Director of Food Safety & Quality

KETTLE CUISINE LLC•Savage, MD

6d•$140,000 - $165,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Food Safety & Quality leads the quality team and serves on the plant’s senior management team. The role is responsible for developing and implementing the facility’s food safety and quality programs, maintaining regulatory compliance and audit readiness, reducing risk, and driving continuous improvement in customer satisfaction and product quality. The director oversees audits, supplier and product specifications, corrective and preventive actions, customer manufacturing documents, and laboratory programs and budgets. The role also develops the team’s food safety and quality knowledge, manages team performance and development, and fosters accountability, collaboration, and a strong quality and safety culture.

Requirements

At least 10 years of experience in fresh food manufacturing in a technical role.
A degree or equivalent qualification in Food Science, Microbiology, or an equivalent field.
Excellent communication skills at all levels.
High level of computer literacy, including Excel, Word, and internet use.
Self-starter able to conceptualize and drive initiatives forward.
Positive attitude and motivation to contribute to the overall success of the team.
Ability to develop strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
Creative problem-solving skills.
Obsessive attention to detail; well organized and able to manage multiple projects.
Comfortable working at a fast pace and in ambiguous environments.
Passion for food.
Willingness to address difficult situations directly, with patience and respect.
Drive, energy, integrity, and tenacity.

Responsibilities

Lead the quality team and contribute as a member of the site senior management team, ensuring work is properly validated and verified.
Develop and implement the Food Safety Plan, including HARPC, HACCP, SSOP, and GMP programs.
Ensure full compliance with regulatory codes and coordinate regulatory visits involving USDA, FDA, FDA-FSMA, and state and city agencies.
Plan and coordinate third-party and certification audits, including SQF, GIG, Organic, and Military audits.
Develop broader food safety and quality understanding across the team.
Ensure the internal audit system drives compliance and identifies opportunities to improve processes and team or individual capability and competency.
Work with vendors and the corporate team to ensure incoming material standards are met.
Develop sensory and other quality tools for the team.
Audit suppliers of raw materials.
Oversee finished-product specifications to ensure they are accurate and being met.
Lead the CAPA process for complaints and internal deviations.
Oversee customer manufacturing documents, including iCiX and GORP.
Manage the laboratory, associated programs, and budgets, including allergen testing, environmental sampling, pre-operation testing, and microbiological testing for shelf life and confirmation studies.
Model, develop, and support the company’s core values and safety culture.
Manage team-member performance and build a committed, collaborative team.
Develop individual team members and their careers; conduct annual reviews and PDPs for all direct reports.
Create a culture of accountability and performance.
Plan work, track results, and resolve variances.
Maintain the facility’s audit readiness and lead quality continuous improvement to increase customer satisfaction, improve product ratings, and reduce complaints.
Systematically reduce risk by continually reevaluating the HARPC/Food Safety Plan using data and observation to assess and minimize risks and vulnerabilities.