Quality Manager II

Refresco; Joplin (MO); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Savings Accounts

Flexible Spending Accounts

Life and AD&D Insurance

Short-term disability

401(k) with company match

Paid holidays

Vacation days

Discount programs

Job summary

Refresco Beverages US Inc. is seeking a seasoned Quality Manager II to lead the site quality department, drive food safety, and ensure product integrity across processes.

This role will manage laboratory operations, implement SQF, and coordinate with suppliers while maintaining compliance with FDA and GMP standards. You will oversee audits, train staff, and guide continuous improvements, optimizing costs and safeguarding quality metrics in a fast-paced production environment.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in Food Science, Quality or related discipline.
• Minimum 5 years of direct management experience in Quality within a manufacturing environment, preferably food/beverage.
• Knowledge of quality management systems, HACCP plans, food safety and security standards, and governmental regulatory relating to the food/beverage industry.

Responsibilities

• Adhere to and ensure compliance to health and safety policies/procedures, GMPs and PPE requirements.
• Directly manage the Quality team to achieve KPIs and CI project goals, while tracking costs, reducing waste, overseeing employee training, and maintaining department morale.
• Responsible for direct management and utilization of laboratory (analytical and microbiology), water treatment, syrup blending, sanitation, microbiological equipment, raw materials, and all quality processes.
• Optimize resources while ensuring raw materials and finished product meet specifications and manufacturing standards and in accordance with FDA, CFIA, GMP's, HACCP, and all other governmental policies, procedures, and regulations.
• Responsible for supporting and maintaining compliance with third-party food safety and quality certification requirements, including the implementation and continual improvement of the facility’s food safety and quality management systems.
• Responsible for the development, implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the SQF System and ensuring compliance with all relevant food safety and quality requirements.
• Oversee daily Quality inspections to ensure all products are meeting compliance.
• Write, update, and maintain SOP's (Standard Operating Procedures) for the Quality Program.
• Champion internal audit process through continuous improvements, shared best practices, and teamwork.
• Comprehend and utilize the plant financials, fixed and variable costs. Understand how other cost centers affect QC results, how production volume affects all costs, and how to manage variable labor.
• Participate in planning future capital requirements, develop the capital request utilizing the current format and manage capital projects to their successful completion.
• Lead the development, implementation, review, and maintenance of Food Safety Fundamentals, the Food Safety and Quality Plans, and the SQF program, while ensuring effective communication of all relevant information to employees.
• Responsible to ensure that all food safety and food quality documents are safely stored, maintained and accessible.
• Responsible for departmental non-conformances and implementation of corrective action ensuring all corrective actions are documented and outstanding actions closed in timely manner.
• Ensure compliance to all OSHA and environmental regulatory and corporate standards. Investigate and identify root causes of any non-compliance.
• Leads and directs the work of other employees and has responsibility for personnel actions including hiring, performance management, and termination.
• Provides training, direction and instruction and conducts performance evaluations.
• Provides guidance and training on work standards and expected outcomes.
• Accountable for planning and evaluating performance, staff training and development, recruitment and may contribute to pay recommendations.
• Accountable for a safe working environment through the development of strategies focused on accident reduction as well as energy and waste minimization.
• SQF Practitioner for the facility.
• Ability to lead teams in site projects such as waste reduction, validation, new product launch, etc.

Skills

Lab data collection program

Excel

Word

SAP

PowerPoint

Analytical problem solving

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Statistical methods

Regulatory knowledge (GFSI/FDA)

Reading metric system

Leadership

Decision making under pressure

Team collaboration

Ability to analyze and solve problems

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Quality or related discipline

Minimum 5 years of direct management experience in Quality within a manufacturing environment

Knowledge of quality management systems, HACCP, food safety standards

Tools

Laboratory equipment

Job description

Our vision is both simple and ambitious: to put our drinks on every table.

We are the leading global independent beverage solutions provider. We serve a broad range of national and international retailers as well as Global, National and Emerging (GNE) brands. Our products are distributed worldwide from our production sites in Europe, North America, and Australia. Although our own branding may not appear on the labels of the beverages we produce, there is a good chance you are reading this while sipping one of our drinks.

Our ambition is to continually improve and it’s what keeps us at the top of our game.We are solutions-based.We are innovative. We seek out new challenges and conquer them. This is our company ethos, but it’s our people’s too:Refresco is at the cutting edge of a fast-moving industry because we have passionate people pushing the boundaries of what’s best.

Stop and think: how wouldYOUput our drinks on every table?

Position Description

Reporting to the Plant Manager, the Quality Manager II oversees the sites quality department with responsibility for total product/package quality, Food Safety/Quality cost management, safety, compliance, GMPs, and executing all Quality protocols to ensure Plant Quality objectives are met.

