Director of Quality

Wild Leaf Holdings U.S. LLC•Austin, TX

20d•Onsite

About The Position

Wildpack is a rapidly growing and established co-packaging and co-manufacturer with multi-site facilities for both non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages. Wildpack produces and packages ready-to-drink beverages for a variety of brand owners in the retail CPG space. The company specializes in aluminum can beverage sleeving, filling, and third-party logistics. We are looking for someone who is a natural leader and is committed to delivering high quality service with high-performance results. Bring an entrepreneurial spirit and come grow your career in a fun, inclusive, and established business that is supportive with lots of opportunity for advancement. Wildpack has continued to expand its team and clientele base year-after-year and expects to continue its growth through training, developing, and opening opportunities to its team through career advancement. Note: This is ideally an on-site role in either our Austin or Baltimore facility. Wildpack Beverages is seeking a hands-on, highly credible Director of Quality & Operations to lead food safety, quality systems, and continuous improvement across our co-packing operations. This role is equal parts quality leader, operational partner, and people builder. You are accountable for ensuring our products are safe, compliant, and consistently excellent, but you don’t do it from behind a desk. You’re on the floor, in the process, shoulder-to-shoulder with Operations, Maintenance, and Packaging leaders, building teams that care deeply about doing things right the first time. If your version of quality lives only in binders and audits, this role will feel uncomfortable. If your version of quality is embedded in culture, behavior, and execution, we want to talk.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Engineering, or a related technical discipline
HACCP certification required (SQF Practitioner preferred)
5+ years of progressive experience in food or beverage manufacturing, ideally in co-packing or high-speed environments in a Leadership position
Proven ownership of SQF or similar GFSI programs and third-party audits
Experience partnering closely with Operations in a production environment
3+ years of people leadership experience
Working knowledge of ERP systems (SAP, JD Edwards, Odoo, or similar)
Strong understanding of FDA regulations, GMPs, food safety, and quality systems
Ability to balance risk management with operational realities
Comfortable working on the floor — troubleshooting, observing, and improving processes in real time
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills
Clear, confident communicator who can influence without authority
Organized, detail-oriented, and able to prioritize in a fast-paced environment
Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook / MS365)

Responsibilities

Own and continuously improve Wildpack’s Food Safety and Quality Management Systems, including SQF, HACCP, GMPs, FDA requirements, and customer-specific standards
Lead the development, implementation, and maintenance of: SQF Program Food Safety Plan Food Quality Plan Food Safety Fundamentals
Serve as the primary quality authority for internal teams, customers, and third-party auditors
Ensure raw materials, in-process production, and finished goods meet defined quality and safety standards
Establish and maintain standards for: Raw material specifications and supplier quality In-process inspections and controls Finished product evaluation and disposition Rework, hold, and release procedures
Work in lockstep with Operations, Packaging, Maintenance, and Engineering to embed quality into daily execution
Partner with Operations leadership to improve key KPIs including OEE, yield, waste reduction, and right-first-time production
Translate quality requirements into practical, executable processes on high-speed beverage lines
Support equipment design, layout, validation, and start-up from a quality and food safety lens
Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for deviations, non-conformances, and customer complaints
Build, lead, and develop a high-performing Quality team through coaching, mentoring, and clear accountability
Set expectations for ownership, follow-through, and continuous improvement at all levels
Actively contribute to a plant culture where safety, quality, and respect are lived values, not slogans
Hire, evaluate, and manage performance of Quality team members in alignment with company values and policies
Create, maintain, and improve quality documentation, SOPs, and training programs
Prepare and present quality and food safety reports by analyzing trends, risks, and performance data
Drive continuous improvement initiatives using Lean and operational excellence tools
Manage the Quality budget, track spend, analyze variances, and implement corrective actions where needed