and food safety improvement opportunities leveraging manufacturing, customer, and consumer data, determine next actions and influence the change.
• Maintain a close partnership with LUSY internal plants and collaborate on continuous improvement activities.
• Alerts senior management on major issues.
• Proactively share and promote best practices throughout the organization.
• Manage a portfolio of projects associated with several brands, support prioritization, and escalation of critical points.
• Ensure consistency across all sites to deliver the best product quality possible.
• Collaborate with quality peers and management to implement innovation and best practices for more efficient operations.

Requirements

From your STORY to ours

Qualified applicants will contribute the following:

Education

• Bachelor's degree is required.
• A major in engineering, food science, and/or microbiology is preferred.

Experience

• 8+ years Food Safety & Quality Yogurt experience is required.

Certifications and specific knowledge

• Solid knowledge of GFSI, HACCP, US food regulations, i.e. PMO, FDA
• Understanding of Food Safety & Quality as applied to our products.
• Understanding of statistical process control and application for product quality.

At Lactalis, we offer a comprehensive Total Rewards Program with a variety of affordable benefits and coverage options. We support insurance costs significantly, contribute generously to retirement plans, and offer Paid Time Off from day one. We are committed to your professional growth, providing training and development opportunities, including Education Reimbursement. Join us and grow your career.

Lactalis is an equal employment opportunity employer. We will not discriminate against applicants with regard to any legally‑recognized basis including, but not limited to: veteran status, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, and physical or mental disabilities. Further, any division of the Company that is an Affiantive Action Employer will comply with all related legal obligations.