Vice President of Quality (Food/Pharma)

ClearBridge Executive Search; Santa Rosa (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

ClearBridge Executive Search seeks a Vice President of Quality to lead QA, QC, food safety, and regulatory compliance across multiple manufacturing sites in California. You will own quality strategy, audits, CAPA, and supplier quality, ensuring FDA and GxP adherence while driving continuous improvement.

You will mentor senior quality leaders, collaborate with Manufacturing, Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, and R&D, and oversee labs, release testing, and product specifications.

Qualifications

• Minimum 15 years of progressive quality leadership experience in manufacturing.
• Strong background in food, beverage, dietary supplement, or OTC pharmaceutical manufacturing.
• Experience with SQF, BRC, FSSC 22000, ISO 22000, or similar quality and food safety systems.
• Willingness to travel up to 20–30% as needed.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement company-wide quality strategies, policies, and procedures.
• Oversee QA, QC, Supplier Quality, Sanitation, and Food Safety operations.
• Lead quality management across multiple facilities and external suppliers.
• Ensure FDA regulatory compliance and inspections.
• Manage CAPA programs and corrective actions.
• Oversee supplier qualification and vendor performance.
• Develop quality KPIs and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Lead root cause analyses, investigations, change control, and risk management.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing, Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, and R&D.
• Oversee laboratories, product specs, and release requirements.
• Manage departmental budgets, staffing, and resource planning.
• Build and develop high-performing quality leadership teams.
• Support new product launches, manufacturing expansions, and quality improvement projects.

Skills

Quality leadership

Regulatory compliance

Cross-functional leadership

Budget management

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Microbiology, Engineering, or related

Tools

Quality Management Systems (QMS)

Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS)

Job description

• Experience overseeing multi-site manufacturing quality operations.
• Background in dietary supplements, herbal products, food manufacturing, or OTC pharmaceuticals.

Job Overview

We are seeking an experienced Vice President of Quality to lead quality assurance, quality control, food safety, and regulatory compliance across manufacturing operations. The ideal candidate will have extensive quality leadership experience within the food, beverage, dietary supplement, or OTC pharmaceutical industries.

This position will oversee quality systems, manufacturing facilities, suppliers, and laboratories while driving continuous improvement and maintaining regulatory compliance.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement company-wide quality strategies, policies, and procedures.
• Oversee Quality Assurance, Quality Control, Supplier Quality, Sanitation, and Food Safety operations.
• Lead quality management systems across multiple manufacturing facilities and external suppliers.
• Ensure compliance with FDA, cGMP, GMP, HACCP, and applicable food safety regulations.
• Manage internal and external audits, regulatory inspections, CAPA programs, and corrective actions.
• Oversee supplier qualification, raw material quality, and vendor performance.
• Develop quality KPIs, reporting systems, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Lead root cause analysis, investigations, change control, and risk management programs.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing, Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, and R&D teams.
• Oversee laboratory testing, product specifications, and product release requirements.
• Manage departmental budgets, staffing, and resource planning.
• Build and develop high-performing quality leadership teams.
• Support new product launches, manufacturing expansions, and quality improvement projects.

Qualifications

• Minimum 15 years of progressive quality leadership experience in manufacturing.
• Strong background in food, beverage, dietary supplement, or OTC pharmaceutical manufacturing.
• Proven experience managing quality operations across multiple manufacturing facilities.
• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Microbiology, Engineering, or a related field required; advanced degree preferred.
• Strong knowledge of FDA regulations, GMP, cGMP, HACCP, and food safety standards.
• Experience with SQF, BRC, FSSC 22000, ISO 22000, or similar quality and food safety systems.
• Experience with Quality Management Systems (QMS) and Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS).
• Strong background in supplier quality, regulatory compliance, audits, and CAPA.
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and work closely with executive leadership.
• Willingness to travel up to 20–30% as needed.