Director, Food Safety & Quality Assurance

Echo Global Logistics•Greenfield, IN

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Roadtex Transportation, a leader in nationwide LTL industry specializing in time and temperature-sensitive products, is seeking a Director of Food Safety & Quality Assurance (FSQA). This role is responsible for the design, implementation, and governance of the enterprise Food Safety Management System (FSMS) across the company's national temperature-controlled and ambient 3PL network. The Director will be the central authority for food safety, quality systems, food defense, food fraud prevention, and regulatory and customer compliance, leading the organization's transition to and sustainment of FSSC 22000 certification. Reporting to the President, Warehousing, this director-level role operates with significant scope and decision authority, establishing standards, enforcing compliance, and ensuring consistent execution across all sites. Initially, this role will function as a working leader with two Quality Assurance Associates, with the expectation to scale the function as the certification program and network mature. This is a build role requiring a candidate comfortable with tasks ranging from writing SOPs to presenting audit posture to Fortune 500 customers.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Biology, Chemistry, or related field or equivalent experience.
8+ years of progressive experience in food safety, quality, or compliance within food-grade operations, with at least 3 years in a leadership or program ownership role.
Hands-on experience with GFSI-recognized standards, FSSC 22000, SQF, or BRCGS, including direct involvement in certification or recertification.
Strong working knowledge of FSMA (including the Sanitary Transportation Rule), HACCP principles, FDA regulations, and USDA where applicable.
Demonstrated experience leading audits, managing CAPA programs, and engaging directly with certification bodies and regulatory agencies.
Proven ability to build or scale a quality and compliance system from gap-state to certified-state.
Excellent written and verbal communication; able to write a defensible SOP and present credibly to a customer.

Nice To Haves

Direct experience in third-party logistics (3PL), cold storage, or temperature-controlled distribution.
Multi-site or network-level program ownership.
Specific experience leading an FSSC 22000 certification from gap assessment through Stage 2 audit.
Certifications: PCQI, HACCP (IFSH or equivalent), FSPCA Lead Instructor, ISO 22000 Lead Auditor, SQF Practitioner, or ASQ CQA / CMQ-OE.
Experience with food defense (TACCP) and food fraud (VACCP) vulnerability assessment methodologies.
Experience operating under customer-specific quality programs from major CPG, foodservice, or retail customers.

Responsibilities

Own and lead the enterprise FSMS strategy across all warehouse and transportation operations.
Establish standardized policies, procedures, and controls aligned to FSSC 22000 requirements.
Serve as the enterprise authority on food safety risk, quality system performance, food defense, food fraud, and audit readiness.
Chair the Food Safety Team and lead the Management Review process.
Drive alignment across operations, transportation, sales, and executive leadership on food safety and compliance posture.
Design, implement, and govern a scalable QMS across multi-site operations.
Develop and maintain SOPs, work instructions, forms, and document control processes.
Establish and operate the internal audit program, nonconformance management, and CAPA system.
Standardize processes across the network while preserving site-level operational practicality.
Own change control for any modification with food safety or quality impact.
Lead FSSC 22000 certification readiness, achievement, and sustainment, including all Stage 1 and Stage 2 audit activities.
Own all internal and external audits, FSSC, AIB, NSF, customer audits, and regulatory inspections.
Serve as primary interface for certification bodies, customer quality teams, and regulatory agencies.
Drive corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) to root cause and timely closure with verification of effectiveness.
Maintain audit-ready documentation and evidence at all times.
Ensure compliance with FSMA, FDA, USDA where applicable, and all state and local food safety regulations.
Oversee HACCP plans, hazard analysis, food defense (TACCP), and food fraud (VACCP) vulnerability assessments and mitigation.
Manage organic, kosher, halal, and other specialty certification programs as applicable.
Negotiate, approve, and govern customer Quality Agreements; lead customer onboarding from a food safety standpoint.
Own the supplier and service provider approval program.
Partner with operations and transportation leadership to embed food safety into daily execution.
Conduct routine, unannounced facility assessments focused on actual operating conditions.
Lead root cause analysis for deviations, holds, recalls, damages, customer complaints, and compliance gaps.
Own the mock recall and traceability exercise program; ensure recall readiness across the network.
Lead the crisis response process for food safety events.
Develop and deliver food safety, quality, food defense, and food fraud training programs.
Establish clear expectations for site-level ownership and accountability for food safety outcomes.
Promote a culture where food safety is embedded in daily operations.
Build food safety competency assessment into onboarding and ongoing development for operations leadership.
Define and track FSMS key performance indicators.
Report monthly to the President and quarterly to executive leadership on food safety risk, compliance posture, and certification status.
Lead Management Review at the cadence required by FSSC 22000.
Drive continuous improvement through structured problem-solving and trend analysis.
Lead, develop, and direct two Quality Assurance Associates in Year 1.
Build the Year 2+ FSQA function plan and recommend strategy.
Establish governance routines for Food Safety Team meetings, site QA huddles, leadership scorecard reviews.