Director of Food, Safety & Quality (FSQ)

Jack Link's Protein Snacks•Minneapolis, MN

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

This is a Food Safety and Quality leadership position for a large Ready-to-Eat, USDA Inspected facility. The role sets expectations for both the Food Safety and Quality (FSQ) staff and cross-functional teams in delivering food safety and quality standards for industry-leading, branded food products. The Director determines the overall direction, coordination, and evaluation of all quality systems as they relate to achieving corporate FSQ objectives and delivering an outstanding consumer experience for JL products.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree and 8 or more years of Quality Assurance experience in the food industry.
Successful supervisory experience in a food manufacturing environment.
Strong leadership and coaching skills.
Ability to build relationships cross functionally.
Commitment to continuous improvement.
Solid grounding in USDA FSIS regulations.
Proven understanding of food safety and quality in a manufacturing environment.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills; must work effectively with all levels of management and employees.
Demonstrated professionalism, effective leadership, problem solving, presentation, prioritization, attention to detail, and Team Member motivational skills.
Proficient in Internet navigation, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
Knowledge of cost accounting.

Nice To Haves

Experience with electronic documentation and recordkeeping a plus.

Responsibilities

Executes the Food Safety and Quality plan to ensure compliance with regulations, product specifications and organizational standards.
Develops and maintains HACCP, SSOP Prerequisite Plans and ensures compliance with 9 CFR, Chapter III, Part 416 – Sanitation, Part 417 – Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Systems. Maintains scientific supporting documentation and validation results.
Manages the microbiological, chemical and organoleptic testing of both finished product and in-process product and sanitation confirmation. Reviews results, determines product disposition & timely release.
Ensures Listeria environmental monitoring and control program execution including corrective actions, record keeping, and reporting.
Develops, reviews, monitors, and maintains all ingredient and process control systems.
Develops and maintains SQF program and leads organization through certification and ongoing maintenance of program.
Conducts a mock recall bi-annually to verify the effectiveness and accuracy of data gathering and record keeping functions.
Acts as the technical resource for facility during trouble shooting or process changes.
Establishes and manages FSQ Laboratory sampling, testing and documentation. Ensures methods of microbiological and chemical analysis are conducted correctly and Good Laboratory Practices are followed. Maintains documentation, prepares reports and analyzes testing data from laboratory.
Ensures all state, local, and federal Food Safety regulatory issues are adhered to.
Functions as the liaison between Operations and the USDA. Communicates with USDA-FSIS concerning regulatory issues.
Responds to NR’s and maintains tracking and reports. Monitors regulatory changes and responds accordingly.
Manages non-conforming product or process issues.
Monitors incoming inspection of materials and manages deviations through the Supplier Corrective Action Reporting process.
Conducts consumer complaint investigation, corrective actions, record keeping, and reporting.
Addresses deviations from expectations with attention to detail and urgency.
Actively involved with onboarding of Operations team members creating a strong foundational understanding of GMP’s and SSOP’s leading toward a commitment to a reliable Food Safety Culture.
Identifies, hires and develops FSQ team members to deliver the highest product quality standards through rigorous monitoring of the process and products.
Works with relevant academic institutions to develop internship opportunities.
Enforces all safety rules and company policies; provides appropriate interpretation of company policies and safety policies for team members.
Participates in the Corporate FSQ Leadership team including development of corporate expectations and long term FSQ strategic planning.