QA Manager

Bridor USA, Inc.; Vineland (NJ); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Disability coverage

401(k) plan

Paid time off

Holidays

Career growth

Job summary

Bridor USA is seeking an experienced QA Manager – Food Safety & Quality to lead QA, Food Safety, QC, and regulatory compliance at its Vineland bakery facility in New Jersey. You will shape the Quality Management System and Food Safety Management System, ensuring products meet all regulatory, customer, and Bridor standards.

The role is hands-on on the production floor and requires collaboration with Operations, Engineering, and Supply Chain to strengthen food safety culture and continuous

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Microbiology, Chemistry, Biology, or a related field.
• At least 10 years of progressive QA and Food Safety experience in food manufacturing.
• At least 5 years in leading quality teams and managing QA programs.
• Experience with QMS and FSMS in a GFSI-certified facility.
• Strong knowledge of FDA, FSMA, HACCP, GMPs, BRCGS/SQF, and supplier quality.

Responsibilities

• Lead QA, Food Safety, and Quality Control programs across the facility.
• Develop and continuously improve QMS and FSMS.
• Ensure regulatory compliance (FDA, FSMA, HACCP, GMPs) and customer requirements.
• Oversee audits, mock recalls, traceability, and corrective actions.
• Lead Root Cause Analysis and CAPA initiatives.
• Manage supplier qualification and investigations into quality issues.
• Maintain strong production floor presence to guide operations.

Skills

Leadership

Quality Assurance

Food Safety

Regulatory knowledge

Auditing

Cross-functional collaboration

Root Cause Analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science / related field

Tools

SAP

Oracle

Microsoft Dynamics

Job description

QA Manager – Food Safety & Quality

Location: Vineland, New Jersey

Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Work Location: On-site

About Bridor USA

Bridor is a North American leader in the development and manufacturing of premium European-style breads, pastries, and viennoiseries. Since 1984, Bridor has combined traditional artisan baking techniques with advanced manufacturing technology to deliver innovative, high-quality frozen bakery products to customers throughout North America.

Bridor USA’s manufacturing facility in Vineland, New Jersey, plays an important role in the company’s continued growth in the United States. As part of the global LE DUFF Group, Bridor offers the stability and resources of an international organization while maintaining a strong commitment to product quality, food safety, innovation, employee development, and operational excellence.

Position Summary

Bridor USA is seeking an experienced QA Manager – Food Safety & Quality to lead the Quality Assurance, Food Safety, Quality Control, and regulatory compliance functions at its high-volume bakery manufacturing facility in Vineland, New Jersey.

The QA Manager will be responsible for developing, implementing, maintaining, and continuously improving the facility’s Quality Management System and Food Safety Management System. This position will ensure that Bridor’s products consistently meet regulatory, customer, certification, and internal quality requirements.

This is a highly visible, hands‑on leadership position that works closely with Operations, Sanitation, Engineering, Maintenance, Supply Chain, R&D, and other cross‑functional partners. The successful candidate will help strengthen Bridor’s culture of food safety, accountability, continuous improvement, and customer satisfaction.

The ideal candidate is a collaborative and decisive quality leader with extensive experience managing food safety and quality systems within a GFSI‑certified food manufacturing environment.

Key Responsibilities

Quality and Food Safety Leadership

• Lead the facility’s Quality Assurance, Food Safety, and Quality Control programs
• Develop, implement, maintain, and continuously improve the Quality Management System and Food Safety Management System
• Ensure compliance with FDA regulations, FSMA, HACCP, GMPs, BRCGS and/or SQF standards, customer requirements, and Bridor quality standards
• Provide oversight for HACCP, Preventive Controls, Environmental Monitoring, Allergen Management, Food Defense, Food Fraud Prevention, Sanitation, Traceability, Recall, and Supplier Quality programs
• Ensure quality and food safety standards are consistently achieved throughout receiving, production, packaging, storage, and distribution activities
• Maintain a strong presence on the production floor and provide timely guidance to operational teams
• Serve as the facility’s primary quality and food safety subject‑matter expert

Regulatory Compliance and Audit Management

• Lead customer, regulatory, and third‑party certification audits
• Maintain continuous audit readiness across all areas of the facility
• Coordinate audit preparation, documentation, responses, corrective actions, and follow‑up activities
• Oversee product specifications, labeling compliance, quality documentation, record retention, and document‑control processes
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, customer, and industry requirements
• Lead mock recalls, traceability exercises, and crisis‑management activities related to food safety and product quality

