Director of Food Safety & Quality Assurance

Coborn's, Inc.•Saint Cloud, MN

1d•$121,000 - $202,000•Onsite

About The Position

Coborn’s Inc. is hiring a Director of Food Safety & Quality who combines strategic leadership with hands-on execution to help shape the future of food safety and quality across our growing retail and production operations. This is a high-impact leadership role responsible for building scalable food safety systems, strengthening operational execution, protecting brand integrity, and fostering a culture where quality and accountability are embedded into everything we do. If you thrive in fast-paced environments, enjoy influencing cross-functional teams, and want to help build something lasting as an employee-owner, we’d love to meet you.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Food Safety, or related field.
8–12+ years of progressive experience in food safety, quality assurance, or regulatory compliance
Experience supporting both multi-unit retail operations and food production/manufacturing environments
Demonstrated experience leading food safety programs across multiple locations or facilities
Experience with HACCP, preventive controls, sanitation programs, and regulatory inspections
Experience working with suppliers, vendors, and private label products, including compliance and risk management
Experience with product labeling, nutritional compliance, and allergen management
Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and influence without direct authority
Experience in a working leader role with both strategic ownership and hands-on execution preferred
Deep knowledge of food safety regulations and standards (FDA, USDA, FSMA, HACCP, preventive controls)
Strong understanding of retail food operations and production/commissary environments
Ability to translate strategy into practical, scalable execution across diverse locations
Possess a current state driver’s license and valid insurance with the ability to travel to business locations as needed.
HACCP Certification
Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI)
Certified Food Safety Manager (e.g., ServSafe or equivalent)

Nice To Haves

SQF Practitioner or other GFSI-recognized certification (preferred for production environments)

Responsibilities

Lead the company’s food safety and quality strategy across retail stores and production facilities, establishing standards, priorities, and long-term improvement initiatives
Ensure compliance with FDA, USDA, FSMA, HACCP, preventive controls, and all applicable state and local food safety regulations
Oversee regulatory inspections, internal audits, third-party assessments, incident investigations, and corrective action programs to ensure sustainable resolution of risks
Lead core food safety programs, including sanitation, allergen management, traceability, recall readiness, product quality assurance, and preventive controls
Establish and maintain quality assurance standards that protect product consistency, specification integrity, labeling accuracy, and overall brand expectations
Partner closely with Operations and Production leadership to drive practical, consistent execution of food safety and quality standards across all locations
Maintain an active field presence to assess operational risk, coach teams, reinforce accountability, and support continuous improvement efforts
Establish food safety and quality expectations for suppliers, vendors, co-manufacturers, and private label partners, including onboarding and ongoing compliance requirements
Oversee supplier audits, product specifications, ingredient integrity, labeling compliance, and corrective action processes to ensure safe and compliant products
Develop and deliver food safety and quality training programs that build knowledge, accountability, and operational consistency across the organization
Use audit results, operational trends, and performance data to identify risks, improve processes, and strengthen food safety and product quality programs
Lead and develop the Food Safety & Quality team while partnering cross-functionally with Operations, Merchandising, Supply Chain, HR, Legal, and Executive Leadership to support growth, new initiatives, and operational excellence

Benefits

Medical & Dental insurance with Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Account (FSA) options
Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP)
401(k) plan options – we also match up to 20% of the first 5% contributed
Competitive Paid Time Off (PTO/Vacation)
10% employee discount on grocery items, with additional franchise-specific discounts available at company-owned Ace Hardware, Caribou Coffee, Erbert and Gerbert’s, and Pet Supplies Plus locations.
Additional Voluntary Benefits – such as vision, accident and critical illness insurances
Adoption Reimbursement, Paid Family Caregiver Leave, as well as company-sponsored Term Life Insurance,
Get Paid Daily with DailyPay
Paid Military Leave
Employee recognition programs with monetary rewards, including in-store vouchers, years of service, and employee of the month
Employee Health & Wellness Programs, Challenges and Resources
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – unlimited phone access to legal, financial, and work-life services and up to five free in-person counseling sessions, per situation/issue, per year
Access to a national discount marketplace for travel, electronics, auto/home insurance, entertainment and more!
Tools, resources and opportunities for career growth and development
Education benefits including tuition discount and scholarship programs