Plant Food Safety & Quality Assurance Manager

Smithfield Packaged Meats Corp

Sioux Falls (SD)

On-site

USD 90,000 - 130,000

Full time

9 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Relocation package

Be Well program

Tuition assistance

Comprehensive training and development

Job summary

Smithfield Foods, Inc. is seeking a Plant Food Safety and Quality Assurance Manager to oversee QA and food safety functions at the Sioux Falls facility.

You will lead regulatory compliance, HACCP programs, audits, and continuous improvement initiatives to ensure safe, high-quality products across Smithfield’s brands. You will manage a team of QA staff, align with the Plant Manager and Corporate Food Safety/QA teams, and ensure readiness for USDA and FDA requirements while driving best practices

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree or higher in a related field with 5+ years in food industry
Experience leading food safety and quality programs in a meat processing environment
Strong knowledge of USDA, FSIS, HACCP, and SSOP requirements
Ability to travel up to 10%
Excellent communication and leadership skills

Responsibilities

Ensure compliance with food safety, QA, and regulatory programs and proper documentation
Lead USDA daily verification tasks and third-party audits
Develop and maintain SQF and quality plans; drive continuous improvement
Manage and develop Food Safety and Quality staff; conduct performance reviews
Collaborate with USDA and plant leadership to improve product safety and quality

Skills

Food safety leadership

Regulatory compliance

Quality assurance

Auditing

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in food science/meat processing

USDA/HACCP certified

SQF certified expert

Tools

SAP

QMS

Job description

When you join Smithfield, you become part of something special - a company that sustainably feeds people around the world, producing good food the right way with respect for our people, animals, communities and planet. With opportunities across locations and functions, a culture grounded in our Core Four values - gratitude, communication, respect and accountability - and a strong commitment to learning, collaboration, and innovation, Smithfield offers challenging and rewarding careers where you can grow, contribute and make a real impact.

Your Opportunity

As part of our FS/QA team, you would conduct routine sanitation checks, ensuring that HAACP and USDA regulations are strictly enforced. Providing technical expertise to track product from start to finish, and develop corrective actions when needed. You will be responsible for ensuring that we are able to safely deliver the best Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathan's Famous, or any of our product brands to customers and consumers. Responsible for managing the Plant Food Safety and Quality Assurance Department to provide safe, high quality products that meet customer expectations. This role has the overall accountability of ensuring the food safety system is properly written, validated, documented and implemented as directed to ensure USDA and FDA regulatory compliance and the production of safe and wholesome products. Is accountable for the plant's Quality System and must provide solid leadership to achieve company, plant, and department goals through various management, evaluation and improvement skills and strategies that improve overall quality and profitability. The Plant Food Safety and Quality Assurance Manager reports to the Plant Manager, the Corporate Food Safety Manager and the Corporate Quality Assurance Manager.

Core Responsibilities

Quality and Food Safety Verification and Compliance

Verifies that all Food Safety, Quality Assurance and Regulatory programs are functioning as designed, being followed and correctly documented, thus ensuring the facility has the regulatory evidence required to prove they have produced safe and wholesome products.
Ensures USDA regulatory compliance by making scientifically defendable decisions that do not result in unjustified decreases in operational productivity or efficiency.
Able to quickly and thoroughly investigate a product/process failure, determine the root cause and take prompt corrective actions; while minimizing product exposure and production down time.
Revise and update food safety and quality programs and procedures as directed.
Accountable for the preparation and the execution of USDA daily verification tasks, as well as numerous 3rd party audits and USDA food safety system assessments.
Takes appropriate corrective action as a result of any findings generated.
Develops and fosters a strong working relationship with the USDA.

Food Safety and Quality Improvement

Prevents HACCP, SSOP and process or product failures by working with Food Safety and Quality Assurance staff members and Operations to drive continuous improvement of product quality through developing food safety and quality plans, process controls, attention to process and specifications, food safety and quality training.

Sanitation and Food Safety

Accountable for the overall design of the facility’s sanitation program.
Including authoring a written USDA regulatory program, sanitation performance tracking, training of applicable facility production and meeting regularly with the USDA to discuss sanitation findings.
Ensures that operational and pre-operational sanitation is acceptable.
Implements and develops necessary verification activities including micro sampling to verify the effectiveness of sanitation activities.
Takes action in response to negative micro and Shelf Life data to drive improvement.
Manages daily activities, in-depth training and development of the Food Safety and Quality staff members. Document corrective actions and follow-up as necessary and conduct GMP and Sanitation audits. Executes response to negative micro and Shelf Life data to drive continuous improvement, by auditing and scrutinizing the level of equipment cleanliness prior to the start of operations.

SQF

Creates and maintain SQF Quality Plan.
Completes reassessments of SQF Quality Plan if: Addition or removal of processing steps. Introduction of new product with processing steps not in currently included in Quality Analysis. At a minimum SQF Quality Plan is reassessed annually.
Oversees the development, implementation, review and maintenance of the SQF System, including food safety fundamentals outlined in 2.4.2, the food safety plan outlined in 2.4.3 and the food quality plan outlined in 2.4.4; Takes appropriate action to maintain the integrity of the SQF System.
Communicates to relevant personnel all information essential to ensure the effective implementation and maintenance of the SQF System.

Personnel Management

Responsible for managing performance plans/reviews, work schedules and assignments of other food safety staff members.
Absence: In the absence of key personnel the employee’s supervisor or qualified designee (one that has been trained in the key employee's duties) is responsible to complete or delegate the completion of all required tasks and responsibilities.

Supervisory

Provides leadership and guidance to employees in the Food Safety and Quality Assurance Department.
Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws.
Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and assisting in providing appropriate resolutions.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university and 5+ years' experience in the food industry; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Minimum of 2+ years' experience in a position of leadership to include team development and management, required.
Knowledge and understanding of quality assurance principles, food science and meat processing, SPC and statistics; preferred.
In-depth understanding of microbiological testing and limited chemistry testing.
Knowledge of various pathogens and microbes associated with food production.
Hands on experience conducting microbiological testing of meat and poultry products.
Comprehensive knowledge of USDA, FSIS, HACCP, and SSOP requirements.
USDA/HACCP Certified, preferred.
SQF Certified Expert, preferred.
Ability to uphold regulatory, company and customer standards.
Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community.
Knowledge of Database software; Inventory software; Manufacturing software; Spreadsheet and Word Processing software; QMS system and SAP.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Strong decision making and problem solving skills.
Excellent planning and organizational skills with demonstrated multi-tasking and project management skills.
Must be able to travel up to 10% of the time.
May be required to work long hours and weekends.
Must have the ability to complete required applicable forms in English, which requires the ability to read and write in English.
Ability to work well with others in fast paced, dynamic environment.
Ability to be respectful, approachable and team oriented while building strong working relationships and a positive work environment.

Relocation Package

Available Yes

Work Environment & Physical Demands

The work environment characteristics and physical demands described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Office and plant setting. The plant environment will include wet or humid conditions (non-weather related), extreme cold and heat (non-weather related), working near moving mechanical parts, exposure to fumes or airborne particles, and chemicals. Occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision includes close vision, distance vision, and ability to adjust focus. Frequently required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and talk or hear. Noise level in the work environment is usually moderate but can be loud when in the production area.

EEO Information

Smithfield is an equal opportunity employer committed to workplace diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, gender identity, protected veterans status, status as a disabled individual or any other protected group status or non-job characteristic as directed by law. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment selection process, please call us at 757-357-1595.