Supervisor - Quality Assurance (Food Safety and Quality Assurance) - Night Shift

Freshpet; Bethlehem (Northampton County); On-site; USD 75,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision insurance

401(k) plan with company match

PTO and paid parental leave

Job summary

Freshpet is seeking a Quality Assurance Supervisor to lead the QA team on the night shift, ensuring food safety, product quality and regulatory compliance. You will partner with plant management to maximize quality and productivity on a Monday–Friday, 10 pm–6 am schedule.

The role requires 3+ years in food safety/quality systems, SQF/PCQI and HACCP certifications, and strong leadership. A BS/BA in a related field is preferred, with exposure to audits and continuous improvement initiatives.

Qualifications

• 3+ years minimum experience working in Food Safety/Quality Systems, preferably in food or pet food.
• Must be SQF Practitioner or receive certification within three months in position
• Must be HACCP/PCQI certified or receive certification within three months in the position
• Sound knowledge of food safety and quality system requirements for the food industry

Responsibilities

• Maximize product quality and productivity in collaboration with plant management and supervisors.
• Serve as the QA leader for the assigned shift and provide leadership for the QA team.
• Cover peer PTO and/or other business needs with a flexible schedule
• Ensure procedures for employee safety, food safety, and product quality are followed
• Supervise assigned employees including scheduling, onboarding, and performance management
• Act as QA decision-maker on the shift and escalate risks promptly
• Lead continuous improvement projects within Freshpet’s Performance for Excellence Program
• Support SQF, HACCP, Quality System and Food Safety training for QA team
• Assist with non-conforming product programs and CAPA processes
• Analyze and resolve quality and safety problems in manufacturing
• Assist in consumer complaint investigations and corrective actions
• Maintain knowledge of products, ingredients, and processing operations
• Support audits and ensure corrective actions are completed

Skills

Leadership

QA Leadership

SQF Practitioner

HACCP/PCQI

Microsoft Office

Statistics knowledge

Education

BS/BA in Food Science or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

This position will work a Monday – Friday schedule (10 pm - 6am).

Who We Are

At Freshpet, our goal is to change the way people nourish their pets forever. We strive to strengthen the bond between people and our pets so that we both live longer, healthier, and happier lives while being kind to the planet. We believe that if we can create fresh, real foods that pets love and help them live healthier lives, that their pet parents will also enjoy the many benefits of a rich life shared with a pet. IT’S AMAZING WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN YOU START COMPLETELY FRESH!

What You Will Do

• As a Quality Assurance Supervisor, you will work with plant management and other supervisory staff to maximize product quality and productivity.
• The Quality Assurance Supervisor will serve as the quality leader for the assigned shift providing leadership for the QA team.
• Flexible schedule required to cover peer PTO and/or other company business needs

How You Will Make An Impact

• Ensuring proper procedures are in place and being followed for employee safety, food safety, and product quality
• Providing supervision of assigned employees through scheduling and daily activities, ensuring effective selection, retention, feedback, disciplinary action, and performance management, as well as on boarding new team members.
• Serving as the QA decision‑maker on the assigned shift and act on behalf of the QA Manager when delegated, escalating significant food safety, regulatory, quality, people, or business risks promptly.
• Serve as the FSQA representative on pillar teams in Freshpet’s Performance for Excellence Program and lead continuous improvement projects resulting from pillar assignments, as necessary.
• Supporting the development, implementation, review and maintenance of the Freshpet SQF Food Safety and Quality System and HACCP Plans
• Reviewing/maintaining of manufacturing and quality records, verifying critical control and preventive control activities, identifying trends, and ensuring deviations are addressed and documented effectively for positive release.
• Auditing pre‑operational & sanitation activities for continuous improvement.
• Communicating relevant personnel information, essential to ensuring effective implementation and maintenance of the SQF System
• Assisting with validating changes to Food Safety fundamentals and Food Safety plans that have an impact on Freshpet’s ability to deliver safe food for pets
• Supporting the development and maintenance of the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) and Preventive Control plans for all products manufactured at Freshpet plants
• Coordinating and delivering SQF, HACCP, Quality System and Food Safety training to QA team
• Supporting Non‑Conforming (Hold) product programs, including procedure development and maintenance, conducting product reviews, assigning non‑conforming product dispositions, and timely communication to stakeholders.
• Coordinating problem solving as well as CAPA (corrective action preventive action) with manufacturing, and issuing reports, as required.
• Analyzing and resolving work, quality, and food safety problems in manufacturing, or assisting team members in problem solving
• Assisting in consumer complaint investigations including evaluation and corrective actions resulting from investigations.
• Maintaining an up‑to‑date knowledge of plant products, ingredients, packaging, processing operations, specifications, testing methods, and applicable standards.
• Supporting audit readiness and participating in internal, certification, customer, and regulatory audits, ensuring assigned corrective actions are completed and effective as required.
• QA Manager, Assistant QA Manager, or Supervisor will serve as back up to this position

What You Will Bring

Work Experience Requirements

• 3+ years minimum experience working in Food Safety/Quality Systems, preferably in food or pet food
• Leadership experience preferred
• Must be SQF Practitioner or receive certification within three months in position
• Must be HACCP/PCQI certified or receive certification within three months in the position
• Sound knowledge of food safety and quality system requirements for the food industry
• Ability to adapt to changing organizational and operational needs; ability to lead others through change
• Strong judgment and decision‑making skills, with the ability to assess risk, make timely product and process decisions within assigned authority, and escalate appropriately.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and computer‑based applications
• Knowledge of statistics to perform routine test data and process control analysis
• Basic knowledge of food processing including thermal processing
• Project Management skills (must be capable of handling multiple projects)
• Basic knowledge of food analytical and microbiology testing
• Good interpersonal and communication skills
• Sound ethics
• Team management skills
• Able to work in production areas under hot, humid and/or refrigerated conditions
• Able to work varied days/shifts to support business needs
• Lift and perform physical labor during plant tests or product start‑ups
• Work extended hours to complete tasks/special projects
• Occasional travel

Education Requirements

• BS/BA in Food Science or related field preferred (Chemistry, Microbiology, Engineering, etc.), or 10+ years food/manufacturing experience

What We Offer

The range for this position is: $75,000.00 - $85,000.00

At Freshpet, we offer a competitive salary and an excellent benefits package, including medical, dental and vision insurance, basic and optional life insurance, short- and long-term disability protection, flexible spending accounts, and a 401(k) plan with company match, paid parental leave, pet insurance, tuition assistance, a generous PTO plan and so much more!

Our Commitment To a Diverse Workforce

Freshpet is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All employment decisions are made without regards to race, color, national origin, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, genetic information, citizenship status (although applicants and employees must be legally authorized to work in the United States), uniformed service member or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law (“protected characteristics”).

Disclaimers

The salary range provided above is the range of the wages that we will pay for the listed position. A final determination on the wages within this range is based on a number of non‑discriminatory factors, including but not limited to the required work location, previous work experience, skill set, and wage rates for comparable positions.

Freshpet is not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity. Please, no phone calls or emails. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at Freshpet via‑email, the Internet or in any form and/or method without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of Freshpet. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Freshpet as a result of the referral or through other means.

We are interested in every qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States. However, we are not able to sponsor visas.