Essential Job Functions:

• Adhere to and ensure compliance to all health and safety policies/procedures, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and PPE requirements.
• Adhere to and ensure compliance to food quality and food safety as per the standard(s) provided by corporate, customer, and/or governing bodies (ex. GFSI).
• Directly manage the Quality team to achieve KPIs and CI project goals, while tracking costs, reducing waste, overseeing employee training, and maintaining department morale.
• Responsible for direct management and utilization of laboratory (analytical and microbiology), water treatment, syrup blending, sanitation, microbiological equipment, raw materials, and all quality processes.
• Optimize resources while ensuring raw materials and finished product meet specifications and manufacturing standards and in accordance with FDA, CFIA, GMP's, HACCP, and all other governmental policies, procedures, and regulations.
• Responsible for supporting and maintaining compliance with third-party food safety and quality certification requirements, including the implementation and continual improvement of the facility’s food safety and quality management systems.
• Responsible for the development, implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the SQF System and ensuring compliance with all relevant food safety and quality requirements.
• Oversee daily Quality inspections to ensure all products are meeting compliance.
• Write, update, and maintain SOP's (Standard Operating Procedures) for the Quality Program.
• Champion internal audit process through continuous improvements, shared best practices, and teamwork.
• Comprehend and utilize the plant financials, fixed and variable costs. Understand how other cost centers affect QC results, how production volume affects all costs, and how to manage variable labor.
• Participate in planning future capital requirements, develop the capital request utilizing the current format and manage capital projects to their successful completion.
• Lead the development, implementation, review, and maintenance of Food Safety Fundamentals, the Food Safety and Quality Plans, and the SQF program, while ensuring effective communication of all relevant information to employees.
• Responsible to ensure that all food safety and food quality documents are safely stored, maintained and accessible.
• Responsible for departmental non-conformances and implementation of corrective action ensuring all corrective actions are documented and outstanding actions closed in timely manner.
• Ensure compliance to all OSHA and environmental regulatory and corporate standards. Investigate and identify root causes of any non-compliance.
• Leads and directs the work of other employees and has responsibility for personnel actions including hiring, performance management, and termination.
• Provides training, direction and instruction and conducts performance evaluations.
• Provides guidance and training on work standards and expected outcomes.
• Accountable for planning and evaluating performance, staff training and development, recruitment and may contribute to pay recommendations.
• Accountable for a safe working environment through the development of strategies focused on accident reduction as well as energy and waste minimization.
• SQF Practitioner for the facility.
• Ability to lead teams in site projects such as waste reduction, validation, nee product launch, etc.

Required Skills:

• Proficient in Lab Data Collection Program, Excel, Word, SAP and Power Point.
• Ability to analyze and solve problems, results oriented.
• Organized and detail oriented, adaptable to change.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, verbal and written.
• Ability to apply statistical methods to analyze data and identify trends.
• Familiarity with GFSI, FDA, and other relevant standards and regulations preferred.
• Able to read and understand metric system.
• Leadership: Foster a culture of empowerment by building relationships based on trust, lead courageously on a day-to-day basis, and inspire growth with a clear and ambitious vision that guides the collective effort toward success.
• Problem-solving: Capacity to identify and resolve production issues quickly and effectively to minimize downtime and optimize output.
• Decision-making: Aptitude for making sound decisions under pressure, considering factors like cost, quality, and time constraints.
• Communication: Strong communication skills to liaise with other departments, suppliers, and stakeholders, as well as to provide clear instructions to teams.

Education and Experience:

• Undergraduate degree in Food Science, Quality or related discipline or field.
• Minimum 5 years of direct management experience in Quality within a manufacturing environment, preferable food/beverage industry.
• Knowledge of quality management systems, HACCP plans, food safety and security standards, and governmental regulatory relating to the food / beverage industry.

Working Conditions:

• Work Schedule: Weekdays, weekends, afternoon, evening, and overnight may be required. Overtime scheduled as needed.
• Work Environment: Operating in a fast-paced production plant with numerous moving parts. Noise levels require hearing protection and temperatures can get very hot and/or relatively cold (laboratory is temperature controlled). The environment is structured and supervised.
• Sitting for periods of time.

Travel Requirements:

• Travel anticipated: Rarely

Physical Requirements:

• Visual/Sensory: This position requires attention to detail, requiring attention with one or two senses at a time.
• Mental Stress: There is pronounced pressure from deadlines, production quotas, accuracy, or similar demands.

Other Duties:

• This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

A Career with Refresco

Refresco is passionate about empowering leaders who reflect our core values and live by our leadership behaviors. These behaviors encourage effective leadership within the business, and focus on leading courageously, empowering individuals, and driving company growth as one team. Joining our team as a people manager means you’ll be encouraged to evolve as a leader who prioritizes the success of both you and your team, to deliver results, whilst bringing your authentic self to work.

Refresco Beverages US Inc. offers the following competitive pay and comprehensive benefits:

• Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts
• Life and AD&D Insurance, critical illness, hospital indemnity, and accident insurance
• Short-term disability and long-term disability
• Pet Insurance
• 401(k) Savings Plan with Company Match
• 12 Paid Holidays
• Vacation Days and Paid Sick Time Off Days
• Discount and Total Reward Programs

Join Refresco TODAYand enjoy a rewarding CAREER!

Refresco Beverages US Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity, gender expression, Veteran status, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law.