FSQA Manager

Alphia•Ogden, UT

About The Position

The FSQA Manager is responsible for managing and continuously improving the plant’s food safety and quality systems to ensure compliance with corporate requirements and the production of safe, quality, and wholesome pet food products. The role supervises the QA Supervisor, QA Laboratory Technicians, and Sanitation Supervisor, and develops and implements inspection, sampling, testing, and monitoring programs to ensure products meet customer specifications. The manager serves as the Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) and SQF Practitioner, and keeps plant management and personnel informed of relevant regulatory, scientific, technical, and industry developments. The position manages food safety and quality programs, including current Good Manufacturing Practices, prerequisite programs, HACCP/Food Safety Plan requirements, environmental monitoring, product testing, audits, corrective actions, and quality holds. It provides technical guidance and training across the plant, oversees laboratory equipment and site budgets, and manages organic and export programs. The role may require travel to other Alphia locations, suppliers, or customers as needed. The employee regularly talks or hears, walks, moves between locations, stands, and uses their hands to handle or touch items. The role also involves occasional sitting, operating equipment with the feet, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, or reaching above the shoulders. The employee must climb stairs and ladders and walk plant floors, potentially exceeding one mile per day; exertion may range from negligible force to 50 pounds. The work environment may include allergens and airborne particles, temperatures from 50 to 115 degrees, moving machinery, outdoor weather, and loud production noise. Food safety practices and required personal protective equipment apply in production areas.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Microbiology, or a science discipline and at least 3 years of food industry experience; OR an associate degree in sciences, a bachelor’s degree in a non-science discipline, and at least 5 years of food industry experience; OR at least 10 years of food industry experience.
Experience in auditing, inspections, and quality assurance.
Technical knowledge of food safety and quality systems.
Good problem-solving and corrective-action/resolution skills.
Strong organizational, leadership, and communication skills.
Ability to work well as a member of a cross-functional team.
Strong computer skills, including experience using Microsoft Office Suite.
Ability to operate applicable laboratory instrumentation, perform routine calibration checks and basic equipment maintenance, track NIR accuracy, coordinate NIR calibration activities, and troubleshoot laboratory equipment malfunctions.
Ability to meet the physical demands described, including climbing stairs and ladders, walking plant floors, and exerting the specified levels of force.
Ability to work in the described production environment and use required personal protective equipment.

Responsibilities

Drive the corporate Food Safety and Quality Objectives outlined in the company’s Management Policy.
Manage food safety and quality systems, including current Good Manufacturing Practices, prerequisite food safety programs, and HACCP/Food Safety Plan, to meet the SQF Food Safety Code for Manufacturing.
Use statistical process control and other quality tools to reduce process variation and conduct root-cause analysis of non-conformities.
Manage the Food Safety Plan to ensure compliance with FDA Food Safety Modernization Act requirements.
Ensure regulatory requirements and standards, including NIST Handbook 133 and labeling requirements, are met.
Assist with and oversee the work of the QA Supervisor, QA Laboratory Technicians, and Sanitation Supervisor.
Ensure SSOPs and food safety and quality policies, procedures, and schedules are implemented, understood, assessed, improved, and maintained.
Ensure environmental monitoring and finished-product sampling and microbiological testing programs are implemented, assessed, improved, and maintained.
Coordinate direct process control, product evaluation and inspection, and analytical testing activities.
Collect, analyze, and interpret relevant data.
Coordinate external and internal food safety and quality audits and facility inspections.
Lead cross-functional investigations of customer and consumer complaints and write or review corrective action reports.
Identify and investigate failures, out-of-specification incidents, nonconformances, and unusual occurrences; collaborate on corrective and preventive actions.
Review trends in quality complaints.
Manage the QA Hold Program and inventory.
Contribute to achievement of plant KPIs and maintain and report site-specific food safety and quality KPIs.
Travel to other Alphia locations, suppliers, or customers as needed.
Identify food safety and quality training needs and develop and implement employee training programs.
Serve as a technical resource for operations and other departments on product food safety and quality.
Train, mentor, and coach food safety, quality, and sanitation personnel.
Coordinate maintenance and calibration of laboratory equipment.
Develop and manage the site Food Safety and Quality budget.
Manage organic and export programs for the plant.
Operate applicable laboratory instruments, perform routine calibration checks and basic maintenance, track NIR accuracy, communicate offline adjustments, coordinate NIR calibration adjustments or expansions, and troubleshoot laboratory equipment malfunctions.
Identify suppliers and ensure purchased materials meet intended-use requirements at the best price.
Perform other duties as assigned.