Quality Assurance Supervisor

RM Palmer Company LLC; Berkshire Heights (PA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

RM Palmer Company LLC in Pennsylvania seeks a Quality Assurance Supervisor to lead the QA team, ensuring food safety, quality, sanitation, and regulatory compliance across the facility.

The role covers coordinating with co-manufacturing customers, vendors, consultants, and internal departments to drive audits, CAPAs, and continuous improvement while upholding SQF, FDA, FSMA, HACCP, and GMP programs.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of quality assurance, quality control, food safety, or related technical experience within the food or beverage manufacturing industry.
• Minimum of 2 years of supervisory, team lead, or leadership experience, with demonstrated ability to provide direction, coaching, and accountability to employees.
• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Biology, Chemistry, Quality Assurance, or a related discipline preferred; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• Experience supporting regulatory, customer, and third-party audits, including SQF and FDA inspections/audits.
• Working knowledge of food safety and quality systems, including HACCP, GMPs, FSMA, SQF, SSOPs, and environmental monitoring programs.
• HACCP certification and SQF Practitioner training preferred.
• Strong organizational, analytical, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify risks and drive issues through resolution.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to train and lead employees and collaborate across all levels of the organization.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a primary QA contact for co-manufacturing customers, coordinating QA Technician support and communicating quality-related needs.
• Supervise QA team members on alternate shifts, communicating daily priorities, expectations, quality concerns, and required follow-up.
• Manage the Hold Program for finished products and raw materials, ensuring timely investigation, resolution, final disposition, documentation, and transfer.
• Address Raw Material Problem Reports and collaborate with Purchasing, Operations, vendors, and other stakeholders to resolve quality concerns and prevent recurrence.
• Oversee environmental and pathogen monitoring programs, including sample collection, submission, tracking, documentation, and follow-up.
• Provide sanitation support, including developing and reviewing SSOPs for product changeovers and monitoring cleaning chemical usage, concentration, and effectiveness.
• Manage the facility Pest Control Program, including vendor oversight, audits, activity tracking, trend analysis, corrective actions, and required documentation.
• Coordinate and lead product quality cuttings and evaluations; document results, identify trends, and communicate findings to appropriate teams.
• Lead facility self-inspections and internal audits, maintain audit records, communicate findings, and ensure corrective actions are completed and documented.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for third-party consultants and participate in facility inspections and walk-throughs.
• Monitor and verify documentation associated with food safety, sanitation, quality, and regulatory programs for accuracy, completeness, and compliance.
• Assist with raw material receiving activities by performing required sampling, inspections, and testing.
• Support the development, implementation, and review of Quality Management System (QMS), HACCP, SOP, CCP, sanitation, food safety, and quality procedures and programs.
• Monitor, verify, and assist with validation of food safety and quality programs to ensure continued compliance with SQF, FDA, FSMA, customer, and company requirements.
• Assist with preparation for and execution of SQF, regulatory, customer, and third-party audits, including corrective action follow-up.
• Support facility training related to the SQF Code, GMPs, food safety, quality procedures, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Oversee positive release processes and required sample collection for co-manufacturing customers.
• Assist in conducting and documenting traceability exercises and mock recalls to verify program effectiveness and regulatory compliance.
• Identify quality and food safety trends and work cross-functionally to implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Escalate significant food safety, regulatory, or product quality concerns to the QA Manager and appropriate Plant Management.
• Participate in continuous improvement initiatives and special projects assigned by the QA Manager or Plant Management.
• Serve as backup to the QA Manager as required.

Skills

Leadership

Food Safety Knowledge

QA/QC

Auditing

Regulatory Compliance

Communication

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science or related

Associate degree acceptable

Tools

Microsoft Office

QMS software

Job description

Description

#ComeJoinTheFun with us as our Quality Assurance Supervisor and be part of #MakingCandyFun!

At R.M. Palmer Company, our mission is clear: driving innovation that celebrates life’s special moments by focusing on value and integrity while making candy fun in everything we do.

Since 1948, R.M. Palmer Company, LLC has grown from just 4 employees and 4 products into a leading manufacturer of imaginative chocolate novelties with more than 500 unique products and over 600 full-time employees. Today, we operate two manufacturing facilities and a distribution center the size of 11 football fields, producing more than 50 million pounds of product each year.

