Manager, Quality & Food Safety

Russell Stover•Iola, KS

About The Position

At Russell Stover, not only do we love chocolate, but we love our jobs! Every day we go to work exhibiting our values of excellence, innovation, entrepreneurship, responsibility, and collaboration. Working at Russell Stover you’ll be part of the leading manufacturer of boxed, seasonal, and sugar-free chocolates. For over 100 years, Russell Stover Chocolates, Whitman’s, and Pangburn’s have been crafted with the finest ingredients to bring happiness to generations. Today, we produce over 55 million pounds of chocolate annually, and our legacy brands can be found in 13 company-owned stores and over 9,000 wholesale accounts. Join our team and let’s continue making chocolate lovers happy! As the Quality & Food Safety Manager, you will be responsible for leading and developing the local QA team while driving Russell Stover Chocolate’s food safety and quality strategy through the implementation of policy and procedures to support the vision and mission. A Day in the Life… Assisting in product recall or other company crisis. Educating and developing the local quality team. Drafting and implementing the quality policies, procedures, and standards for the organization then helping roll them out at the plant level. Problem solving and get to root cause. Leading the QA Team and supporting quality initiatives within the organization. Providing direction on deviations and assisting with investigation. Ensuring that manufactured products are produced in compliance with company specifications, policies, and government regulations. Participating in food tasting and product evaluation to ensure quality controls are met and nuances in the flavor profile are detected to protect the taste profile. Effectively implement and/or utilize approved analytical methods to ensure the quality of raw materials, semi-finished products, finished products and packaging materials. Establishing a sustainable and proactive quality assurance function. Overseeing the microbiological testing program, can interpret results, and provide recommendations for improvements. Leading, interpreting, initiating, and investigating consumer data. Assisting the R&D department with projects as assigned. Working comfortably across all stakeholders and levels of leadership in the business in a collaborative approach. Implementing concepts, strategy, and solutions to problems of unusual complexity which require a high degree of creativity and innovativeness. In other words, the ability to navigate and work in “the gray”. Subject matter expert for food safety and quality, including microbiology, sanitation, FSMA, HACCP, GFSI, allergens, SPC, suppliers, etc. Ensure adherence to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) guidelines during plant visits to support product quality and uphold food safety standards. Complete and follow FSQA training and programs to comply with regulatory requirements, ensure consumer safety, and support the company’s food safety and quality objectives. Promptly report any observed or suspected issues that may impact food safety, quality, or compliance to the designated plant personnel, to support timely corrective actions and maintain compliance. Actively contributes to the continuous improvement of the company’s Food Safety Culture through engagement and actions aligned with your role. The ability to be punctual, accountable, and positive approach to meeting, projects, and work environment. An Internal resource to help change and improvements for the business. This job posting is not all inclusive and other duties may be assigned.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Food Technology, Food Science, Microbiology, or other related science.
5+ years food safety, quality, sanitation, and/or microbiological experience.
5+ years of progressive and demonstrated managerial experience.
3+ years supervisory experience with direct supervisory experience of a team of at least 2 people.
Proven knowledge of food quality standards, including federal (FDA) regulations.
Formal training and demonstrated competencies in HACCP, FSMA, sanitation, food safety, regulatory compliance, and GFSI.
Strong understanding of GMP, HACCP, SPC, IPM, SAP, analytical testing and food microbiology.
Knowledge of quality management systems.
Excellent communication skills and the ability to speak, read, and write English fluently, with or without an accommodation.
Excellent computer skills with a working knowledge of MS Office.
Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds.
Frequent ability to twist, squat, bend, stooping, stretch and reach above shoulder level.

Nice To Haves

QMS training (GFSI, ISO, SQF, etc.).
Strong interpersonal, managerial and leadership skills required with the ability to teach and develop others in the organization (up, down, and across).
Ability to work with and teach individuals at all levels within the organization both in groups and independently.
Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment.
Proven problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
Excellent organization and prioritization skills.

Responsibilities

Assisting in product recall or other company crisis.
Educating and developing the local quality team.
Drafting and implementing the quality policies, procedures, and standards for the organization then helping roll them out at the plant level.
Problem solving and get to root cause.
Leading the QA Team and supporting quality initiatives within the organization.
Providing direction on deviations and assisting with investigation.
Ensuring that manufactured products are produced in compliance with company specifications, policies, and government regulations.
Participating in food tasting and product evaluation to ensure quality controls are met and nuances in the flavor profile are detected to protect the taste profile.
Effectively implement and/or utilize approved analytical methods to ensure the quality of raw materials, semi-finished products, finished products and packaging materials.
Establishing a sustainable and proactive quality assurance function.
Overseeing the microbiological testing program, can interpret results, and provide recommendations for improvements.
Leading, interpreting, initiating, and investigating consumer data.
Assisting the R&D department with projects as assigned.
Working comfortably across all stakeholders and levels of leadership in the business in a collaborative approach.
Implementing concepts, strategy, and solutions to problems of unusual complexity which require a high degree of creativity and innovativeness.
Ensure adherence to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) guidelines during plant visits to support product quality and uphold food safety standards.
Complete and follow FSQA training and programs to comply with regulatory requirements, ensure consumer safety, and support the company’s food safety and quality objectives.
Promptly report any observed or suspected issues that may impact food safety, quality, or compliance to the designated plant personnel, to support timely corrective actions and maintain compliance.
Actively contributes to the continuous improvement of the company’s Food Safety Culture through engagement and actions aligned with your role.
The ability to be punctual, accountable, and positive approach to meeting, projects, and work environment.
An Internal resource to help change and improvements for the business.