Quality, Food Safety & Sanitation Program Manager

Land O'Lakes, Inc.; Arden Hills (MN); On-site; USD 93,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

PTO

401k

Education assistance

Life & disability insurance

Job summary

Land O'Lakes, Inc. seeks a Quality, Food Safety & Sanitation Program Manager to lead QA, food safety, regulatory, and sanitation for new processing tech across dairy sites. You will partner with Engineering, Operations, R&D, and external regulators to ensure designs meet safety and quality standards.

The role coordinates quality systems, sanitation programs, and testing plans, with a focus on timely commissioning and product launches in a complex manufacturing environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a food science, dairy science, microbiology, biological sciences, engineering, or related technical discipline.
• 7+ years in dairy/food manufacturing quality, food safety, sanitation, or regulatory compliance.
• Experience implementing quality systems in manufacturing environments.
• Strong knowledge of HACCP, Preventive Controls, Environmental Monitoring Programs, Sanitary/Hygienic Design.
• Regulatory inspections and compliance in dairy manufacturing operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead QA, food safety, regulatory, and sanitation activities for new processing technology across facilities.
• Serve as primary quality/regulatory representative for a multi-year capital project with cross-functional teams.
• Ensure new equipment/processes/products are designed, validated, and launched compliant with requirements.
• Develop and implement quality systems, sanitation programs, regulatory strategies, and environmental monitoring.
• Provide customer readiness processes and testing programs for successful commissioning and commercialization.

Skills

Leadership

Quality systems

Regulatory compliance

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in food science or related technical discipline

Job description

Quality, Food Safety & Sanitation Program Manager is responsible for leading all Quality Assurance, Food Safety, Regulatory, and Sanitation activities associated with the implementation of new processing technology across multiple dairy manufacturing facilities. This role serves as the primary quality and regulatory representative for a multi-year capital project, partnering with Engineering, Operations, R&D, Manufacturing, and external regulatory agencies to ensure new equipment, processes, and products are designed, validated, and launched in compliance with food safety, quality, customer, and regulatory requirements. The position is accountable for developing and implementing quality systems, sanitation programs, regulatory compliance strategies, environmental monitoring requirements, testing programs, and customer readiness processes necessary to successfully commission and commercialize new manufacturing capabilities.

This role can be based in Arden Hills, MN (preferred) or Virtual.

Key Focus Areas

• Quality, Food Safety, and Regulatory Leadership - Strong Collaboration and Partnership with other key members of the quality team
• Quality and Food Safety Systems Development and Implementation
• Regulatory and Customer Readiness
• Laboratory and Testing Plan Development
• Support of Hygienic Design, Commissioning, and Validations of all new equipment and processes.
• Support Master Sanitation Implementation and Training
• Training, Education, and Team Building
• Large focus on details, communication, and reporting to senior leadership in order to streamline decision making and maintenance of timelines. Must be highly meticulous, precise and analytical.
• Others as required by business needs

Required Experience/Knowledge/Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in food science, Dairy Science, Microbiology, Biological Sciences, Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• 7+years of experience in dairy, food manufacturing, quality assurance, food safety, sanitation, or regulatory compliance.
• Experience implementing quality systems in manufacturing environments.
• Strong knowledge of: HACCP, Preventive Controls, Environmental Monitoring Programs, Sanitary/Hygienic Design.
• Regulatory inspections and compliance, Dairy manufacturing operations, demonstrated ability to manage complex, cross-functional projects.

Preferred Experience/Knowledge/Skills

• Experience with major capital projects, plant expansions, or new facility start-ups. PCQI certification.
• Experience supporting FDA and state regulatory inspections.
• Experience with laboratory setup and analytical testing programs.
• Knowledge of dry dairy processing and milk powder manufacturing along with butter processing and manufacturing.

Travel and Other Requirements

• This role will have approximately 50-70% travel. Travel will be highly dictated by project type, project location(s), and timeline demand. Travel will be fully in the US. Some working hours may be during off shifts depending on timeline demand and project deliverables. Candidate will need to be flexible in working hours and travel. This role will have a working environment that is a mix of office setting, manufacturing environment, and construction environment - associate must be comfortable in all these settings.

Salary Range

$93,360 - $140,040 . In most cases, candidates offered employment can expect to be hired at a pay rate near the middle of our salary ranges.

About Land O'Lakes, Inc.

Join us and be part of a Fortune 250, farmer- and member-owned cooperative that is reimagining the business of food. We have been named a Top Workplace by Indeed and LinkedIn, and to the TIME 100 Most Influential Companies list.

Benefits for most full-time roles include medical, dental, vision, PTO, life & disability insurance, education assistance, a 401k and a variety of well-being resources. Most part-time employees are eligible for prorated PTO, holiday pay, employee development programs, prorated education assistance, and a 401(k).

Land O'Lakes, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) M/F/Vets/Disabled. The company maintains a drug-free workforce, including post-employment substance abuse testing pursuant to a Drug and Alcohol Policy.

Land O'Lakes does not use Automated Decision-Making Technology, as defined by California law, to substantially replace human decision-making or make significant decisions about applications for employment or contracting opportunities.