Quality Assurance Supervisor

RM Palmer Company, LLC; Reading (Berks County); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

R.M. Palmer Company, LLC is seeking a Quality Assurance Supervisor to lead the QA team and oversee food safety, quality, sanitation, and regulatory programs in our facility.

You will coordinate internal and external audits (SQF, FDA) and support corrective actions, nonconformities, and traceability activities while partnering with operations, purchasing, and sanitation. The ideal candidate has 3–5 years in QA with supervisory experience, HACCP/SQF knowledge, and strong problem‑solving,

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of quality assurance, quality control, food safety, or related technical experience in food/beverage manufacturing.
• Minimum of 2 years of supervisory or leadership experience with coaching and accountability.
• Degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Biology, Chemistry, Quality Assurance, or related field preferred.
• Experience supporting regulatory, customer, and third‑party audits (SQF and FDA inspections).
• Working knowledge of HACCP, GMPs, FSMA, SQF, SSOPs, and environmental monitoring.
• Experience with quality investigations, corrective actions, holds and dispositions.
• Strong documentation, traceability, and cross‑functional collaboration skills.
• HACCP certification and SQF Practitioner training preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; detail-oriented and audit-ready.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary QA contact for co‑manufacturing customers and coordinate QA support.
• Supervise QA team members across alternate shifts and communicate priorities.
• Manage the Hold Program for finished products and raw materials; document disposition.
• Address raw material issues and collaborate with Purchasing, Operations, vendors.
• Oversee environmental and pathogen monitoring, sampling, and tracking.
• Provide sanitation support and review SSOPs; monitor cleaning effectiveness.
• Oversee Pest Control Program including vendor oversight and corrective actions.
• Coordinate product quality cuttings and communicate trends to teams.
• Lead facility self-inspections and internal audits; ensure corrective actions.
• Assist with audits (SQF, regulatory, customer, third‑party) and corrective actions.
• Support QA training on SQF Code, GMPs, food safety, and regulatory requirements.
• Assist with traceability exercises and mock recalls to verify program effectiveness.
• Identify trends and drive corrective and preventive actions across functions.

Skills

Quality Assurance

Supervisory experience

Regulatory audits

HACCP

FSMA

SQF

Critical thinking

Documentation

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s in Food Science / Microbiology

Tools

MS Office

QMS software

Electronic documentation systems

Job 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. We take pride in blending creativity and tradition to deliver products that spark joy, bring smiles, and create lasting memories, one candy at a time.

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.