Director of Ingredient Quality & Continuous Improvement

HelloFresh • Aurora, IL

6h • $221,000 - $294,000

About The Position

We are looking for a high-impact leader to bridge the gap between Quality data and Operational execution. This is not a "desk job." As the Director of Ingredient Quality & CI, you will be the chief architect and project owner for North American quality standards. You will be responsible for identifying systemic failures and then leading the development and implementation of solutions through our entire supply chain, from suppliers through our operations and right to our customers' doorstep. You are successful only when the metrics move, which requires staying with a project from the initial data deep-dive through to final staff training and process adoption.

Requirements

• Experience: 8+ years in Food Safety, Quality, or Operational Excellence. You have a history of managing teams and large-scale projects in a high-volume manufacturing or logistics environment.
• Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science, Supply Chain, or Engineering.
• Technical Skills: Mastery of data visualization (Tableau/PowerBI) and a deep understanding of Food Safety regulations (SQF, HACCP).
• Travel: Ability to travel up to 25% to North American Distribution Centers. This role requires a physical presence to ensure process implementation is successful.

Nice To Haves

• Lean Six Sigma Green/Black Belt highly preferred

Responsibilities

• Own the Implementation Lifecycle: Lead the end-to-end development and execution of our quality programs. You don’t do band-aid fixes, and you are able to sort signal from noise. You don't just identify the root cause; you partner with all stakeholders to re-engineer the process and stay on-site until the defect rate drops.
• Architect the NA Meal Kit Quality Program: Develop a unified quality focus strategy for our North American network. This involves creating the standards, building the systems & process, and setting up the automated tracking of the execution to ensure consistency across all sites.
• Drive Operational Accountability: Act as the "boots on the ground" leader who translates quality KPIs into actionable SOPs for our Distribution Centers. You will manage the process implementation to ensure new quality initiatives are adopted, sustained, and reflected in the data.
• Advanced Quality Reporting: Own the North American quality reporting suite. You will evolve our real-time data capabilities to provide the business with predictive insights rather than just post-mortem reports.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Serve as the primary quality liaison for Product, Procurement, Operations and Logistics. If they are hearing about problems, you are their first call to help fix it.
• Continuous Improvement Mentality: Apply Lean or Six Sigma methodologies to eliminate waste and reduce ingredient damage, directly impacting the bottom line.
• Build and Mentor a High-Performance Team: Recruit, train, coach, and manage a team of quality professionals and continuous improvement specialists across North America, fostering a culture of accountability, data-driven decision-making, and excellence.
• Drive Organizational Change: Champion quality-first thinking throughout the organization, influencing leaders and inspiring team members at all levels to adopt new processes and standards.

Benefits

• Competitive hourly rate, 401K company match that vests immediately upon participation, & team bonus opportunities
• Generous PTO and flexible attendance policy
• Comprehensive health and wellness benefits with options at $0 monthly, effective first day of employment
• Up to 85% discount on subscriptions to HelloFresh meal plans (HelloFresh, Green Chef, Everyplate, and Factor_)
• Access to Employee Resource Groups that are open to all employees, including those pertaining to BIPOC, women, veterans, parents, and LGBTQ+
• Inclusive, collaborative, and dynamic work environment within a fast-paced, mission-driven company that is disrupting the traditional food supply chain

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director