Quality Manager

Cirkla Inc.; Gainesville (GA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Travel reimbursements for work-related

Paid public holidays

Job summary

Cirkla Inc. seeks a Quality Manager to own quality and food safety at our new US molded fiber lamination facility. You will implement a world-class quality system in coordination with the Asia team, ensuring compliance for direct-contact products with major grocery and processing customers.

You will lead QA testing, audit readiness, CAPA, and supplier quality efforts, driving continuous improvement and maintaining certifications such as BRC/FDA compliance.

Qualifications

• 2–4 years of quality assurance experience in food manufacturing or food packaging.
• HACCP or HARA trained and able to build hazard analyses.
• Familiarity with FDA food-contact regulations and migration/compliance docs.
• Experience with internal audits and corrective actions.

Responsibilities

• Implement and maintain a QMS aligned with BRCGS Packaging Materials and drive initial certification.
• Own hazard analysis, food safety plan, and allergen control across the process.
• Oversee testing regimes for lamination adhesion, moisture, basis weight, and visuals.
• Lead non-conformance investigations and CAPA with root-cause analysis.
• Manage customer complaints, investigations, and post-incident reviews.
• Prepare for audits and regulatory inspections and maintain certifications.

Skills

Quality assurance

GFSI knowledge

Documentation control

Audits & certifications

Job description

Cirkla develops and manufactures high performance fiber packaging solutions to help global brands reduce plastic in their packaging. We've built a variety of industry-first packaging solutions such as trays for meat, produce and ready meals, dairy tubs, scoops, and more.

Role Overview

Cirkla is seeking a Quality Manager to own quality and food safety at our new US molded fiber lamination facility. You will work closely with the Cirkla Asia team to implement a quality system that already exists there. Our product goes into direct contact with fresh protein for major grocery and processing customers, which means our quality system is audited by them as well as by third-party certification bodies. You will be the person who delivers world-class quality standards to our customers.

What You’ll Do

• Quality management system: Work with Cirkla Asia team to implement the QMS - document control, specifications, work instructions, records, internal audit schedule, management review and corrective action. Establish it to the BRCGS Packaging Materials standard and drive the site through initial certification.
• Hazard analysis and food safety: Own the hazard and risk analysis for the process, covering physical, chemical, microbiological and allergen risk. Maintain the food safety plan, glass and brittle plastic control, foreign material prevention, and the site's food defense and fraud assessments.
• Inward, In-process and finished goods control: Own the testing regime - lamination adhesion, dimensional and visual standards, basis weight and moisture. Set sampling plans, train operators on in-process checks, verify they are being done, and own lot release.
• Non-conformance and CAPA: Run investigations with real root cause analysis rather than restated symptoms. Manage the hold and release process, drive corrective actions to closure, and track recurrence.
• Customer complaints: Own complaint intake, investigation and response, including the technical write-ups that go back to processor and retail quality teams. Convert complaint patterns into process changes.
• Audits and certification: Prepare for and host customer audits, third-party certification audits and regulatory inspections. Maintain the site's certification suite - BRC, FDA food contact compliance.
• Traceability and maintaining records: Maintain lot-level traceability from incoming container through production to customer shipment, and run mock recall exercises to prove it works within the required window.
• Supplier quality: Set technical approval criteria for suppliers, work with Sourcing on qualification and material trials, and manage supplier corrective action when material fails.

Who You Are

• 2-4 years in quality assurance in food manufacturing, food packaging, or another food-contact converting environment.
• Hands-on experience with a GFSI scheme - BRCGS, SQF or FSSC - including having been through certification and customer audits rather than reading about them
• HACCP or HARA trained, and able to build a hazard analysis for a process rather than adapt someone else's
• Working knowledge of FDA food contact regulations, letters of guarantee, and migration and compliance documentation.
• Comfortable running a small lab and interpreting physical tests
• Credible on the floor. You can hold a quality position against production pressure and explain the reasoning without turning it into a standoff.
• Rigorous with daily documentations.
• Health insurance
• Travel reimbursements for work-related travel
• Paid public holidays
• Impact: Be a part of the early team of a business that will create a large meaningful impact on the planet while being profitable
• Culture: People who are super-driven, grounded and nice to work with!