Senior Manager - xQFS (Co-Manufacturing)

Post Holdings, Inc.; Lakeville (MN); On-site; USD 102,000 - 159,000; Full time

Job summary

Post Consumer Brands, a Post Holdings, Inc. business unit, seeks a Senior Manager - External Quality & Food Safety (Co-Manufacturing & Warehousing) to lead food safety, quality and regulatory compliance across domestic and international partners.

You will build strong risk management programs, establish metrics, and collaborate with Quality, Operations, Supply Chain, R&D, and external partners to drive launches and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and related field required.
• 10+ years in food manufacturing quality/food safety.
• PCQI certification(s) preferred.
• Knowledge of 21 CFR Part 117/507 is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Set strategic direction for food safety and quality across external co-manufacturing and warehousing.
• Lead and develop technical professionals and build capability in risk assessment, auditing, supplier management, and relationship leadership.
• Strengthen external partnerships with manufacturers and warehousing providers with shared objectives and metrics.
• Guide readiness for product launches, reformulations, technology transfers, and network expansions.
• Direct the external audit program, including risk-based prioritization and corrective actions.
• Own the external network risk portfolio across design, manufacture, storage, and distribution.
• Establish governance through scorecards, trend analyses, and executive reviews.
• Lead cross-functional responses to escalations, nonconformances, and emerging risks.
• Sponsor initiatives that improve quality systems and deliver business value.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Project management

Communication

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering/food science/food safety or related field

Job description

Business Unit Overview

Headquartered in Lakeville, Minn., Post Consumer Brands, a business unit of Post Holdings, Inc., is dedicated to providing people and their pets with delicious food choices for every taste and budget. The company's portfolio includes beloved brands such as Honey Bunches of Oats™, PEBBLES™, Grape-Nuts™ and Malt-O-Meal™ cereal and Peter Pan™ peanut butter, as well as Rachael Ray® Nutrish™, Kibbles 'n Bits™ and 9Lives™ dog and cat food. Post also provides private label solutions to customers in pet food, cereal, nut butters and granola. As a company committed to high standards of quality and to our values, we are driven by one idea: To make lives better by making delicious food accessible for all. For more information about our brands, visit www.postconsumerbrands.com and follow us on LinkedIn or Facebook for the latest news.

Location Description

Post Consumer Brands corporate headquarters in Lakeville, Minnesota, is about 20 miles south of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Lakeville has all the benefits of smaller town living with access to everything a large metropolitan area has to offer. Join more than 400 team members collaborating on the two-building campus to help put breakfast on the tables of millions of consumers in North America.

Responsibilities

At Post Consumer Brands, we believe meaningful careers offer both the resources to do big things and the opportunity to make your mark. We are looking for a strategic, hands-on quality leader to help shape how we protect food safety, strengthen external partnerships, and continuously improve performance across our co-manufacturing and warehousing network.

About the Role

As Senior Manager - External Quality & Food Safety (Co-Manufacturing & Warehousing), you will provide strategic and executional leadership across domestic and international external manufacturing and third‑party warehousing locations. Your work will support both Pet Food and Human Food businesses, helping ensure compliance with food safety, quality, and regulatory requirements while enabling commercialization, network growth, and continuous improvement.

This is an opportunity to lead a specialized team, influence partners across the external supply chain, and build stronger systems, metrics, and ways of working. You will collaborate closely with Quality & Food Safety, Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, R&D, and external partners to turn risk insights into action.

Key Responsibilities

• Set the strategic direction for food safety and quality across the external co-manufacturing and warehousing network.
• Lead and develop a team of technical professionals while building capability in risk assessment, auditing, supplier management, and relationship leadership.
• Strengthen partnerships with external manufacturers and warehousing providers by establishing shared objectives, performance metrics, and continuous improvement roadmaps.
• Guide food safety and quality readiness for product launches, reformulations, technology transfers, and network expansions.
• Direct the external audit program, including risk-based prioritization, scope, execution strategy, corrective actions, and systemic improvement.
• Own the external network risk portfolio across product design, manufacturing, storage, distribution, and warehousing.
• Establish meaningful performance governance through scorecards, trend analysis, executive-level reviews, and clear accountability.
• Lead cross-functional responses to escalations, nonconformances, damaged product, claims, and emerging risks.
• Sponsor improvement initiatives that strengthen quality systems, improve efficiency, and deliver measurable business value.
• Help build consistent, best-in-class ways of working across Pet Food and Human Food operations.

Qualifications

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in engineering, food science, food safety, or a related field.
• Preventive Controls Qualified Individual certification.
• At least 10 years of food manufacturing experience in quality and food safety.
• Practical knowledge of at least one of:
  • 21 CFR Part 117, including Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk‑Based Preventive Controls for Human Food.
  • 21 CFR Part 507, including Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk‑Based Preventive Controls for Food for Animals.
• Experience working with co-manufacturers, suppliers, external manufacturing partners, or distribution networks is preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, and develop technical professionals.
• Strong cross-functional leadership and the ability to influence partners without relying on direct decision‑making authority.
• Experience supporting commercialization, launches, audits, change management, or quality system improvement.
• Strong project management, organization, communication, and problem‑solving skills.
• A results‑oriented approach, sound judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to act with urgency.
• Intellectual curiosity and the confidence to identify knowledge gaps, engage subject‑matter experts, and find the right path forward.

Why You’ll Love This Role

This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of External Quality & Food Safety across a diverse co-manufacturing and warehousing network spanning both Human Food and Pet Food businesses. You’ll have the chance to build stronger systems, elevate performance standards, and influence quality outcomes across every stage of the external supply chain, from product commercialization through distribution. As part of a team in transformation, you’ll help define new ways of working, strengthen strategic partner relationships, and implement best‑in‑class risk management and performance programs.

If you’re energized by leading through influence, solving complex challenges, driving meaningful change, and leaving a visible mark on a growing organization, this role offers the scope, autonomy, and career‑building experience to do just that, all within a collaborative culture that values both big‑company opportunity and a close‑knit, team‑first mindset.

Location & Travel

This role is based in Lakeville, Minnesota, and requires the ability to work effectively with colleagues and external partners across locations.

Travel within the United States and internationally may be required up to 25% of the time to support external manufacturing and warehousing partners, audits, relationship management, launches, and business priorities.

Ready to Make an Impact

If you are energized by transformation, passionate about food safety and quality, and ready to lead through collaboration and influence, we would love to hear from you. Bring your experience, curiosity, and big‑picture thinking to Post Consumer Brands, where you can help build stronger partnerships, protect trusted products, and create lasting value across our external supply chain.

The pay range for this position is $102,093 - $159,265 per year.