Sr. Director of Food S&S

OSI Group; Aurora (IL); On-site; USD 170,000 - 255,000; Full time

Job summary

OSI Group seeks a senior Food Safety and Quality Assurance expert to lead and advance our FSQA strategy across plants and key customers. You will guide product safety, microbiology, and regulatory compliance while directing a team of specialists and coordinating with product development and process teams throughout the lifecycle.

You will develop and implement robust food safety plans, validation methods, and governance, partnering with global heads to set priorities.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in related field preferred.
• Operational food safety and processing experience required.
• Prior HACCP and PCQI certification required.
• Knowledge of risk assessment and HACCP principles across product categories.
• Thorough knowledge of USDA, FDA, CFIA, EFSA, CODEX.
• Understanding of GMP, Pathogen Environmental Monitoring, and facility design.
• Experience with microbiology lab techniques and rapid tests.
• Familiarity with ISO and Six Sigma quality systems.
• Strong communication and teamwork abilities.

Responsibilities

• Job manages a team, has authority to hire and performance-manage the team.
• Leads 1-5 employees in daily operations.
• Identify food safety risks and define risk-reduction strategies.
• Provide technical expertise on microbiology, toxicology, and food safety principles to internal and key customers.
• Prevent non-conformances in processing and quality systems.
• Implement best-in-class food safety policies using public health principles.
• Collaborate to establish audits and programs that meet customer and regulatory standards.
• Define validation requirements for lethal steps and ensure critical limits are met.
• Manage lab spend and testing requirements across North America plants.
• Strengthen FSQA linkage through training and development in risk assessment.
• Lead gap analyses of regulatory updates and drive policy alignment.
• Engage with trade groups and committees as needed.
• Support crisis management with technical resources.
• Convert data/research into actionable messages for leadership.

Skills

FSQA leadership

HACCP/PCQI

Regulatory knowledge

Lab techniques

Project management

Communication skills

Digital FSQA

Team leadership

Food safety

Education

PhD or equivalent

Job description

As a premier global food provider, the OSI Group partners with the world’s leading foodservice and retail food brands to provide concept-to-table solutions that delight consumers around the globe.

Join us and discover a work experience where diverse ideas are met with enthusiasm, and where you can learn and grow to your full potential. We’re looking for individuals who thrive in an entrepreneurial environment and who enjoy working as a team to deliver unparalleled service and solutions to our customers.

Job Summary

This role is responsible for providing OSI manufacturing plants, internal customers and assigned customers with focused, senior technical level food safety and quality support. This position serves as a food safety and quality subject matter expert, actively participates to develop FSQA strategy and builds awareness of regulatory requirements in all products categories, and advises others involved in developing and manufacturing products. The position develops and delivers food safety plans, governance, and validation guidance. Directs and leads the food safety science team and collaborates with other zone and global functional department heads, to set food safety priorities. Effectively collaborates with product development and process teams throughout product lifecycle. Develops and maintains relationships with industry working groups, academic organizations, and other subject matter experts which impact the food safety science programs.

Job Responsibilities

• Job manages a team, has authority to hire and performance-manage the team.
• Job leads/supervises/manages 1-5 employees.
• Independently and proactively identify food safety risks to the business and define risk reduction strategies.
• Using current scientific and regulatory food safety principles to ensure emerging issues are identified, provide technical expertise and actionable advice to internal and key customers regarding food microbiology, toxicology, food safety principles and general food science.
• Proactively and independently recognize and prevent potential non-conformances or deficiencies in processing, food safety and quality systems or programs.
• Guide OSI’s implementation of best-in-class food safety policies using public health principles.
• Collaborate with zone and global colleagues to establish and proactively review food safety programs, including audits, to meet assigned customer requirements, organization standards, and government regulations.
• Define requirements for and conduct validation of processes related to lethal/kill steps including thermal, chilling, formulation, or novel technologies for products and/or processes. Assess validity of current lethality processes to ensure critical limits are consistently met. Define requirements for consistency in HACCP and food safety plan decision-making.
• Define requirements for and maintain the system of records for food safety science at the zone and plant level.
• Review application of challenge studies, shelf-life studies, and process control validation studies to ensure critical limits for critical processes are appropriate.
• Manage OSI spend on laboratory services across the North America plant network, define testing requirements, manage internal and third-party laboratories. Define methods and evaluate proficiency of laboratory work.
• Strengthen corporate FSQA linkage to facility FSQA leadership by establishing and implementing training and development in food safety risk assessment.
• Direct and evaluate gap analysis of regulatory updates, report on KPI metrics for compliance programs, access/direct the cross functional development of policies for multiple OSI programs to ensure organizational alignment.
• Play an active role in assigned trade group organizations and committees.
• Serve as a technical resource to the OSI crisis management team.
• Reconcile company data, or industry research into refined message for review by OSI technical leadership.
• Serve as the dedicated corporate food safety and quality assurance representative to assigned customers.
• By maintaining a presence in OSI manufacturing locations, be able to apply in-depth knowledge and understanding of food manufacturing to introduce innovative solutions to quality issues before they occur and in response to unforeseen situations.
• Conduct reviews and analysis of customer complaints related to product food safety or quality for the Corporate Insurance department when necessary. Provide a formal response to the customer based on analysis and work with facility QA Manager to develop and implement corrective actions.
• Demonstrate situational awareness and practical solutions provided considering the business requirements in the manufacturing facilities.
• This role has the responsibility to understand and place in practice appropriate safety procedures. This responsibility is achieved through education, training, use of protective equipment (as applicable) and by following safety policies, regulations, standards, and laws.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Experience & Skills

• 10+ years of experience in related field is preferred.
• Operational food safety and food processing experience required.
• Prior HACCP and PCQI certification required.
• Thorough knowledge and implementation of risk assessment, HACCP principles and current food safety practices- ideally across different product categories.
• Thorough knowledge and in-depth understanding of various regulatory frameworks (USDA, FDA, CFIA, EFSA, CODEX).
• Thorough knowledge and in-depth understanding of Good Manufacturing Practices- Pathogen Environmental Monitoring- and Facility / Equipment Design.
• Experience with microbiology laboratory techniques and rapid test methods.
• Awareness and understanding of quality systems/processes (ISO- Six Sigma etc.)
• Effective communication skills (presentation- report writing- teaching/training).
• Work experience in team-oriented functions as well as individual contribution.
• Action oriented with good project management skills.
• Experience and proficiency with digital food safety and quality platforms.

Education

• PhD or equivalent is preferred.

Compensation/Benefits

The salary range for this role is $169,744–$254,616, with a midpoint of $212,180. Offers are typically made between the minimum and midpoint of the range, based on skills, experience, and internal equity. In rare cases, highly qualified candidates may receive an offer above the midpoint; however, offers at the maximum of the range are not customary. The salary range posted represents the low and high end of OSI’s salary range for this position. Salaries will vary based on various factors, including but not limited to, location, education, skills, experience, and performance. Base salary is one component of OSI’s overall total rewards package. Other components may include bonuses, special pay programs, comprehensive time off, 401k with match, and a full suite of benefit offerings for you and your family.

Work Environment

• Work is generally performed within a business professional office environment, with standard office equipment available.
• Work conditions are typical of a food manufacturing facility.
• This role requires 30% domestic travel.
• Position may require the physical agility of lifting up to 15 pounds.
• Position may require frequent and/or infrequent bending, squatting, pushing, pulling, stretching/reaching, use hands or fingers, talk, hear, feel objects, tools, controls and standing/walking on concrete flooring.
• Position may require the physical ability to stand/walk for Greater than 4 hours.