Quality And Food Safety Manager

Actalent; Ankeny (IA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

401K employer match

9 paid holidays

3 weeks PTO

Volunteer time off

Job summary

Actalent is seeking a Quality and Food Safety Manager to lead and influence quality and food safety programs across multiple North American manufacturing facilities. You will partner with plant leaders, quality teams, and stakeholders to strengthen food safety culture, ensure audit readiness, and drive continuous improvement in corporate quality systems.

The role requires deep technical expertise in FSMA, HACCP, microbiology, chemistry, and regulatory frameworks to enhance organizational

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related discipline with 7+ years auditing quality and food safety programs in food/feed industries.
• Strong knowledge of FSMA and HACCP requirements and their practical application.
• Hands-on experience with quality and food safety audits (internal and customer) and CAPA processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support quality and food safety programs across multiple North American manufacturing facilities.
• Apply technical knowledge of food safety, quality systems, microbiology, chemistry, FSMA, HACCP, and regulatory requirements to ensure robust programs.
• Support audit readiness and compliance for internal audits, customer audits, regulatory inspections, and third-party certification programs.
• Manage and coordinate activities related to SQF and other certification schemes to maintain and improve status.
• Identify root causes of quality and food safety issues and implement CAPA.

Skills

Quality systems

FSMA

HACCP

CAPA

Audit readiness

Cross-functional communication

Leadership

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Technology, Chemistry, Microbiology, Biology, or related discipline

Job description

Job Title: Quality and Food Safety ManagerJob Description

The Quality and Food Safety Manager leads and influences quality and food safety programs across multiple North American manufacturing facilities. This role partners closely with plant leaders, quality teams, and business stakeholders to strengthen food safety culture, ensure audit readiness and regulatory compliance, and drive continuous improvement in corporate quality systems. The position applies deep technical expertise in food safety, quality systems, microbiology, chemistry, and regulatory frameworks to enhance organizational performance and shape the future of enterprise-wide quality and food safety programs.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support quality and food safety programs across multiple North American manufacturing facilities, rather than focusing on a single site.
• Apply technical knowledge of food safety, quality systems, microbiology, chemistry, FSMA, HACCP, and regulatory requirements to ensure robust and compliant programs.
• Support audit readiness and compliance for internal audits, customer audits, regulatory inspections, and third-party certification programs.
• Manage and coordinate activities related to SQF and other food safety and quality certification schemes to maintain and improve certification status.
• Identify root causes of quality and food safety issues using structured problem-solving methods and implement effective corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance quality systems, food safety programs, and overall organizational performance.
• Build strong, collaborative relationships with manufacturing, quality, regulatory, commercial, and corporate teams to align on quality and food safety priorities.
• Communicate technical requirements clearly and translate them into practical guidance for plant and corporate teams.
• Develop and deliver training on food safety, quality systems, HACCP, and related topics to improve understanding and execution across the organization.
• Influence stakeholders at multiple levels to strengthen food safety culture and embed quality best practices in daily operations.
• Manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously while maintaining a strong focus on quality, compliance, and timely execution.
• Support quality and food safety programs for animal food, pet food, and/or human food manufacturing operations, as applicable.
• Contribute to the development, maintenance, and improvement of corporate quality systems and documentation.
• Monitor and interpret changes in relevant regulations and standards, and help ensure that programs remain compliant and up to date.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Food Technology, Chemistry, Microbiology, Biology, or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 7+ years of experience auditing quality and food safety programs within the food or feed industry.
• Strong technical knowledge of food safety and quality systems, including FSMA and HACCP requirements.
• Hands‑on experience with quality assurance and food safety audits, including internal and customer audits.
• Working knowledge of microbiology and its application to food and feed safety.
• Demonstrated ability to identify root causes and implement effective corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
• Experience supporting quality and food safety in manufacturing environments, particularly within the food or feed industry.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and projects while maintaining attention to quality and compliance.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to clearly convey technical requirements to diverse audiences.
• Ability to build productive cross‑functional relationships with manufacturing, quality, regulatory, commercial, and corporate teams.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• 3+ years of leadership or supervisory experience in manufacturing quality and food safety environments preferred.
• Experience supporting animal food, pet food, and/or human food manufacturing operations preferred.
• SQF Practitioner certification preferred.
• Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) certification for human and/or animal food preferred.
• HACCP certification and experience delivering HACCP‑related training preferred.
• Internal Auditing certification preferred.
• ISO 9001 training or certification preferred.
• Experience with customer audits and third‑party certification programs is highly beneficial.
• Ability to drive continuous improvement initiatives across multiple facilities.
• Strong organizational skills and a structured approach to managing complex quality and food safety programs.

Work Environment

This role supports a network of independent, entrepreneurial companies focused on innovating and producing products that improve health and nutrition. The organization encourages exploration of new markets, development of new products and applications, and creative ways to add value through innovative solutions. The position is based within a corporate structure that oversees approximately fifty manufacturing and sales locations across twenty countries, with sales in over sixty countries, providing broad exposure to diverse operations and markets. The standard work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The role requires approximately 45% travel, primarily within the United States with some travel to Canada, to visit manufacturing facilities, support audits, and collaborate with plant and corporate teams. The work involves frequent interaction with manufacturing environments and corporate offices, using modern quality systems, audit tools, and communication technologies to manage and improve quality and food safety programs across multiple sites.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Ankeny, IA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $90000.00 - $120000.00/yr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job‑related factors.

They would be eligible to enroll in LGI benefits, which include Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K employer match program, 9 paid holidays, 3 weeks of PTO accrued, and volunteer time off.

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Ankeny,IA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Sep 22, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News‑Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidate. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.