manager product safety & quality

Starbucks • Seattle, WA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The manager, product safety & quality – food team plays a critical role in advancing Starbucks food safety and quality programs across a dynamic, global supply base—ensuring safe, wholesome, and premium-quality food products while continually elevating how we anticipate, measure, and manage food safety risk. This role leads a team of partners and combines deep technical expertise, manufacturing experience, and forward-thinking leadership to influence cross-functional stakeholders, strengthen supply base performance, and foster a proactive food safety and quality culture.

Requirements

• 4-year degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Public Health, or related field
• 5+ years of experience in food safety, quality, manufacturing, regulatory, or public health
• Direct experience in food manufacturing environments, including plant or co-manufacturing operations
• Experience in corporate or enterprise environments, supporting complex food or CPG businesses
• People leadership experience, including managing and developing technical professionals
• Strong knowledge of GMPs, HACCP principles, and GFSI schemes
• Experience with supplier quality management, audits, and supply base performance
• Proven ability to work effectively in matrixed organizations and influence across functions
• Demonstrated ability to use data, metrics, and KPIs to drive proactive decision-making
• Ability to navigate ambiguity, lead through change, and drive continuous improvement
• Strong communication and storytelling skills for technical and non-technical audiences

Nice To Haves

• Food safety certifications (e.g., HACCP, PCQI, CP-FS)
• Advanced degree in Food Science, Food Safety or related discipline
• Prior auditing experience, quality engineering, and commercialization support
• Experience driving metrics-based performance systems or continuous improvement programs

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a high-performing team – You will directly manage and coach food safety and quality professionals, building capability, accountability, and a culture of ownership, continuous improvement, and partner growth.
• Drive and continuously evolve food safety & quality programs – You will lead the execution and enhancement of product safety and quality standards, identifying opportunities to modernize programs, simplify processes, and strengthen how we manage risk at scale.
• Advance supply base management – You will lead and evolve supply base management practices, including supplier qualification, auditing, and performance management, ensuring consistent execution and identifying opportunities to elevate supplier capability and resilience
• Establish and leverage metrics & KPIs – You will define, monitor, and leverage food safety and quality metrics to proactively identify trends, inform decision-making, and drive accountability across suppliers and cross-functional teams.
• Foster a proactive food safety & quality culture – You will move the organization beyond reactive issue management by embedding preventive practices, data-driven insights, and continuous improvement into how we operate every day.
• Leverage manufacturing expertise to inform decisions – You will apply hands-on knowledge of food manufacturing environments to assess supplier capabilities, support commercialization, and proactively identify emerging risks and opportunities.
• Lead complex issue management with forward impact – You will lead investigation and resolution of complex food safety, quality, and regulatory issues, ensuring not only closure but systemic learnings and long-term improvements.
• Influence across a matrixed organization – You will build strong, trust-based relationships across sourcing, R&D, regulatory, and operations, using data and insight to influence decisions and elevate food safety outcomes.
• Navigate ambiguity and drive clarity – You will operate effectively in a fast-paced, evolving environment, bringing structure, prioritization, and forward momentum to complex and ambiguous challenges.
• Communicate with clarity and impact – You will translate complex technical topics into clear, compelling insights and recommendations that drive alignment and action.

Benefits

• medical, dental, vision
• basic and supplemental life insurance
• other voluntary insurance benefits
• short-term and long-term disability
• paid parental leave
• family expansion reimbursement
• paid vacation from date of hire
• sick time
• eight paid holidays
• two personal days per year
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match
• discounted company stock program (S.I.P.)
• Starbucks equity program (Bean Stock)
• incentivized emergency savings
• financial well-being tools
• 100% upfront tuition coverage for a first-time bachelor’s degree through Arizona State University’s online program via the Starbucks College Achievement Plan
• student loan management resources
• access to other educational opportunities
• backup care
• DACA reimbursement

What This Job Offers

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