Director of Food Safety & Quality

Kettle Cuisine•Lynn, MA

About The Position

Strategic goals – Ensure Our Quality Culture can deliver continuous FSQ improvement. Ensure the facility is ‘audit ready everyday’ by setting standards and establishing a strong quality culture at all levels Leads the Quality Continuous Improvement program to increase customer satisfaction through increased product ratings and reduced complaint levels Works to systematically reduce risk through constant re-evaluation of the HARPC/Food Safety plan using data and observation to assess and minimize risks and vulnerabilities.

Requirements

10 years+ experience in the fresh food manufacturing in a technical role
Degree or equivalent qualification in Food Science/Microbiology or equivalent
Drive, Energy, Integrity , Tenacity
Excellent communication skills at all levels
High Level of computer literacy – Excel, Word & internet

Nice To Haves

Self-starter able to conceptualize and drive initiatives forward
Positive attitude and motivated by contributing to the overall success of the team
Able to develop strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders
Creative problem solving skills
Obsessive attention to detail, well organized and able to juggle many projects at once
Comfortable moving at a fast pace and in ambiguous environments
Passionate about food
Willing to address difficult situations head on with patience and respect

Responsibilities

Lead the quality team and, as a member of the site senior management team, ensure that the plant is ‘doing the right things’ (validation) and ‘doing things right’ (Verification)
Develop and implement the Food Safety Plan (HARPC, HACCP, SSOP, GMP)
Ensure full compliance with regulatory codes
Coordinate/Plan Regulatory visits (USDA, FDA, FDA-FSMA, State & City)
Coordinate/Plan 3rd Party and Certification audits (SQF, GIG, Organic, Military).
Develop wider FSQ understanding within the team
Ensure the internal audit system is capable of driving compliance and expose improvement opportunity is process and team/individual capability and competency
Work with vendors and corporate team to ensure incoming material standards are met
Develop sensory and other quality tools for the team
Audit suppliers of raw materials
Oversee and audit finished product specifications to ensure they are accurate and the specification is being met
Lead the CAPA process for complaints and internal deviations
Oversee customer manufacturing documents (iCiX, GORP)
Manage laboratory and all associated items (allergen testing, environmental sampling program, pre op testing, microbiological testing program for shelf life and confirmation studies) and budgets
Model, develop and support Kettle’s Core Values and safety culture
Manage performance of all team members
Build a strong, committed, and collaborative team
Develop individual team members & their careers
Conduct annual reviews and PDPs for all direct team members
Create a culture of accountability & performance
Drive a focus on quality and continuous improvement
Plan work, track results and resolve variances