QA Lead: Food Safety & SQF Compliance

Europastry USA; New Brunswick (NJ); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Europastry USA is seeking an experienced Quality Assurance Lead to support daily food safety and quality operations in our New Jersey facility. The role supervises the QA team, assists the QA Manager/Director with regulatory and customer compliance, and serves as Backup SQF Practitioner.

The successful candidate will have strong experience in food manufacturing, SQF, HACCP, GMPs, documentation, employee training, and quality systems.

Qualifications

• 2+ years QA experience in food manufacturing.
• Supervisory or lead experience preferred.
• Knowledge of SQF, HACCP/HARPC, GMPs, allergen controls, sanitation, and food safety programs.
• HACCP training or certification required or able to complete training.
• Knowledge of SQF Food Safety Code.
• Experience with SQF, customer, regulatory, or third‑party audits preferred.
• Strong documentation, organizational, investigative, and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Ability to work flexible hours as required by production and food safety needs.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Backup SQF Practitioner and cover SQF duties when primary practitioner is unavailable.
• Assist in development, implementation, verification, maintenance, and improvement of the SQF Food Safety Management System.
• Support audits by SQF, customers, regulators, and third parties.
• Supervise QA Technicians / QA Inspectors on daily activities.
• Ensure QA coverage for inspections, testing, sampling, documentation, and verification.
• Review production and QA records for accuracy and compliance.
• Verify CCP monitoring, metal detector and X-ray records.
• Review pre-operational and GMP inspections and allergen controls.
• Conduct internal audits, GMP inspections, and corrective-action follow-ups.
• Assist investigations, root-cause analysis, CAPA, customer complaints, and holds.
• Manage product disposition and nonconforming material documentation.
• Maintain OptiReg QA records and verification system.
• Lead employee training on GMP, food safety, allergen, and other programs via Alchemy.
• Maintain training completion records and overdue training follow-up.
• Train QA and production staff on procedures and documentation expectations.
• Support new SOPs, forms, programs and process changes.
• Coordinate environmental and laboratory testing and verification programs.
• Maintain calibration programs for equipment and safety devices.
• Promote Food Safety and Quality Culture across the facility.
• Communicate safety/quality concerns to cross-functional teams and management.
• Support QA projects, reports, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Skills

Quality leadership

SQF

HACCP

GMPs

Documentation

Employee training

Quality systems

Microsoft Office

Communication

Education

HACCP certification

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Europastry USA is seeking an experienced Quality Assurance Lead to support daily food safety and quality operations in our New Jersey facility. The role supervises the QA team, assists the QA Manager/Director with regulatory and customer compliance, and serves as Backup SQF Practitioner.

The successful candidate will have strong experience in food manufacturing, SQF, HACCP, GMPs, documentation, employee training, and quality systems.