SQA Lead - Vegetables & Grains

Mars, Incorporated and its Affiliates; Franklin (TN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Mars University

Competitive salary & benefits

Job summary

Mars, Incorporated and its Affiliates is seeking a Supplier Quality Assurance Lead to ensure fit-for-purpose raw materials and drive supplier improvements across the Vegetables & Grains category. The role emphasizes auditing, HACCP, and QA leadership, with cross-functional collaboration across buying, operations, and R&D.

The candidate will lead supplier site audits, manage risk and performance metrics, and support continuous improvement initiatives while traveling up to 50% as needed.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in food manufacturing quality, with basics in food safety, HACCP and auditing.
• Experience leading QFS Management System audits.
• Training in continuous improvement and problem solving.
• Strong planning/project management and data handling skills.
• Willingness to travel at least 50% of the time.
• Solid understanding of supply chain in a manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities

• Ensure quality and consistency of raw materials, especially Vegetables & Grains category.
• Provide inputs to material risk assessments and drive supplier improvement plans.
• Support supplier non-conformance investigations with cross-functional teams.
• Manage inbound supply risks including quality, safety, and regulatory compliance.
• Conduct supplier site audits and ensure corrective actions are completed.
• Communicate with Commercial, R&D and Supply stakeholders effectively.
• Lead continuous improvement culture and apply problem solving across network.
• Ensure conformance to specifications.

Education

BS degree in Chemistry, Food Science, Engineering, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Description:

As a Supplier Quality Assurance Lead at Mars, you will assure “fit for purpose” raw materials that meet/exceed the needs of the regional manufacturing sites and end-users. Ongoing responsibilities of the role include ensuring continuous supplier process improvement, identifying and executing cost improvement initiatives, assuring food/pet/product safety, continuous quality improvement, and performing supplier site visits and audits. The role requires functional experience in auditing, food materials, and food production activities. The Supplier Quality Assurance Lead interacts extensively with the Commercial buying and sourcing teams, manufacturing, product, packaging and commodity development functions with a special emphasis on a select set of commodity categories from High to Low risk levels to ensure we provide nothing but the best quality products to our consumers.

What are we looking for?

• 2 or more years of experience working food manufacturing quality, with sound understanding of food safety, HAACP, and auditing.
• Top Requirement- Must Have- Experience leading Q&FS Management System audits.
• Training and experience in continuous improvement and problem solving.
• Competencies in planning/project management, managing and measuring work, managing data through internal systems
• Ability to travel minimum 50% of the time
• Strong Requirement -Must Have- Strong understanding of supply chain with the physical capability of working in a manufacturing environment when necessary.
• Minimum of a BS degree (Preferably in Chemistry, Food Science, Engineering, or a related field).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office.

What will be your key responsibilities?

• Assures quality and consistency of raw materials, primarily within the Vegetables & Grains category. Knowledge of and experience in mycotoxin management is preferred.
• Provides inputs to material risk assessments and creates/drives supplier improvement plans.
• Works in partnership with Commercial Buying/Operations Teams and Site-based Quality Services to support supplier non-conformance investigations.
• Manages all inbound supply risks including material security, quality, food/product safety and regulatory compliance.
• Performs supplier site audits and ensures completion of identified corrective actions.
• Communicates effectively with multiple internal stakeholders in Commercial, R&D and Supply.
• Performs supplier performance reviews and manages supplier performance metrics.
• Drives a culture that is rooted heavily in continuous improvement principles and applying problem solving methodology across the manufacturing network.
• Ensures product conformance to specifications and requirements.

What can you expect from Mars?

• Work with diverse and talented Associates, all guided by the Five Principles.
• Join a purpose driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today.
• Best-in-class learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.
• An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus.