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, wholesome pet food. 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, ensures compliance with applicable food safety regulations and industry codes of practice, and keeps plant management and personnel informed of relevant changes and developments. The role manages food safety and quality programs, including current Good Manufacturing Practices, prerequisite programs, the HACCP/Food Safety Plan, and FSMA compliance. It coordinates process controls, product inspections, analytical testing, audits, complaint investigations, corrective actions, training, laboratory equipment maintenance and calibration, and site-specific food safety and quality budgets. The manager also oversees organic and export programs and may travel to other Alphia locations, suppliers, or customers as needed.

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.
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 with Microsoft Office Suite.
Ability to operate applicable laboratory instrumentation, perform routine calibration checks and basic equipment maintenance, track NIR accuracy, coordinate NIR calibration adjustments or expansion, and troubleshoot laboratory equipment malfunctions.
Ability to climb stairs and ladders and walk plant floors, potentially exceeding one mile per day.
Ability to meet the stated physical demands, including occasional exertion of 20–50 pounds and frequent exertion of 10–25 pounds.

Responsibilities

Drive 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 the 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 support root cause analysis of non-conformities.
Manage the Food Safety Plan to ensure compliance with FDA FSMA requirements.
Ensure regulatory requirements and standards, including NIST Handbook 133 and labeling requirements, are met.
Assist 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 facility food safety and quality audits and 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, and collaborate on corrective and preventive actions.
Review trends in quality complaints.
Manage the QA Hold Program and inventory.
Contribute to plant KPI achievement and maintain and report site-specific food safety and quality KPIs.
Travel to other Alphia locations, suppliers, or customers as needed.
Identify relevant 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 the plant’s organic and export programs.
Operate applicable laboratory instrumentation, conduct routine calibration checks and basic maintenance, track NIR accuracy, coordinate NIR calibration adjustments or expansion, and troubleshoot equipment malfunctions.
Identify suppliers and ensure purchased materials meet intended-use requirements at the best price.
Perform other duties as assigned.