Senior Quality and Food Safety Manager

Shearer's Foods; Perham (ME); On-site; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Shearer's Foods in Massillon, OH is seeking a Sr. Manager of Quality & Food Safety to lead and continuously improve the site's QA/FS programs, including SQF, GMPs, and SOPs.

You will oversee the SQF Practitioner role, PCQI duties, and cross-functional collaboration with operations. The ideal candidate has at least 10 years in quality assurance and food safety, 5+ years in a management role in a similar plant, and strong knowledge of FSMA, FDA standards, and data-driven improvement.

Qualifications

• Minimum degree: Bachelor in Food Science, Animal Science, Microbiology, Biology, or related science.
• Minimum of 10 years in Quality Assurance, Food Safety, and Sanitation.
• Minimum of 5 years in a supervisory/management role in a similar plant.
• Certifications: PCQI, SQF Practitioner (or other GFSI), HACCP.
• Strong knowledge of FSMA, FDA, and global food safety standards.
• Experience with customers and suppliers in a quality capacity.
• Experience using data and statistics to drive improvement.
• Demonstrated ability to lead change and coach teams.
• Broad quality and food safety management experience in a plant environment.
• Ability to train associates and plan, monitor, and schedule work.

Responsibilities

• Lead and continuously improve the site's Quality and Food Safety Management Systems, including SQF, Food Safety Plan, GMPs, and SOPs.
• Maintain understanding of all products, raw materials, packaging, and operations, including quality specs.
• Monitor and enforce all food safety processes per AIB, SQF, and customer standards.
• Serve as SQF Practitioner and PCQI; participate in weekly Food Safety Inspections.
• Act as key member of the Food Safety Team to identify, assess, and mitigate risks.
• Investigate and respond to customer complaints and trace trends to resolve issues.
• Ensure programs protect consumers and audit readiness at all times.
• Oversee sanitation and prerequisite programs across the facility.
• Develop data-driven insights (SPC, trend analysis, defect tracking) to improve performance.
• Establish quality objectives aligned with plant and corporate goals.
• Drive structured problem-solving and continuous improvement for defect reduction and customer satisfaction.
• Foster ownership mindset; partner with operations to embed quality at the source.
• Deliver training linking frontline work to customer impact and brand reputation.

Skills

Quality management

Food safety

GFSI knowledge

FSMA / FDA knowledge

Data-driven improvement

Leadership & coaching

Process improvement

Education

Bachelor in Food Science / Animal Science / Microbiology / Biology

Job description

Overview

Shearer's Foods, founded in 1974 and headquartered in Massillon, OH, is a leading manufacturer of salty snacks, cookies, and crackers. Specializing in private label and co-manufacturing, Shearer's is the largest supplier of private brand salty snacks and second-largest supplier of private brand cookies and crackers.

With a strong focus on innovation, service, quality, and sustainability, Shearer's has been awarded the food industry's highest award for environmental sustainability, as well as multiple Supplier of the Year awards.

Operating 16 locations across North America and employing more than 5000 team members, Shearer's is driven by its core values of People, Grow, Impact and Win. The company mission is to deliver exceptional products and services that make snacking a time to celebrate for our customers, colleagues, and community.

At Shearer's Foods, we believe in a skills-first approach to recruitment and employment. This means focusing on what you can do and how you can grow, rather than traditional metrics alone. We are committed to adhering to anti-exclusion practices, removing barriers to access, and enhancing opportunities for all individuals based on merit and potential. Your skills, experience, and perspective are valuable-and we want to empower you to make your mark here with us.

Responsibilities

Sr. Manager of Quality & Food Safety

Your seat at the table:

• Lead and continuously improve the site's Quality and Food Safety Management Systems, including SQF (Safe Quality Foods), Food Safety Plan, GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices), and SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures).
• Maintain a comprehensive understanding of all products manufactured by the plant as well as the raw materials, packaging materials, and operations required in the manufacturing process including quality specifications and standards.
• Monitor, support and enforce all Shearer's Foods food safety processes and procedures. This includes all AIB standards, SQF standards, and customer specific standards as identified in supporting documentation.
• Serve as the SQF Practitioner and Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI). Participate in weekly Food Safety Inspections.
• Act as a key member of the Food Safety Team, ensuring risks are identified, assessed, and mitigated proactively.
• Investigate and respond to customer complaints. Track complaint and reacts to emerging issues or trends engaging the appropriate functions and process owners (i.e. production, maintenance, PD, etc.) to resolve.
• Ensure all programs are designed and executed to protect the consumer and ensure audit readiness at all times.
• Oversee sanitation and prerequisite programs to ensure hygienic design and execution across the facility.
• Develop and leverage data-driven insights (SPC, trend analysis, defect tracking) to improve performance and reduce variability.
• Establish and align quality objectives with plant and corporate goals, balancing consumer protection, efficiency, and cost.
• Drive structured problem-solving and continuous improvement initiatives focused on defect reduction and customer satisfaction.
• Build a culture of ownership where quality is everyone's responsibility,
• Partner with operations to embed quality at the source, minimizing reliance on inspection.
• Deliver training programs that connect frontline work to real customer impact and brand reputation.

What you bring to the table:

• Minimum requirement of a Bachelor Degree in Food Science, Animal Science,Microbiology, Biology, or other science related degree.
• Minimum of 10 years of overall professional experience in Quality Assurance, Food Safety,and Sanitation.
• Minimum of 5 years in a supervisory or management position in a plant of similar complexity and size.
• Certifications: PCQI (Preventive Controls Qualified Individual), SQF Practitioner (or other GFSI), HACCP
• Strong knowledge of FSMA, FDA, and global food safety standards
• Experience working directly with customers and suppliers in a quality capacity
• Demonstrated success using data and statistical methods to drive improvement
• Demonstrated experience leading change
• Broad knowledge and experience in quality and food safety management gained at successive levels of responsibility in a plant atmosphere.
• Demonstrated ability to direct, coach, and train associates as well as plan, monitor and schedule work.
• Experience leading "Best in Class" behaviors with focus on food safety, qualityassurance, and plant regulatory compliance.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.