Food Safety and Quality Assurance Manager

Open Hand Atlanta Inc • Atlanta, GA

16h • $0 - $75,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Quality Assurance Manager is responsible for leading the company's food safety and quality systems to ensure products consistently meet regulatory requirements, customer specifications, and company standards. This position serves as the organization's quality leader, responding immediately to food safety and quality incidents, leading investigations, identifying root causes, implementing corrective actions, and preventing recurrence. This position works cross-functionally with Operations staff and volunteers with responsibility for maintaining compliance to quality standards.

Requirements

• Strong Knowledge of HACCP, Preventive Controls for Human Food, GMPs, FDA regulations, SQF, BRC, or equivalent GFSI standards
• Strong knowledge of Root Cause Analysis systems.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and decision-making skills.
• Computer skills including word-processing, spreadsheet, and nutrition analysis software
• Analytical thinker with strong oral and written communication skills
• Strong attention to detail using excellent organizational, time management and project management skills to adhere to strict deadlines
• Must be a strong team player with well-developed interpersonal and communication skills, ability to manage conflict in a stressful environment, and ability to function well under pressure
• Bachelor's Degree
• Food professional experience preferred.
• Experience in Manufacturing Quality Assurance, GMP's, HACCP, sanitation, process and continuous improvement.

Nice To Haves

• ServSafe®, HACCP and PCQI certification desirable.

Responsibilities

• Manage Quality and Operations shared mission success with strong floor presence and leadership that promotes a culture of excellence - validated by real time product review and quality auditing
• Update and maintain the company's Food Safety and Quality Management System. Manage HACCP plans and Preventive Controls.
• Ensure compliance with FDA, USDA, HACCP, Preventive Controls, GMPs, SSOPs, customer requirements, and all regulatory standards.
• Respond immediately to all food safety and quality incidents, customer complaints, environmental monitoring findings, allergen concerns, foreign material incidents, product holds, and regulatory issues.
• Lead rapid response investigations to contain potential food safety risks and protect consumers.
• Make timely decisions regarding product disposition, production shutdowns, recalls, or product holds when necessary.
• Serve as the Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) or oversee the PCQI program.
• Maintain readiness for regulatory, customer, and third-party audits.
• Collaborates with the Operations Management Team to develop standards and SOPs for all function areas.
• Validates standardized work, revises SOPs, conducts time studies to establish proper efficiency and productivity goals, and provides guidance to management team to solve quality related issues.
• Lead structured Root Cause Analysis (RCA) investigations, ensuring investigations identify true systemic causes of quality issues rather than symptoms.
• Develop, implement, and verify effective corrective and preventive actions and monitor effectiveness to ensure issues do not recur. Track recurring quality trends and recommend systemic improvements.
• Oversee environmental monitoring programs.
• Manage allergen control programs.
• Lead product testing and verification programs.
• Maintain document control and quality records.
• Oversee calibration of equipment.
• Review compliance and quality data to guide and elevate accountability to KPIs
• Identifies waste (product, supplies, labor, etc.) and drive cost-effective process improvements
• Promote consistent and proactive communication among staff to prevent product defects, downtime, and rework
• Proactively manages and mentors Quality personnel (QC Dietitian, Quality Techs, etc.) to blamelessly identify product defects, internal failures, and their root causes
• Ensures all product specifications, production reports, substitutions and change orders are communicated clearly with proper documentation
• Collaborates on new and existing products to improve variety, nutritional content, product quality, flavor profile, durability and/or visual enhancements based on client/customer feedback, internal product review, changing trends, contractual criteria and improved profitability goals
• Updates job knowledge by studying trends and developments in quality management, food, and nutrition science; participating in educational and speaking opportunities.
• Performs various work assignments in support of the department and backup to other team members as needed.

What This Job Offers

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