Food Safety & Quality Assurance Manager

Alpha Baking Company•Wyoming, MI

About The Position

The Food Safety & Quality Assurance Manager leads and manages food safety, quality assurance, and sanitation functions at a bakery manufacturing facility. The role ensures products are made in a clean, safe environment and comply with applicable regulatory requirements, customer specifications, and third-party audit requirements. The manager oversees day-to-day QA and sanitation operations, develops the QA and sanitation teams, maintains food safety, quality, sanitation, and pest control programs, and collaborates with Operations, Maintenance, and Supply Chain to drive continuous improvement. The position reports directly to the Plant Manager and Regional Food Safety Manager. The primary shift is first shift, with flexibility to work different shifts when necessary. The manager leads QA and sanitation staff, maintains audit readiness, oversees food safety and quality systems and documentation, and directs sanitation and pest-control programs. The role also supports production startup and line changeovers, trains employees, manages departmental operating budgets and purchasing, and proposes cost-reduction strategies and improvement projects.

Requirements

Minimum 5 years of food safety, quality assurance, and/or sanitation experience in a food manufacturing environment.
Minimum 3 years of experience as a Supervisor, Assistant Manager, or Manager, including managing QA and/or sanitation teams and developing staff.
Strong understanding of HACCP, GMPs, FSMA, third-party audit schemes such as SQF and BRC, and AIB inspection procedures.
Proficiency with personal computers and Microsoft Office.
Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and leadership skills.
Strong communication and collaboration skills across organizational levels.
Ability to work different shifts when necessary; primary shift is first shift.
Ability to lift, push, and pull up to 50 pounds occasionally; tolerate long periods of sitting, standing, and walking; and frequently type and work with a personal computer.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, or a related field.
Food safety, quality assurance, or sanitation experience in a bakery or high-volume production environment.
HACCP certification.
FSMA Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) certification.
Experience with a unionized workforce.

Responsibilities

Supervise, mentor, coach, and develop QA and sanitation employees; set roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations.
Champion a proactive food safety and quality culture throughout the facility.
Schedule, train, and direct sanitation crews; lead daily QA huddles and participate in production meetings.
Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, customer specifications, and third-party audit standards.
Maintain audit readiness and coordinate or lead customer, certification, internal, and regulatory audits and visits.
Conduct or participate in weekly plant GMP audit inspections.
Oversee documentation, verification, and recordkeeping for QA and sanitation programs.
Manage HACCP and Food Safety Plans, including annual reassessments and documentation updates.
Oversee allergen, traceability, sanitation verification, environmental monitoring, and supplier verification programs.
Help develop processes to minimize exposure to product safety incidents.
Ensure corrective and preventive actions are investigated, documented, and closed effectively; review non-conformance reports, complaints, and deviations for root cause and corrective-action completion.
Maintain current QA and sanitation policies, SOPs, SSOPs, and forms, and ensure they are accessible and followed.
Review batch records, pre-operational inspections, and finished-product release documentation for accuracy and completeness.
Track and analyze QA and sanitation trends to identify recurring issues and support continuous improvement.
Develop sanitation policies and procedures and maintain the Master Sanitation Schedule.
Verify completion and documentation of daily, weekly, and monthly sanitation tasks; conduct facility inspections, sanitation audits, and post-clean inspections.
Coordinate with Sanitation Supervisors to address deficiencies, corrective actions, and improvements to cleaning methods.
Review chemical usage and concentrations and maintain adequate chemical and sanitation supplies.
Ensure sanitation employees are trained in SSOPs, chemical handling, allergen controls, and food safety expectations.
Partner with Operations and Maintenance to ensure equipment is cleaned safely according to validated procedures.
Act as the facility's primary contact for the pest control provider; review service reports and activity trends and address findings promptly.
Ensure pest-control devices are mapped, maintained, and inspected at required frequencies; conduct walkthroughs to identify risks contributing to pest activity.
Partner with Operations and other departments to address quality, sanitation, and food safety concerns and communicate effectively across departments.
Support production startup and line changeovers to verify compliance with quality standards.
Collaborate with Maintenance to ensure calibration and preventive maintenance of critical instruments and equipment.
Develop working relationships with departmental staff and company personnel and provide support to other departments as needed.
Train QA, sanitation, and production employees on food safety, GMPs, sanitation, and quality procedures; provide refresher training after deviations or program changes.
Promote accountability, teamwork, and engagement within QA and Sanitation; maintain professional knowledge through company-paid workshops.
Monitor and manage QA and Sanitation operating budgets and review and approve related purchases while evaluating cost-effective alternatives.
Propose facility cost-reduction strategies and support new project ideas and designs.
Conduct business dealings professionally and courteously and perform other duties and projects as assigned.