Quality Manager - Dairy

Meijer Inc.; Tipp City, Northern (OH, KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Meijer Rewards

Weekly pay

Scheduling flexibility

Paid parental leave

Paid education assistance

Team member discount

Development programs for advancement

Job summary

Meijer is seeking a site Food Safety and Quality leader to drive food safety programs across high-risk manufacturing operations. You will ensure regulatory and customer compliance, lead audits and CAPA, and partner across operations, sanitation, and product development to deliver safe, high-quality products.

The role requires directing environmental monitoring, document control, and traceability, with oversight of laboratory testing and risk-based decision making.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Microbiology, Biology, Chemistry, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of quality leadership experience in a dairy manufacturing environment.
• Progressive experience in food safety and quality within a manufacturing environment; experience in dairy required.
• Strong knowledge of food safety plans, GMPs, sanitation systems, environmental monitoring, allergen controls, audit readiness, and quality management practices.
• Experience leading investigations, internal audits, CAPA, complaint management, traceability, recall readiness, and risk-based product disposition decisions.
• Experience in UHT, aseptic, or ESL environments; willing to consider conventional fluid dairy experience.
• Demonstrated leadership of cross-functional teams and data-driven decision making.
• Experience with regulated manufacturing environments, certification programs, laboratory oversight, and specialized process controls.

Responsibilities

• Lead and continuously improve the site food safety and quality management system, including food safety plans, prerequisite programs, sanitation controls, environmental monitoring, document control, and records management.
• Ensure compliance with applicable regulatory, customer, and third-party requirements; serve as the primary site contact for inspections, audits, corrective actions, and follow-up activities.
• Primary point of contact for regulatory inspections and guidance to site leadership on regulatory compliance implementation.
• Oversee product and material compliance activities, including specifications, labeling, packaging verification, process controls, testing, calibration, and disposition of nonconforming product.
• Provide technical leadership for manufacturing operations, including verification of critical controls, sanitation and hygienic design programs, traceability, recall readiness, complaint investigations, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support product launches, process changes, shelf-life and validation activities, and risk-based quality decisions across multiple product categories and manufacturing systems.
• Lead internal audits, root-cause analysis, CAPA, KPI reporting, site training, and cross-functional collaboration to strengthen food safety culture and operational performance.
• Provide oversight for laboratory or external testing support, microbiological risk management, and specialized process controls relevant to the site's operations.

Skills

Leadership

Cross-functional

Data analysis

Regulatory compliance

Audits

Education

Bachelors in Food Science/ Dairy Science/ Microbiology/ Biology/ Chemistry

Job description

As a family company, we serve people and communities. When you work at Meijer, you’re provided with career and community opportunities centered around leadership, personal growth and development. Consider joining our family – take care of your career and your community! Meijer Rewards Weekly pay Scheduling flexibility Paid parental leave Paid education assistance Team member discount Development programs for advancement and career growth

Reporting to the Director of Food Safety for Manufacturing, this role leads site food safety and quality programs for high-risk manufacturing operations. The position is responsible for maintaining regulatory, customer, and certification compliance; leading food safety plans and prerequisite programs; and partnering across operations, sanitation, maintenance, supply chain, and product development to ensure safe, legal, and high-quality products.

This role serves as the primary site contact for inspections and audits and drives continuous improvement through effective quality systems, technical leadership, and risk-based decision making. Onsite position with Monday-Friday 8am-5pm schedule. On call as needed. Occasional travel.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Lead and continuously improve the site food safety and quality management system, including food safety plans, prerequisite programs, sanitation controls, environmental monitoring, document control, and records management.
• Ensure compliance with applicable regulatory, customer, and third-party requirements; serve as the primary site contact for inspections, audits, corrective actions, and follow-up activities.
• Primary point of contact for regulatory inspections and provide guidance to site leadership regarding implementation of regulatory compliance.
• Oversee product and material compliance activities, including specifications, labeling, packaging verification, process controls, testing, calibration, and disposition of nonconforming product.
• Provide technical leadership for manufacturing operations, including verification of critical controls, sanitation and hygienic design programs, traceability, recall readiness, complaint investigations, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support product launches, process changes, shelf-life and validation activities, and risk-based quality decisions across multiple product categories and manufacturing systems.
• Lead internal audits, root cause analysis, CAPA, KPI reporting, site training, and cross-functional collaboration to strengthen food safety culture and operational performance.
• Provide oversight for laboratory or external testing support, microbiological risk management, and specialized process controls relevant to the site's operations.

What You Bring With You (Qualifications):

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Microbiology, Biology, Chemistry, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of quality leadership experience in dairy manufacturing environment required.
• Progressive experience in food safety and quality within a manufacturing environment; experience in dairy required.
• Strong knowledge of food safety plans, GMPs, sanitation systems, environmental monitoring, allergen controls, audit readiness, and quality management practices.
• Experience leading investigations, internal audits, CAPA, complaint management, traceability, recall readiness, and risk-based product disposition decisions.
• Experience in UHT, Aseptic or ESL (some combination of experience in 2 of 3) required Willing to consider conventional fluid dairy experience.
• Demonstrated leadership of cross-functional teams, technical communication, data analysis, and the ability to influence operational performance.
• Experience with regulated manufacturing environments, certification programs, laboratory oversight, and specialized process controls relevant to the facility preferred.
• Pasteurized Milk Ordinance experience.
• HACCP, PCQI, SQF, certifications required.

We opened our doors more than 90 years ago with the goal of helping people provide for themselves and their family. Today we’re a multi-billion dollar retailer with more than 70,000 employees across six states. Our Midwest geography includes corporate offices in Grand Rapids, Michigan, plus manufacturing facilities, distribution centers and over 270 stores across Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Wisconsin.

Meijer is an Equal Opportunity Employer, fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. We are committed to treating all persons with dignity and respect. Meijer's policy is to not discriminate because of any applicant or team member's race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, religion, age, physical or mental disability, uniformed service or veteran status, or any other lawfully-protected classification.

Submissions that are not seeking help to complete the application due to a disability will not be responded to.