Senior Quality Engineer- Covington West Plant

General Mills, Inc; Covington (KY); On-site; USD 91,000 - 138,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Senior Quality Engineer to champion food safety and quality at their Covington plant. This role involves overseeing supplier compliance and raw material procurement while collaborating with experts to ensure product safety. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in food safety, mechanical aptitude, and leadership skills. Join a team dedicated to making food the world loves while contributing to a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. This is your chance to make a significant impact in a high-performance environment.

Benefits

Health Benefits

Retirement Plans

Time Off

Wellbeing Support

Potential Annual Incentives

Qualifications

• 5+ years in food safety or quality roles with strong mechanical aptitude.
• Proven leadership and ability to prioritize effectively in a team environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead food safety and quality initiatives, ensuring compliance and performance.
• Coordinate with teams for risk assessments and root cause analyses.

Skills

Food Safety

Quality Assurance

Statistical Analysis

Problem Solving

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Food Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Food Science

Tools

Root Cause Analysis

DMAIC

PDCA

FMEA

Fishbone Diagrams

Job description

Job Description

OVERVIEW

As a Senior Quality Engineer, you will be responsible for championing supplier food safety and overseeing the procurement of raw materials and packaging for the entire Covington site. You will collaborate with site experts and internal and external partners to ensure the safety and effectiveness of General Mills' products and processes.

PLANT OVERVIEW

Covington is a high-performance work system plant with approximately 465 team members producing cereal and salty snacks for our Morning Foods and Snacks Operating Units. We operate 8 manufacturing systems across 2 facilities, supporting brands like Cheerios, Wheaties, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Bugles, and Chex Mix. The plant has been in operation for over 35 years with strong community ties.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Provide leadership in Food Safety & Quality through expertise in regulatory compliance, SPC, sanitation, and risk mitigation, and support supplier food safety and compliance.
• Manage material categories (e.g., grains, sweeteners, flavorings, film, corrugated), ensuring specification compliance, assessing supplier performance, and providing training.
• Lead global initiatives, including process improvements and standardization.
• Coordinate with cross-functional partners, conduct risk assessments, and lead root cause analyses for issue resolution.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Food Engineering, Food Science, or related field.
• At least 5 years of experience in food safety or quality roles.
• Strong mechanical aptitude, engineering principles application, troubleshooting skills, and proficiency in statistical analysis.
• Willingness to support a 24/7 manufacturing schedule, including night and weekend on-call support (~0-5 calls per week).
• Knowledge of FSSC Standards and regulatory requirements.
• Proven leadership, initiative, organization, and ability to prioritize effectively.
• Flexibility, motivation, and problem-solving skills with limited resources.
• Excellent collaboration and relationship-building skills across organizational levels.
• Ability to lead positive change within a plant environment.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with problem-solving tools like Root Cause Analysis, DMAIC, PDCA, FMEA, Fishbone diagrams.
• Results-driven with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Ability to influence and lead in a high-performance team setting.
• Visionary skills to streamline and simplify systems.
• Possession of ASQ CQE or Six Sigma Green/Black Belt certifications.

COMPANY OVERVIEW

We aim to make food the world loves and prioritize being a force for good. We seek bold thinkers with big hearts who challenge and grow together. Our goal is to be the leader in food by surrounding ourselves with innovative, passionate people.

Salary Range

The annual salary range is $91,900 to $138,000. We aim to reflect individual experience, skills, and performance in compensation. Beyond salary, we offer comprehensive benefits, including health, retirement, time off, wellbeing support, and potential annual incentives, depending on various factors.