Plant Quality Leader – Food & Beverage

Job Juncture; Springfield (MO); On-site; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Job Juncture seeks a Quality Manager II for a well-regarded food and beverage manufacturer in Springfield, MO. You will own product and packaging quality, food safety, regulatory compliance, and quality-related costs, while leading the Quality team and overseeing laboratory and sanitation operations.

You will drive improvements across the plant, maintain SQF/HACCP/GMP/FDA standards, and manage CAPA from root cause analyses.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Quality, Manufacturing, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of direct Quality management experience in a manufacturing setting; food and beverage experience strongly preferred.
• Solid knowledge of quality management systems, HACCP, food safety and food defense, GMP, GFSI, FDA, and related regulations.
• Proven track record leading Quality teams and driving continuous improvement.
• Strong leadership, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with sound judgment under pressure.
• Ability to use statistical methods to analyze quality data and spot trends.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, organization, and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Quality Department to deliver on KPIs, quality targets, and continuous improvement goals.
• Serve as the site SQF Practitioner and manage the SQF system, Food Safety Fundamentals, HACCP programs, and Food Safety and Quality Plans.
• Keep the facility compliant with GFSI, FDA, CFIA, customer, corporate, OSHA, and environmental requirements, along with GMP and PPE policies.
• Verify that raw materials, packaging, in-process product, and finished goods meet specifications and manufacturing standards.
• Oversee daily quality inspections, laboratory and microbiological testing, water treatment, syrup blending, and sanitation.
• Manage laboratory resources, analytical equipment, and quality data to support timely, accurate decisions.
• Run internal audits and put best practices in place across the site.
• Write and maintain Quality SOPs, work instructions, and controlled documents, and keep all food safety and quality records secure and easy to access.
• Own non-conformances from root cause analysis through corrective and preventive action, closing items on time.
• Make sure employees are trained on food safety and quality requirements.
• Manage Quality Department spending, including labor, waste, and fixed and variable costs, with a clear view of how plant financials and production volume affect results.
• Prepare capital requests and carry approved Quality projects through to completion.
• Lead plant projects such as waste reduction, validations, new product launches, and process improvements.
• Hire, onboard, coach, evaluate, and develop Quality team members.
• Build a culture of quality, food safety, accountability, and engagement, and support strategies for accident reduction, energy savings, and waste minimization.
• Investigate quality, safety, and regulatory issues and put effective corrective actions in place.

Skills

Quality mgmt

HACCP

GFSI knowledge

FDA regulations

Data analysis

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science/Quality/Manufacturing

Tools

SAP

Laboratory data systems

Job description

Job Juncture seeks a Quality Manager II for a well-regarded food and beverage manufacturer in Springfield, MO. You will own product and packaging quality, food safety, regulatory compliance, and quality-related costs, while leading the Quality team and overseeing laboratory and sanitation operations.

You will drive improvements across the plant, maintain SQF/HACCP/GMP/FDA standards, and manage CAPA from root cause analyses.