Quality Assurance Manager Trainee

Continental Dairy Facilities Southwest LLC (CDFSW); Littlefield (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) up to 6% company match

Life and disability insurance

Paid holidays & vacation

Job summary

Select Milk Producers, Inc. is seeking a seasoned Quality Assurance lead to manage dairy safety and quality programs across production facilities. You will ensure compliance with GFSI, SQF, and USDA regulations while leading training and oversight of plant staff.

The role requires strong leadership, communication, and analytical skills, with up to 50% travel to support multiple sites and audits. A Bachelor’s in Food Science (MS preferred) and PCQI practice are highly valued.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science or related field; MS preferred.
• PCQI certification required or ability to obtain.
• GFSI/SQF Practitioner certification recommended.
• Experience in dairy processing and regulatory environment.

Responsibilities

• Communicates with plant management and regulatory personnel.
• Follows the training plan developed.
• Attends industry conferences, training courses, and regulatory meetings recommended by management.
• Maintains all records and information confidentially per Company policy.
• Follows GMP, HACCP, and safety procedures on the production floor.
• Performs other duties as assigned by management.
• Supervises and trains staff, including organizing, prioritizing, and scheduling work.

Skills

Confidentiality

Regulatory knowledge

Preventive Controls

SQF/GFSI auditing

Communication

Leadership

Training & coaching

Travel up to 50%

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science or related

MS in Food Science (preferred)

Job description

Select Milk Producers is one of the nation’s largest and most progressive dairy cooperatives, with 32 wholly owned subsidiaries, 8 processing plants, and 8 joint ventures including Continental Dairy Facilities, Continental Dairy Facilities Southwest, Mill Haven Foods, Select Custom Solutions, GreenLink and Select Services. With over 800 employees, the Select Milk family of companies impacts all aspects of the dairy farm business and at the heart of our family of companies, is you.

'We strive to go above and beyond what’s expected in providing for our families, leading our employees, caring for our land and animals, serving our customers, producing quality milk, and serving one another. This commitment is more than our business, it’s in our culture and our character. We believe in being accountable, in doing what’s right, in performing at our best, in setting a higher standard.'

Select Milk Producers and its subsidiaries offer an attractive compensation and a best-in-class benefits package that includes but is not limited medical, vision, dental, life insurance and more that can be tailored for you and your family.

Other benefits for eligible employees include 401(k) up to 6% company match, life and disability insurance, and paid holidays & vacation.

We are proud to promote an equal employment opportunity workplace.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Communicates with plant management and regulatory personnel.
• Follows the training plan developed.
• Attend industry conferences, training courses, and regulatory meetings recommended by management.
• Maintain all records and information in a confidential manner in accordance with the Company Letter of Confidentiality.
• Follow all safety, work, and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) rules.
• Perform other duties as assigned by management.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Conduct and review job training of facility staff.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

• Ability to maintain confidentiality of records and information.
• Knowledge of USDA, State, Federal regulations for a dairy manufacturing facility.
• Knowledge and understanding of Preventive Controls and Risk analysis.
• Knowledge and understanding in Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) auditing programs including the SQF Food Safety Code for Manufacturing and SQF Food Quality Code and the requirements to implement and maintain an SQF System relevant to the site’s scope of certification.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.
• Ability to make administrative and procedural decisions and judgments on sensitive, confidential issues.
• Ability to analyze and assess training and development needs.
• Ability to supervise and train staff, including organizing, prioritizing, and scheduling work assignments.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to develop and deliver presentations.
• Ability to travel up to 50% of the time.
• Tolerance of ambiguity.
• Must work in a safe, efficient manner and follow all safety procedures including the use of safety equipment when on the production floor.
• Must have the ability to troubleshoot small problems and be able to discern when issues may require input from levels of authority within the corporation.
• Must be willing to ask for assistance when the process is unclear.
• Leadership, team development, coaching, and/or teaching experience.
• High degree of organizational and administrative skills.
• Advanced computational skills and advanced math reasoning required.
• Responsible for Food Safety and Food Quality.
• Support a company culture of continuous improvement by participating in efficiency and improvement efforts.
• Must be able to operate the equipment effectively after the appropriate break‑in period.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree required, Master of Science (MS) degree or higher in Food Science or related field preferred.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:

• Must be able to acquire a PCQI certification.
• Must be able to acquire GFSI: SQF Practitioner Certification.
• Recommended: Certified Food Scientist (CFS) from Institute of Food Technologists (IFT).

As you pour milk over your cereal or add it your coffee, do you ever stop and think where does it come from? I know, silly question — cows! But have you ever thought further, like where do these cows live? How are they treated? Select Milk Producers, Inc. takes that guesswork out. You can rest assured that the more than 10 billion pounds of milk that Select Milk produces each year comes from innovative sustainable farming and extraordinary animal care and comfort.

Select Milk formed in 1994 out of a desire by a group of family dairy producers to develop a national footprint for the perfect milk. Founded on honesty, trust, and quality, Select Milk believes in providing their customers with the highest quality fresh milk and doesn’t settle for anything less. Select Milk believes in operating all aspects of their business with the highest standards, including its cooperative of 99 family dairy farm members. 'We strive to go above and beyond what’s expected in providing for our families, leading our employees, caring for our land and animals, serving our customers, producing quality milk, and serving one another. This commitment is more than our business, it’s in our culture and our character. We believe in being accountable, in doing what’s right, in performing at our best, in setting a higher standard.'