Quality Lead

Russell Stover Chocolates, LLC; Abilene (TX); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Russell Stover Chocolates, LLC is seeking a Quality Lead to work with the Quality Assurance manager and team to ensure only the finest product ships to consumers. You will conduct quality inspections, investigate root causes, train staff, and support FSQA documentation and processes.

In this role you will lead the QA team, support audit readiness, manage inventory related to quality and ingredients, and drive continuous improvement of our food safety culture across the plant.

Qualifications

• 18 years of age or older.
• High school diploma or GED.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to speak, read, and write English fluently.
• Two or more years in a plant involved with quality and/or food safety tasks.
• Experience using the MS Office Suite.
• Ability to routinely and frequently stand, stoop, bend and lift overhead.
• Must be able to differentiate between colors and shifts in colors.

Responsibilities

• Lead QA team and ensure food safety and quality programs.
• Coordinate audits and support prep and execution.
• Maintain FSQA documentation and traceability records.
• Manage department inventory and budget alignment for FSQA.

Skills

Communication skills

English fluency

Physical stamina

Attention to detail

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

MS Office Suite

SAP/CRM experience

Job description

At Russell Stover, not only do we love chocolate, but we love our jobs! Every day we go to work exhibiting our values of excellence, innovation, entrepreneurship, responsibility, and collaboration. Working at Russell Stover you’ll be part of the leading manufacturer of boxed, seasonal, and sugar-free chocolates. For over 100 years, Russell Stover Chocolates, Whitman’s, and Pangburn’s have been crafted with the finest ingredients to bring happiness to generations. Today, we produce over 55 million pounds of chocolate annually, and our legacy brands can be found in 13 company-owned stores and over 9,000 wholesale accounts. Join our team and let’s continue making chocolate lovers happy!

A day in the life…

As a Quality Lead, you will work directly with the Quality Assurance manager as well as your team members to ensure that only the finest product is shipped to our consumers. This will include conducting quality inspections, resolving quality issues, investigating root causes, directing and training team members, and following proper procedure for all documentation. You will also learn the job function of all quality team members so that you may relieve them during breaks or while on vacation or sick leave. Inventory management, audit prep, and general leadership are some of the other key functions.

What you will be doing…

• Ensure QA department team performs and verifies food safety, sanitation, and quality programs per plant food safety plan, prerequisite programs, ssops, sops, and training.
• Lead the QA team.
• Floor Support for audit preparation and during the audit.
• Back-up to any hourly team member within the QA department.
• Ensure that daily inventory (ingredients or consumables) shortages (due to rate of use, hold disposition, or expiration) do not impact the plant meeting customer demand within the FSQA requirements.

Oversight and verification of food safety & quality programs such as but not limited to:

• Traceability management including mock recalls.
• Daily QA paperwork management to ensure the department and plant team has the correct forms needed to meet FSQA requirements. This includes updating and management of QA setup and the weights master log to meet current product mix and process capabilities within FSQA requirements.
• Lab ingredient inventory management, batching process, traceability paperwork review, and SAP minor usage management to ensure batching is performed to meet schedule needs.
• Expired and obsolete product management; working cross functionally with other plant departments to ensure FSQA requirements are met. While minimizing impact whenever possible to schedule, compliance, and OEE.
• CCPs and PRPs floor implementation.
• CAPA floor implementation. Be an active member in root cause analysis and preventative measures on the floor.
• QA department training including new QA team members, updating training for current QA team, and annual requalification of the QA team.
• Daily PCQI audit review including documentation tracking and following-up on corrective actions, preventative actions identified to ensure FSQA requirements are met.
• Be leader and first line of contact for plant FSQA procedures and sanitation SSOPs implementation on the floor. Answer questions and give guidance related to these programs to support training and direction given by the FSC and/or FSQA manager in day-to-day production.
• Floor support for Audits in preparation and during the audit.
• Hold management program on the floor on daily basis including ensuring all potentially affected product is segregated and identified, then working with other departments as needed to complete final disposition with proper documentation.
• Manage department consumable inventory to ensure FSQA required tasks can be completed and department stays within FSQA manager’s budget plan.
• The QA lead reports directly to the FSQA Supervisor, however in their absence they will escalated concerns or issues to the Food Safety Coordinator or specialist unless otherwise directed by the FSQA Supervisor.
• Adhere to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to ensure product quality and maintain compliance with food safety standards.
• Complete and follow FSQA training and programs to comply with regulatory requirements, ensure consumer safety, and support the plant’s food safety and quality objectives.
• Promptly report and take appropriate action on any observed or potential food safety hazards, process deviations, or non-conformities by notifying the designated plant supervisor, in accordance with your role and responsibilities.
• Actively contributes to the continuous improvement of the company’s Food Safety Culture through engagement and actions aligned with your role.

This job posting is not all inclusive and other duties may be assigned.

Do you have what it takes? (Basic Qualifications)

• 18 years of age or older.
• High school diploma or GED
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to speak, read, and write English fluently, with or without an accommodation.
• Two or more years in a plant involved with quality and/or food safety tasks.
• Experience using the MS Office Suite.
• Ability to routinely and frequently stand, stoop, bend and lift overhead.
• Must be able to differentiate between colors and shifts in colors.

Do you stand above the rest? (Preferred Qualifications)

• HACCP and PCQI Certifications.
• Sanitation experience.
• SAP/CRM experience.
• Must be results-driven with good interpersonal skills.
• Strong conflict resolution and problem‑solving skills to help drive culture of plantwide ownership of proactive FSQA process.

Experience Life at Russell Stover Plants!

• Safety First: Your well-being is our top priority, and we’ve got you covered with protective gear. On day one, you’ll dive into Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) training, and we’ll keep you on your toes with daily safety tips to ensure you’re always in the know!
• Surroundings: Get ready to work alongside cutting‑edge equipment like automated packing machines, forklifts, electric pallet jacks, and those irresistible chocolate candy banks/steels – it’s a dynamic environment where every day brings something new!
• Active & Engaging Work: Whether you’re on your feet for extended periods, moving around, climbing ladders, or lifting up to 50 lbs, there’s never a dull moment. This is a place where you’ll stay on the move!
• Comfortable Climate: In most roles, you will be comfortable year‑round with our climate‑controlled environment.
• Appealing Smells: The air is filled with sweet aromas of chocolate, and by the time your shift ends, you might just leave smelling like chocolate!
• Dress to Impress (Food Safety Style): A simple yet important dress code ensures safety and hygiene, following Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to keep everything running smoothly.
• Allergens: You will be exposed to a variety of ingredients that may be considered food allergens like nuts, milk, and more.

At Russell Stover Chocolates, we don’t just accept difference — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products, and our community. Russell Stover Chocolates is proud to be an equal-opportunity workplace.

We provide equal employment opportunities to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, protected medical condition, genetic information, military service, veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by law.

Employment by Russell Stover Chocolates is contingent upon I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification, passing the urinalysis drug screen, education verification, and satisfactory reference and background checks.

Make Happy. Work Happy.