Manager Supplier and Co Manufacturing

The Marzetti Company; Lewis Center (OH); Remote; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Bachan's is seeking a collaborative and technically strong Manager, Supplier & Co-Manufacturing Quality to lead the Food Safety and Quality programs across our external manufacturing and supplier network.

This role serves as the primary quality partner between Bachan's, Marzetti, and third-party suppliers to ensure products meet Bachan's quality standards, regulatory requirements, and customer expectations. The position can be performed remotely from most major cities within the USA.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science or related field.
• 7–10+ years in Food Safety/Quality involving suppliers or external manufacturing.
• Experience with supplier quality programs and audits.
• Experience in commercialization and new product launches.
• Experience leading cross-functional quality initiatives.
• Knowledge of FSMA, HACCP, GMP, Preventive Controls, CAPA and risk assessment.
• PCQI certification or ability to obtain within 12 months.
• Experience with quality metrics and supplier scorecards.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement supplier and co-manufacturing Food Safety and Quality programs.
• Lead qualification, approval, and ongoing performance management of ingredient and packaging suppliers, co-packers, and co-manufacturing partners.
• Establish supplier quality expectations, metrics, and scorecards.
• Partner with Procurement and Operations during supplier selection and onboarding.
• Support supplier compliance with FSMA, HACCP, GMP, allergen management, sanitation, traceability, and GFSI.
• Conduct supplier and co-manufacturer quality assessments and audits.
• Participate in audit readiness activities with regulatory, customer, and third parties.
• Lead CAPA investigations and verify effectiveness of corrective actions.
• Collaborate on launches, reformulations, and manufacturing transfers.
• Develop and maintain SQMS documentation and quality records.

Skills

7–10+ years experience in Food Safety,

Quality Assurance

Supplier Quality

Manufacturing Quality

Audits (GFSI/third-party)

Cross-functional leadership

CAPA & root cause analysis

FSMA, HACCP, GMP knowledge

PCQI certification or willingness to取得

Supplier scorecards & metrics

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, Microbiology, Chemistry, or related scientific discipline

PCQI Certification

Job description

Overview

Bachan's is seeking a collaborative and technically strong Manager, Supplier & Co-Manufacturing Quality to lead the Food Safety and Quality programs supporting our external manufacturing and supplier network.

This role serves as the primary quality partner between Bachan's, Marzetti, and our third-party manufacturing and ingredient suppliers to ensure products consistently meet Bachan's quality standards, regulatory requirements, and customer expectations. The position is responsible for supplier qualification, co-manufacturing quality management, food safety compliance, commercialization support, supplier auditing, corrective action management, and continuous improvement initiatives.

The successful candidate will balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution, helping build scalable quality systems while maintaining the speed, flexibility, and entrepreneurial culture that defines Bachan's.

This job can be performed remotely from most major cities within the USA!

Responsibilities

Supplier & Co-Manufacturing Quality

• Develop, implement, and continuously improve supplier and co-manufacturing Food Safety and Quality programs.
• Lead qualification, approval, and ongoing performance management of ingredient suppliers, packaging suppliers, co-packers, and co-manufacturing partners.
• Establish supplier quality expectations, performance metrics, and scorecards to drive continuous improvement and reduce quality risk.
• Partner with Procurement and Operations during supplier selection, capability assessments, and new supplier onboarding.

Food Safety & Compliance

• Support and maintain supplier compliance with applicable Food Safety regulations including FSMA, HACCP, GMP, Preventive Controls, allergen management, sanitation, traceability, and GFSI requirements.
• Conduct supplier and co-manufacturer quality assessments to evaluate compliance with Bachan's and regulatory standards.
• Participate in Food Safety risk assessments and annual supplier audit planning.
• Support regulatory, customer, and third-party audit readiness activities.

Auditing & Corrective Actions

• Develop and maintain Quality Audit Plans for external manufacturing partners.
• Review supplier audit reports and ensure timely completion of corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs).
• Lead root cause investigations for supplier quality issues, deviations, consumer complaints, and product non-conformances.
• Verify effectiveness of corrective actions and ensure sustainable process improvements.

Commercialization & Product Support

• Partner with Commercialization, R&D, Operations, Procurement, and Supply Chain to support successful product launches, reformulations, packaging changes, and manufacturing transfers.
• Support product start-ups and commercialization activities at co-manufacturing facilities.
• Evaluate supplier readiness for new products, packaging, ingredients, and manufacturing processes.
• Collaborate on identification and implementation of new technologies and manufacturing capabilities.

Specifications & Quality Systems

• Support development, implementation, and continuous improvement of Supplier Quality Management System (SQMS) documentation, procedures, audit standards, and quality records.
• Review and support approval of ingredient, packaging, and finished product specifications in partnership with Regulatory, Procurement, and R&D.
• Support finished product release documentation and food safety record reviews as needed.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Build collaborative partnerships across Procurement, Operations, Commercialization, Regulatory, R&D, Supply Chain, Customer Service, and Manufacturing.
• Serve as the quality representative for supplier-related initiatives across the organization.
• Influence without direct authority to ensure quality expectations are consistently achieved throughout the supply chain.
• Identify opportunities to improve supplier performance, reduce risk, and simplify quality processes while supporting business growth.

Qualifications

Qualification Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, Microbiology, Chemistry, or related scientific discipline.
• 7–10+ years of progressive experience in Food Safety, Quality Assurance, Supplier Quality, or Manufacturing Quality within the food or consumer packaged goods industry.
• Experience managing supplier quality programs and external manufacturing partners.
• Experience supporting commercialization and new product launches.
• Experience conducting supplier, manufacturing, or GFSI audits.
• Experience leading cross-functional quality improvement initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of: FSMA, HACCP, GMP, Preventive Controls, Supplier Quality Systems, Root Cause Analysis, CAPA processes, Risk Assessment methodologies
• PCQI Certification required or ability to obtain within 12 months.
• Experience with quality metrics, supplier scorecards, and continuous improvement methodologies preferred.

Competencies

• Customer Focus
• Strategic Mindset
• Courage
• Drives Results
• Instills Trust

Working Conditions/Environment

Working Conditions/Environment:

This position works in both office and manufacturing environments. Regular travel to supplier and co-manufacturing facilities is required. When visiting manufacturing facilities, the employee must comply with all applicable GMP, Food Safety, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirements including hairnets, hearing protection, safety glasses, gloves, and other required protective equipment. Travel is expected to be approximately 30–40%, including overnight travel.