Quality Assurance Manager

CareersInFood.com; Middlebury (IN); On-site; USD 100,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

CareersInFood.com is seeking a Senior Manager to lead site food safety and quality programs for high-risk manufacturing operations. You will ensure regulatory, customer, and certification compliance and drive continuous improvement across operations, sanitation, and product development.

The role interfaces with inspections and audits, leads CAPA and QA initiatives, and guides leadership on regulatory implementation. Onsite, Monday–Friday with occasional travel.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of quality leadership experience in food manufacturing.
• Progressive experience in food safety and quality within a manufacturing environment; ready-to-eat, deli, bakery or similar operations preferred.
• Strong knowledge of food safety plans, GMPs, sanitation systems, environmental monitoring, allergen controls, audit readiness, and quality management practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead and improve the site food safety and quality management system, including safety plans, prerequisite programs, sanitation, monitoring, document control and records management.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory, customer, and third-party requirements; serve as the primary site contact for inspections, audits, corrective actions and follow-up.
• Provide guidance to site leadership on regulatory compliance implementation.
• Oversee product and material compliance activities, including specifications, labeling, packaging verification, process controls, testing, and disposition of nonconforming product.
• Provide technical leadership for manufacturing operations, including critical controls, sanitation programs, traceability, recall readiness, and risk-based decisions.
• Support product launches, process changes, shelf-life and validation activities, and risk-based quality decisions across multiple product categories.
• Lead internal audits, root cause analysis, CAPA, KPI reporting and cross-functional training to strengthen food safety culture.
• Provide oversight for laboratory or external testing, microbiological risk management and specialized process controls.

Skills

Quality leadership

Cross-functional leadership

Technical communication

Data analysis

Audit readiness

CAPA investigations

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Microbiology, Biology, Chemistry, or related field

Job description

Reporting to the Director of Food Safety for Manufacturing, this role leads site food safety and quality programs for high-risk manufacturing operations. The position is responsible for maintaining regulatory, customer, and certification compliance; leading food safety plans and prerequisite programs; and partnering across operations, sanitation, maintenance, supply chain, and product development to ensure safe, legal, and high-quality products. This role serves as the primary site contact for inspections and audits and drives continuous improvement through effective quality systems, technical leadership, and risk-based decision making.

Onsite position with Monday-Friday 8am-5pm schedule. On call as needed. Occasional travel.

What You'll Be Doing:

• Lead and continuously improve the site food safety and quality management system, including food safety plans, prerequisite programs, sanitation controls, environmental monitoring, document control, and records management.
• Ensure compliance with applicable regulatory, customer, and third-party requirements; serve as the primary site contact for inspections, audits, corrective actions, and follow-up activities.
• Primary point of contact for regulatory inspections and provide guidance to site leadership regarding implementation of regulatory compliance.
• Oversee product and material compliance activities, including specifications, labeling, packaging verification, process controls, testing, calibration, and disposition of nonconforming product.
• Provide technical leadership for manufacturing operations, including verification of critical controls, sanitation and hygienic design programs, traceability, recall readiness, complaint investigations, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support product launches, process changes, shelf-life and validation activities, and risk-based quality decisions across multiple product categories and manufacturing systems.
• Lead internal audits, root cause analysis, CAPA, KPI reporting, site training, and cross-functional collaboration to strengthen food safety culture and operational performance.
• Provide oversight for laboratory or external testing support, microbiological risk management, and specialized process controls relevant to the site's operations.
• This job profile is not meant to be all inclusive of the responsibilities of this position; may perform other duties as assigned or required

What You Bring with You (Qualifications):

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Microbiology, Biology, Chemistry, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of quality leadership experience in food manufacturing required.
• Progressive experience in food safety and quality within a manufacturing environment; experience in ready-to-eat, deli, bakery, or similar operations preferred.
• Strong knowledge of food safety plans, GMPs, sanitation systems, environmental monitoring, allergen controls, audit readiness, and quality management practices.
• Experience leading investigations, internal audits, CAPA, complaint management, traceability, recall readiness, and risk-based product disposition decisions.
• Demonstrated leadership of cross-functional teams, technical communication, data analysis, and the ability to influence operational performance.
• Experience with regulated manufacturing environments, certification programs, laboratory oversight, and specialized process controls relevant to the facility preferred.
• HACCP, PCQI, SQF, certifications required.