Head of Food Safety & Quality Assurance

Denny's•Spartanburg, SC

About The Position

We’re looking for a Head of Food Safety & Quality Assurance to join Denny’s and lead one of the most important functions in our business. This is an opportunity for an experienced food safety and quality leader to serve as the senior FSQA subject matter expert for an iconic restaurant brand. You’ll lead the strategy, programs, systems, and team responsible for protecting our guests, franchisees, and brand while helping ensure consistent food safety and quality standards across the Denny’s system.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Public Health, Biology, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
12+ years of progressive food safety and/or quality assurance experience, including significant leadership experience.
Extensive experience within the restaurant, foodservice, food manufacturing, or related industry.
Experience working within a franchised restaurant system or similarly complex, decentralized organization strongly preferred.
Strong knowledge of FDA and USDA requirements and current FSQA standards and programs, including FSMA, GFSI, HACCP, cGMPs, cGLPs, and audit processes.
Experience partnering with regulatory agencies, suppliers, manufacturers, operators, and cross-functional business leaders.
Strong executive presence with the ability to communicate, influence, and build credibility at all levels of an organization.
A proactive, solutions-oriented leadership style and the ability to navigate complex issues while maintaining uncompromising standards for food safety and quality.

Responsibilities

Lead the development and execution of Denny’s food safety and quality assurance strategy, programs, standards, and priorities.
Serve as the organization’s senior subject matter expert for food safety, quality assurance, regulatory compliance, and risk management.
Oversee food safety protocols, inspections, audits, monitoring programs, and corrective actions designed to proactively identify and mitigate risk.
Establish and maintain quality assurance programs to ensure products and suppliers consistently meet Denny’s specifications, regulatory requirements, brand standards, and guest expectations.
Partner closely with Operations, Supply Chain, Culinary/Product Development, franchisees, suppliers, manufacturers, Legal, Marketing, and other key stakeholders.
Provide leadership and oversight during food safety incidents, product quality concerns, recalls, and other emerging risks.
Monitor regulatory changes, industry developments, and emerging food safety risks and translate them into actionable recommendations for the business.
Use data and trends to identify opportunities for continuous improvement and strengthen food safety and quality performance across the system.
Lead, develop, and provide direction to the Food Safety & Quality Assurance team.
Provide senior leadership with clear insights and recommendations regarding food safety performance, emerging risks, and opportunities for improvement.