Continuous Improvement

• Lead Root Cause Analysis and Corrective and Preventive Action initiatives
• Analyze quality trends, audit findings, customer complaints, production data, and key performance indicators to identify improvement opportunities
• Develop and maintain quality dashboards, metrics, and management reporting tools
• Partner with Operations to reduce waste, improve first‑pass quality, strengthen process controls, and enhance manufacturing performance
• Promote preventive, data‑driven approaches to quality and food safety
• Support Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and other continuous‑improvement initiatives

Customer and Supplier Quality

• Manage supplier qualification, approval, monitoring, and performance programs.
• Support the evaluation and approval of new ingredients, packaging materials, suppliers, and contract service providers
• Lead investigations involving customer complaints, nonconforming products, foreign‑material concerns, deviations, and other quality issues
• Ensure investigations are timely, thorough, properly documented, and supported by effective corrective actions
• Partner with customers and internal commercial teams to ensure quality expectations are understood and consistently achieved
• Support new product introductions, process changes, and commercialization activities from a food safety and quality perspective

Sanitation and Environmental Controls

• Partner closely with Sanitation and Operations to ensure sanitation programs meet regulatory, certification, and Bridor requirements
• Review sanitation effectiveness, pre‑operational inspection results, environmental monitoring data, and corrective actions
• Support sanitation validation and verification activities
• Identify trends and improvement opportunities related to microbiological controls, hygienic practices, and facility conditions
• Ensure appropriate escalation and resolution of food safety or sanitation concerns

Team Leadership and Development

• Lead, coach, mentor, and develop the facility’s Quality organization.
• Establish departmental goals, performance expectations, accountability measures, and employee development plans
• Develop staffing plans, succession plans, training programs, and annual departmental budgets
• Build an engaged, knowledgeable, and responsive Quality team capable of supporting a high‑volume manufacturing operation
• Promote collaboration, professional development, accountability, and continuous improvement
• Partner with Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, Supply Chain, R&D, and Sanitation to achieve facility and company objectives

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Microbiology, Chemistry, Biology, or a related scientific discipline.
• At least 10 years of progressive Quality Assurance and Food Safety experience within food manufacturing.
• At least five years of experience leading and developing quality teams.
• Experience managing Quality Management Systems and Food Safety Management Systems within a GFSI‑certified manufacturing facility.
• Strong working knowledge of:
  • FDA regulations
  • FSMA Preventive Controls
  • HACCP
  • Current Good Manufacturing Practices
  • BRCGS and/or SQF standards
  • Environmental Monitoring
  • Allergen Management
  • Supplier Quality Management
  • Sanitation verification and validation
  • Root Cause Analysis and CAPA
• Demonstrated experience leading customer, regulatory, and third‑party certification audits
• Experience investigating customer complaints, product nonconformances, and food safety concerns
• Strong leadership, communication, organizational, analytical, and decision‑making skills
• Ability to work effectively in a fast‑paced, changing manufacturing environment
• Ability to communicate with employees and leaders at all levels of the organization

Required Certifications

• HACCP certification
• Preventive Controls Qualified Individual certification
• SQF Practitioner certification or comparable GFSI program experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in bakery, frozen foods, dairy, protein, beverage, or another high‑volume food manufacturing environment
• Experience working within a BRCGS‑certified manufacturing facility
• USDA‑regulated manufacturing experience
• First‑Party or Internal Auditor certification
• Statistical Process Control experience
• Experience using ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, or a comparable platform
• Experience with electronic Quality Management Systems
• Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or comparable continuous‑improvement training or certification
• Experience supporting facility expansions, new production lines, new product introductions, or significant operational growth
• Experience with automated, high‑volume production and packaging systems

Leadership Scope

The QA Manager will provide leadership and development for the facility’s Quality organization, which may include Quality Supervisors, Quality Coordinators, Quality Technicians, laboratory personnel, and other quality professionals as assigned.

Why Join Bridor?

• Lead the Quality and Food Safety function for an established and growing U.S. manufacturing operation
• Influence facility strategy, product quality, regulatory compliance, and operational performance
• Partner directly with local and North American leadership
• Help shape the quality culture of a company recognized for premium bakery products and manufacturing innovation
• Participate in new product, process‑improvement, and business‑growth initiatives
• Develop professionally within an international organization that supports internal growth and career advancement

Benefits

• Annual performance bonus opportunity
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Company‑paid life insurance
• Company‑paid short‑term and long‑term disability coverage
• 401(k) retirement plan with company match
• Paid time off
• Paid holidays
• Employee referral programCareer development and advancement opportunities

Work Environment

This position is based within a fast‑paced food manufacturing environment and requires regular presence on the production floor.

The QA Manager must be able to work safely around production equipment, ingredients, allergens, refrigerated or freezer areas, and varying temperatures. Occasional evening, overnight, weekend, or holiday support may be required for production needs, audits, customer visits, investigations, or other operational requirements.

Bridor USA is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs without regard to legally protected characteristics.