Our continued success is built on the people and values that drive us every day. We believe in getting it done with urgency, ownership, and accountability. We challenge ourselves to break it better through innovation, curiosity, and continuous improvement. We own the outcome by taking responsibility and acting in the best interest of our team, customers, and company. We play to win by focusing on results and striving for excellence in everything we do. Most importantly, we aim to leave them smiling by bringing positivity, teamwork, passion, and energy to every interaction.

The Quality Assurance Supervisor supports the facility’s food safety, quality, sanitation, and regulatory programs while providing day-to-day leadership to the Quality Assurance team. This position serves as a key point of contact for co-manufacturing customers, vendors, third-party consultants, and internal departments regarding quality and food safety matters.

The QA Supervisor is responsible for monitoring and verifying quality systems, overseeing critical QA programs, supporting regulatory and third-party audits, and ensuring timely resolution of quality concerns. This role also provides coverage for the QA Manager and SQF Practitioner as needed and helps ensure compliance with SQF, FDA, FSMA, HACCP, GMP, and company requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a primary QA contact for co-manufacturing customers, including coordinating QA Technician support and communicating quality-related needs.
• Supervise QA team members on alternate shifts, communicating daily priorities, expectations, quality concerns, and required follow-up.
• Manage the Hold Program for finished products and raw materials, ensuring timely investigation, resolution, final disposition, documentation, and transfer.
• Address Raw Material Problem Reports and collaborate with Purchasing, Operations, vendors, and other stakeholders to resolve quality concerns and prevent recurrence.
• Oversee environmental and pathogen monitoring programs, including sample collection, submission, tracking, documentation, and follow-up.
• Provide sanitation support, including developing and reviewing Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs) for product changeovers and monitoring cleaning chemical usage, concentration, and effectiveness.
• Manage the facility Pest Control Program, including vendor oversight, audits, activity tracking, trend analysis, corrective actions, and required documentation.
• Coordinate and lead product quality cuttings and evaluations; document results, identify trends, and communicate findings to appropriate teams.
• Lead facility self-inspections and internal audits, maintain audit records, communicate findings, and ensure corrective actions are completed and documented.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for third-party consultants and participate in facility inspections and walk-throughs.
• Monitor and verify documentation associated with food safety, sanitation, quality, and regulatory programs for accuracy, completeness, and compliance.
• Assist with raw material receiving activities by performing required sampling, inspections, and testing.
• Support the development, implementation, and review of Quality Management System (QMS), HACCP, SOP, CCP, sanitation, food safety, and quality procedures and programs.
• Monitor, verify, and assist with validation of food safety and quality programs to ensure continued compliance with SQF, FDA, FSMA, customer, and company requirements.
• Assist with preparation for and execution of SQF, regulatory, customer, and third-party audits, including corrective action follow-up.
• Support facility training related to the SQF Code, GMPs, food safety, quality procedures, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Oversee positive release processes and required sample collection for co-manufacturing customers.
• Assist in conducting and documenting traceability exercises and mock recalls to verify program effectiveness and regulatory compliance.
• Identify quality and food safety trends and work cross-functionally to implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Escalate significant food safety, regulatory, or product quality concerns to the QA Manager and appropriate Plant Management.
• Participate in continuous improvement initiatives and special projects assigned by the QA Manager or Plant Management.
• Serve as backup to the QA Manager as required.

Requirements

• 3–5 years of quality assurance, quality control, food safety, or related technical experience within the food or beverage manufacturing industry.
• Minimum of 2 years of supervisory, team lead, or leadership experience, with demonstrated ability to provide direction, coaching, and accountability to employees.
• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Biology, Chemistry, Quality Assurance, or a related discipline preferred; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• Experience supporting regulatory, customer, and third-party audits, including SQF and FDA inspections/audits.
• Working knowledge of food safety and quality systems, including HACCP, GMPs, FSMA, SQF, SSOPs, and environmental monitoring programs.
• Experience with quality investigations, corrective actions, and product holds and dispositions preferred.
• Experience with environmental/pathogen monitoring, sanitation verification, pest control, traceability/mock recalls, and supplier quality preferred.
• HACCP certification and SQF Practitioner training preferred.
• Strong organizational, analytical, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify risks and drive issues through resolution.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to train and lead employees and collaborate across all levels of the organization.
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to maintain accurate, complete, and audit-ready documentation.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and electronic document and quality management systems.
• Ability to prioritize responsibilities, manage multiple projects and quality programs, and maintain compliance in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Ability to work collaboratively across Production, Sanitation, Maintenance, Warehouse, Purchasing, and other functional areas.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule and provide support to alternate shifts as business needs require.