Director of Food Safety & Quality Assurance (FSQA)

HARVEST FOOD GROUP LLC • Chicago, IL

44d • $14,000 - $15,000

About The Position

Director of Food Safety & Quality Assurance (FSQA) JOB SUMMARY The Director of FSQA is responsible for leading the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of food safety and quality systems across a frozen food co-packing operation serving multiple branded and private label customers. This leadership role ensures compliance with all FDA, USDA (if applicable), FSMA, SQF/BRC, GFCP, customer requirements, and global regulatory standards. The Director will oversee FSQA strategy, certifications, regulatory interactions, customer audit management, co-manufacturing quality agreements, and continuous improvement initiatives that protect brand reputation and drive operational excellence.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, or related field required
• Minimum 5-8 years of progressive FSQA leadership experience in frozen food manufacturing, preferably in a co-packing environment
• Extensive knowledge of FDA/USDA regulations, SQF/BRC certification schemes, and GFSI standards.
• Experience managing complex customer relationships and technical agreements
• PCQI (Preventive Controls Qualified Individual) and HACCP certification required.
• Strong leadership presence with ability to influence cross-functional teams.
• Exceptional understanding of quality systems, food microbiology, and risk-based decision making.
• Excellent communication, project management, and customer-facing skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic co-manufacturing environment.
• Ability to work within timelines and under pressure based on production needs
• Availability to work scheduled hours, including weekends as required
• Ability to stand, bend, and climb stairs for extended periods (10–12 hours per day as needed)
• Ability to work in a refrigerated environment (32–36 °F)
• Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds multiple times throughout the day

Nice To Haves

• SQF Practitioner, BRC Site Lead, or equivalent GFSI certification strongly preferred.
• Six Sigma/Lean certification a plus

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the company’s FSQA strategic vision to support business growth, customer expectations, and regulatory compliance.
• Ensure full compliance with FSMA Preventive Controls, HACCP, HARPC, GMPs, FSVP, allergen controls, traceability, and recall readiness.
• Maintain and elevate facility certifications including SQF, Organic, Kosher, GFCP, Halal, Non-GMO, and customer addendums.
• Lead regulatory inspections and serve as the primary liaison with federal, state, and local agencies.
• Oversee development, approval, and maintenance of all FSQA programs, SOPs, policies, and quality management systems.
• Direct Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP), sanitation verification, and pathogen control strategies.
• Ensure robust documentation control, label accuracy, ingredient specification management, and formula verification.
• Lead root cause analysis, corrective and preventive action (CAPA), and continuous improvement processes.
• Manage co-packing quality agreements and ensure alignment with each customer’s brand standards and regulatory expectations.
• Lead customer audits, visits, and technical calls; ensure high audit performance and zero major non-conformances.
• Oversee specification adherence, formula change approvals, first production runs, and commercialization trials.
• Partner with Operations, R&D, Supply Chain, and Engineering on process capability, yield improvements, line validations, and hygienic design initiatives.
• Implement data-driven performance metrics (KPIs), including consumer complaints, non-conformances, audit scores, and quality costs.
• Lead incident management, including product holds, deviations, foreign material control, and recall/traceability exercises.
• Lead, mentor, and develop Regulatory Compliance manager, FSQA manager, supervisors, and technicians to foster a proactive food safety culture.
• Establish departmental goals, succession planning, training initiatives, and performance management.
• Promote collaboration, accountability, and continuous learning across all levels of FSQA and Production teams

Benefits

• Play a key role in the launch of a next-generation facility
• Work with a collaborative and innovation-driven team
• Help deliver high-quality, safe, and delicious food products to consumers
• Contribute to the future of food manufacturing through automation and sustainability

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Number of Employees: 11-50 employees