Team Lead FSQA

The Hershey Company; Plymouth (IN); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision

401(k) match

Paid time off

Flexible work options

Career development

Job summary

The Hershey Company in Plymouth, Indiana is seeking a hands-on Team Lead FSQA to protect products and brands in a high-speed confectionery environment.

You will lead QA Technicians, coordinate sampling and environmental monitoring, and partner with Operations, R&D, and Regulatory teams to drive continuous improvement and ensure compliance with GMP, HACCP, and GFSI standards.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of QA, Food Safety, or related manufacturing experience.
• Experience leading or influencing teams and audits.
• Bachelor’s or Associate degree in Food Science, Microbiology, or Engineering.
• Knowledge of GMP, HACCP, PEP, and GFSI standards.
• Proficient with SAP and quality/production systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead QA Technicians on the designated shift and uphold quality standards.
• Provide QA guidance, audits, and incident management to meet requirements.
• Plan sampling, analytical, microbiological, and environmental monitoring programs.
• Investigate incidents, analyze data, and drive corrective actions.
• Prepare reports and dashboards for leaders.

Skills

Food Safety

Quality Assurance

Leadership

Auditing

Regulatory Compliance

Analytical Thinking

SAP

RedZone

Communication

Problem-solving

Education

Food Science

Microbiology

Engineering

Tools

SAP

RedZone

LIMS

QIMS

Excel

MS Office

Job description

Why Hershey:

At The Hershey Company, our culture is rooted in purpose and inspired by Milton Hershey’s enduring vision that business should create opportunity for others. Through our commitment to corporate philanthropy, we create positive impact by supporting communities, helping children thrive, and operating as a business for good. This includes our deep and long standing partnership with Milton Hershey School, where we invest in education, workforce readiness, and hands on engagement to help students succeed beyond the classroom. Supported by strategic grantmaking, product donations, cross brand collaboration, and strong employee volunteerism, Hershey offers a place to work where making a difference—locally and globally—is part of how we do business every day.

Location: Plymouth, IN

About The Hershey Company

The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) is an industry-leading snacks company known for making more moments of goodness through its iconic brands. With a strong portfolio across chocolate, confectionery, and salty snacks, Hershey delights consumers every day. Our beloved brands include Hershey’s, Reese’s, KitKat, Dots Pretzels, Lesser Evil, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers, Ice Breakers, and more.

At Hershey, we are committed to making a meaningful difference in the communities where we live, work, and do business. This commitment originated with our founder, Milton Hershey, and continues to shape who we are today.

Guided by our employee value proposition, Lead Today. Create Tomorrow, we empower our people to drive impact now while shaping what comes next. Our One Hershey mindset brings teams together across functions, geographies, and businesses, enabling us to operate with speed, collaboration, and shared purpose.

The Hershey Company is proud to be recognized as a top employer in the United States, reflecting our commitment to our people, culture, and purpose.

How will you fit in the big picture?

You’ll help protect the products and brands people love by leading Food Safety and Quality Assurance support for our Plymouth, Indiana pretzels operation, a high-speed, complex environment producing favorites such as Dots Pretzels and Reese Filled Pretzels. As a Team Lead FSQA, you’ll serve as a key connection point between QA and Manufacturing, helping ensure product safety, quality, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement across your assigned area.

This is a great opportunity for a hands-on quality leader who enjoys solving problems, coaching others, using data to improve systems, and partnering across Operations, R&D, Supply Chain, and regulatory teams to keep Hershey moving with confidence.

What will you do?

• Lead QA Technicians on the designated shift, helping manage standard work, support daily execution, and reinforce food quality and safety expectations.
• Support production activities by providing QA guidance, troubleshooting, training, audits, and incident management to meet company and regulatory requirements.
• Plan and execute sampling, analytical, microbiological, environmental monitoring, and retained sample programs; document results and elevate out-of-tolerance findings.
• Coordinate QA verification activities such as sampling plans, specification checks, sensory programs, sanitation verification, hygiene audits, allergen control validation, and HACCP/PEP system checks.
• Investigate quality and food safety incidents, analyze data and trends, identify root causes, and partner cross-functionally on corrective and preventive actions.
• Use systems such as RedZone, SAP, LIMS, QIMS, Line Production Reporting, and CONC reporting to isolate issues, monitor trends, and support continuous improvement.
• Prepare reports and dashboards that highlight quality, food safety, laboratory, and operational risks; share insights and recommended actions with leaders and partners.

Minimum Requirements

Experience: 3+ years of relevant experience in Quality Assurance, Food Safety, Manufacturing Quality, or a related technical/manufacturing environment. Experience leading or influencing teams, troubleshooting quality issues, conducting audits, and supporting compliance programs is required.

Education: Bachelor’s or Associate degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent related experience.

Knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Working knowledge of food industry regulations, GMP, HACCP, PEP, sanitation, pest control, and GFSI standards.
• Strong attention to detail, documentation discipline, auditing/assessment capability, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively, influence without direct reporting authority, and support a fast-paced production environment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint and quality/production systems such as SAP and RedZone.
• Ability to work flexible hours and perform hands-on plant/lab activities, including sampling, testing, stair/platform access, and occasional lifting of test equipment or product cases.

Preferred: SQF Practitioner, HACCP Certification, PCQI, Lean/Six Sigma experience, working knowledge of SPC, and experience with ERP implementation or integration of quality processes.

Benefits And Perks

• Health & Wellbeing: Medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus wellness programs that support your physical and mental health
• Financial Security: Competitive pay, annual incentive opportunities, and a 401(k) with company match
• Time Off & Flexibility: Paid time off, company holidays, and flexible ways of working where applicable
• Growth & Development: Career development programs, learning opportunities, and internal mobility

Benefits may vary based on role, location, and eligibility.

The Hershey Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The policy of The Hershey Company is to extend opportunities to qualified applicants and employees on an equal basis regardless of an individual's race, color, gender, age, national origin, religion, citizenship status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other categories protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.

The Hershey Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Minority/Female/Disabled/Protected Veterans.

You may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our online application process as a result of a disability.

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To request an accommodation via phone, please call [phone] and leave a voicemail with your contact information. You may also email a request for accommodation to [e-mail]. Please be sure to include “Accommodation Needed” in the subject line. This will ensure that your email is routed to the appropriate contact who will handle your request.