FSQA Manager - Dairy MFG

Hunter the Head Hunter; Indiana; On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Hunter the Head Hunter is seeking an experienced Food Safety & Quality (FSQ) Manager to lead the FSQ department of a growing food manufacturing organization. You will develop and implement food safety, quality systems, and regulatory programs to ensure compliance with FDA, USDA, SQF, and customer standards.

The ideal candidate will have hands-on leadership on the manufacturing floor, manage audits, CAPA, EMP, and cross-functional collaboration with Operations, Engineering, and R&D to drive

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant technical field is required.
• 8+ years of progressive FSQ leadership in food manufacturing.
• Strong knowledge of HACCP/FSMA and preventive controls.
• Experience with SQF or other GFSI standards and audits.
• Record of leading FDA/USDA and third-party audits.

Responsibilities

• Lead the FSQ department, including QA, Food Safety, and Sanitation teams.
• Develop, mentor, and evaluate FSQ personnel for accountability.
• Maintain and improve food safety systems (HACCP, Preventive Controls, SQF, GMPs, SSOPs, EMP).
• Serve as primary quality contact during FDA, USDA, SQF, and audits.
• Lead root-cause investigations, CAPA activities, and corrective actions.
• Oversee EMP, sanitation validation, allergen management, and product release.
• Partner with Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, Procurement, R&D, and Supply Chain.
• Ensure ingredient, in-process, and finished product compliance with specs.
• Manage complaint investigations, non-conforming product, holds, deviations.
• Support commercialization with FSQ guidance during new product changes.
• Monitor quality metrics and KPIs to identify trends and improvements.
• Develop and maintain audit-ready documentation and SOPs.
• Manage departmental budgets, staffing, and strategic quality initiatives.

Skills

Leadership

Regulatory knowledge

Audit leadership

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, or related field

Job description

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Food Safety & Quality (FSQ) Manager to join the leadership team of a growing food manufacturing organization. This position is responsible for developing, implementing, and continuously improving food safety and quality systems while ensuring compliance with FDA, USDA, SQF, customer, and company standards. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership skills, a hands-on management style, and a proven track record leading quality, sanitation, environmental monitoring, and regulatory compliance programs within a food manufacturing environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the Food Safety & Quality department, including Quality Assurance, Food Safety, and Sanitation teams.


• Develop, mentor, and evaluate FSQ personnel while building a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.


• Maintain and improve food safety systems including HACCP, Preventive Controls, SQF, GMPs, SSOPs, and Environmental Monitoring Programs (EMP).


• Serve as the primary quality contact during FDA, USDA, SQF, customer, and third-party audits.


• Lead root cause investigations, CAPA activities, and verification of corrective actions.


• Oversee environmental monitoring, sanitation validation, allergen management, and product release programs.


• Partner closely with Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, Procurement, R&D, and Supply Chain to resolve quality issues and improve manufacturing performance.


• Ensure ingredient, in-process, and finished product compliance with customer specifications and regulatory requirements.


• Manage complaint investigations, non-conforming product, holds, deviations, and disposition activities.


• Support commercialization efforts by providing food safety and quality guidance during new product introductions and process changes.


• Monitor quality metrics and KPIs to identify trends and implement continuous improvement initiatives.


• Develop and maintain audit-ready documentation, SOPs, work instructions, and food safety plans.


• Manage departmental budgets, staffing, and strategic quality initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent industry experience).


• 8+ years of progressive Food Safety and Quality leadership experience within food manufacturing.


• Strong knowledge of:


• HACCPFSMA / Preventive Controls


• Strong knowledge of: SQF or other GFSI standards


• Strong knowledge of: GMPs


• Strong knowledge of: SSOPs


• Strong knowledge of: Environmental Monitoring Programs (EMP)


• Strong knowledge of: CAPA and Root Cause Analysis


• Experience leading customer, FDA, USDA, SQF, and third-party audits.


• Experience developing and coaching quality teams.


• Excellent communication and cross-functional leadership skills.


• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• PCQI Certification


• HACCP Certification


• SQF Practitioner Certification


• Experience within dairy, cheese, refrigerated foods, frozen foods, or other FDA-regulated food manufacturing environments.


• Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma experience.


• Experience supporting new product commercialization and process improvements.

Ideal Candidate

The successful candidate is a collaborative leader who enjoys being on the manufacturing floor, coaching teams, solving complex food safety challenges, and driving continuous improvement. They are equally comfortable leading audits, mentoring employees, analyzing quality trends, and partnering with operations to build a world‑class food safety culture.