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

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

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Disability insurance

401(k) plan with company match

Paid parental leave

Tuition assistance

Generous PTO

Job summary

Freshpet seeks a Quality Assurance Supervisor to lead the QA team on the 6pm–6am shift, collaborating with plant management to maximize product quality and productivity.

You'll drive safety and quality systems, supervise staff, and serve as the QA decision-maker on the shift, escalating risks and supporting continuous improvement programs across the plant.

Qualifications

• BS/BA in Food Science or related field preferred.
• SQF Practitioner or certification within three months in position.
• HACCP/PCQI certification or receive certification within three months in the position.
• 3+ years experience in Food Safety/Quality Systems, preferably in food or pet food.
• Strong leadership and change-management abilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead QA team and act as quality leader for the assigned shift.
• Ensure procedures for employee safety, food safety and product quality are followed.
• Coordinate CAPA with manufacturing and issue reports as required.
• Support SQF, HACCP, Quality System updates and training.
• Audit readiness and participate in internal, certification, customer and regulatory audits.
• Back up QA Manager on the shift and assist with problem solving.

Skills

SQF Practitioner

HACCP/PCQI

Leadership

Food Safety

Problem solving

Microsoft Office

Statistics

Team management

Strong communication

Education

BS/BA in Food Science or related field

Job description

This position will work a Monday – Friday schedule (6pm – 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 elevate 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”).

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