Quality Assurance & Compliance Manager

Job Description

ROLE TITLE: Quality Assurance & Compliance Manager

Reports to: Plant Manager

Pursue Excellence

We are an industry leader in food innovation.

We are an industry leader in quality.

And we are dedicated to providing our customers, consumers and associates with only the freshest ideas, products and growth opportunities.

Welcome to the SmithFoods family.

High Quality. Always Fresh.

For over 100 years, SmithFoods has been a leader within the dairy industry and has progressed into an innovative leader within private label and contract manufacturing services for dairy and non-dairy products.

Joining SmithFoods as the Quality Assurance & Compliance Manager allows you a fresh opportunity to make a significant impact in an ever-evolving organization.

Be an Owner.

As the Quality Assurance & Compliance Manager, you will...

Summary/Objective

Plan, coordinate and direct the Quality & Food Safety program at SmithFoods to ensure food safety and high quality of HTST dairy and non-dairy fluid, cultured and frozen products consistent with established company, customer, and regulatory standards.

Your Work Matters.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essentials functions.

Department Duties

• Leads the quality and ingredient/bulk receiving teams
• Has direct leadership over Food Safety & Quality Compliance Coordinator and Quality Assurance Technical Specialist
• Assures the SmithFoods Food Safety and Quality System is fully integrated with operations and is compliant
• Provide input into short and long-term quality and operational plans
• Verifies all manufacturing controls to ensure products meet required specifications
• Maintains and keeps current on compliance with state and federal regulations including the following:
  1. PMO, IMS, FDA, ODA
• Enforces quality standards of raw, processed, and purchased products and packaging
• Maintains the weight control of raw, processed and purchased products
• Supports product development
• Responds to and troubleshoots customer complaints
• Manages all quality, food safety, sanitation and regulatory related programs and training of associates
• Verifies legal processing parameters are being followed and documented appropriately
• Provides training for site specifics such as GMPs, Food Defense, Allergens, HACCP, Preventive Controls, Pathogen Environmental Program (i.e. Listeria), HTST, SQF, Internal Audits and develops team members including quality, operations, sanitation and others as needed (training is facilitated by office and in plant/facility methods )
• Organizes and maintains facility legal documents, permits, audits, and related documentation
• Provides on floor leadership with troubleshooting sanitation, quality and microbial failures for the production environment, raw material handling and finished products
• Maintains consistent flow of communication with all members of management regarding pertinent quality, sanitation and regulatory related information
• Establishes, coordinates and maintains facility food safety Culture, Food Safety Plan, HACCP Plan which includes preventive controls, risk assessments, critical control points, plan reassessments, Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures

Authority

• Retains authority to carry out all of the above responsibilities
• Takes action as he/she deems necessary to ensure quality of all products and regulatory compliance
• Reports issues to and works with the appropriate manager/functional leader for resolution (i.e. Plant Manager for the facility problems, purchasing and supplier representative for raw milk supply)

Process Cleanliness

• Manages and audits performance of the Master Sanitation Schedule (methods utilized are facility audits along with record reviews, micro swabs, ATP Swabs, visual inspections, etc.)
• Works with chemical sales/technical representatives for improved methods for cleaning and sanitizing
• Evaluates the environmental monitoring program data and problem solving

Processed Products

• Monitors temperature control throughout processing, packaging and storage
• Monitors product specifications by leading and assuring compliance to the laboratory testing protocols
• Monitors shelf life by coordinating sample selection, sample testing and administration of protocols and subsequent data reporting

Troubleshooting Customer Complaints

• Tests and gathers pertinent information on customer problems and relaying/reporting information to person(s) responsible

Monitors Plant Audits & Inspections

• Primary contact for all self, third party, customer, and regulatory audits, acting spokesperson representing SmithFoods
• Maintains all files and keep current on all reporting records for outside audits such as SQF, IMS, FDA, Military, special certifications, etc.
• Communicates all needed information
• Collects, documents and monitors all pertinent information related to corrective actions
• Leads, conducts, facilitates and reports findings for all facility Internal Audits for assurances of continuous improvement

Required Duties of all Associates

• Manage all company business according to the cultural objectives of the company (values and behaviors)
• Understand and execute the principles of the company's Operational Excellence program driving the right behaviors, standards and continuous improvement across all operating entities
• Participate in cross-functional teams as required to advance the business interests of the company
• Compliance with all company and regulatory policies/guidelines relating to associate safety, food safety and food quality
• Have a presence in the production environment leading and providing hands on training and guidance cross-functionally for assurance of nurturing a Food Safety Culture. Helping Associates understand the "Why" for what we do

Competencies

• Excellent oral, written and interpersonal communication skills
• Strong technical understanding of FSQ standards
• Experience dealing with FDA and other state/federal regulatory agencies
• Strong leadership, analytical and problem solving skills
• At ease in fast-paces and dynamic environment

Supervisory Responsibility/Reporting and Working Relationships

• Reports directly to Plant Manager
• Supervises Quality Techs, Bulk Receivers, Quality Control Analyst and Food Safety & Quality Compliance Coordinator
• Provides leadership to all direct reports and ensure appropriate leadership and hands on engagement with indirect reports.
• Strengthen and develop local teams through coaching, training and effective goal setting
• Interfaces with group leaders/managers/functional leads/key functional associates internal and external to SmithFoods operations
• Works closely with customers and vendors and other SmithFoods functional departments across all of the SmithFoods Facilities

Travel

• Occasional travel for training, customers and vendors

Education and Experience

Required

• Minimum of five years managing a Quality & Sanitation Function in a manufacturing environment, including leading teams
• Minimum of five years in the food and beverage industry
• Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, Visio and PowerPoint
• Ability to collect, analyze and draw conclusions based upon data and metrics
• Deep understanding of the FDA Regulations (Food Safety Modernization Act) and IMS regulations
• Experience in auditing processes (Records, Procedures, Equipment and Personnel)

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, or a related field from an accredited institution
• Advanced knowledge of FDA Regulations, PMO and IMS regulations
• Previous experience with SQF and PCQI certification

Work Environment & Physical Demands

• Works both in the office and manufacturing environments with fluctuating temperature levels
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
• Requires sitting, walking, standing, climbing, squatting (methods/movement necessary but not limited to inspecting area such as the following:
  1. Production equipment, production areas, warehousing, roof top refrigeration, exterior premises, milk silos, receiving docks, milk truck tank vessels; interior ceiling tiles, interior ventilation units, conveyors, etc.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the associate for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Furthermore, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of the company.

If possible, efforts will be made for reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EEO Statement

SmithFoods is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants for employment, recruitment, hiring, training, transfer, promotion, pay, benefits, lay-off, demotion or termination of employment will be made without consideration of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, military status, ancestry, veteran status, or any other protected

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