QA Director I - Prepared Foods

JBS Foods • Elkhart, IN

21h

About The Position

JBS Prepared Foods is seeking a strategic quality and food safety leader to direct quality assurance, food safety, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement across its Prepared Foods business unit. The role develops and executes enterprise-wide strategies to meet regulatory and customer requirements, protect company brands, and support operational excellence. It partners with Operations, Engineering, R&D, Supply Chain, Sales, Procurement, and executive leadership, and serves as a senior subject matter expert on quality and food safety. The position may be based near one of several listed plant locations or at the JBS Corporate Office in Greeley, Colorado, and requires travel of up to 75% to plants and headquarters.

The director leads quality and food safety teams and programs across facilities, including quality systems, product specifications, testing and verification, performance metrics, and corrective and preventive actions. The role oversees food safety programs such as HACCP, SSOPs, GMPs, environmental monitoring, and GFSI-recognized certification schemes; ensures regulatory and audit readiness; and leads responses to food safety incidents, product concerns, recalls, and crises.

The position also drives data-informed continuous improvement and supports new product innovation and commercialization. It serves as the primary liaison with USDA, state regulatory agencies, industry associations, customers, suppliers, auditors, and other stakeholders, and represents JBS Prepared Foods at industry and customer events as needed. Other duties may be assigned.

Requirements

• At least 6 years of progressive leadership experience in Quality Assurance and Food Safety within the food manufacturing industry.
• Deep knowledge of USDA requirements, HACCP, GMPs, SSOPs, environmental monitoring programs, and GFSI standards.
• Demonstrated success leading regulatory inspections, customer audits, and third-party certification programs.
• Experience leading quality and food safety programs in a multi-plant prepared foods or protein manufacturing environment.
• Strong leadership, organizational, and change management capabilities.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.
• Willingness and ability to travel up to 75% and as business needs dictate.
• Ability to perform the job functions with or without a reasonable accommodation.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Food Safety, Quality Assurance, or a related field.
• At least 3 years of leadership experience managing multi-site quality and food safety programs.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the strategic vision, goals, and roadmap for Quality Assurance and Food Safety across the Prepared Foods organization.
• Lead, mentor, and develop quality and food safety professionals, fostering accountability, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
• Partner with executive leadership to align quality and food safety initiatives with business objectives.
• Direct cross-functional initiatives involving Operations, Engineering, R&D, Procurement, and Supply Chain.
• Serve as the company's senior subject matter expert on quality and food safety.
• Establish, maintain, and continuously improve quality systems, product specifications, standards, and procedures for products, ingredients, and packaging.
• Oversee inspection, sampling, analytical testing, and verification programs to ensure compliance with company, regulatory, and customer requirements.
• Monitor and report quality KPIs and metrics to drive performance improvement and informed decisions.
• Ensure corrective and preventive action processes are implemented throughout the organization.
• Lead development, implementation, and enhancement of HACCP, sanitation/SSOP, GMP, environmental monitoring, and GFSI-recognized certification programs.
• Ensure compliance with USDA, customer, and other applicable regulatory requirements and maintain readiness for regulatory, customer, and third-party audits across facilities.
• Lead responses to food safety incidents, product quality concerns, recalls, and crisis management activities when necessary.
• Use data analytics and trend analysis to identify quality, food safety, and operational improvement opportunities.
• Drive enterprise-wide continuous improvement initiatives to reduce defects, improve process control, and strengthen food safety culture.
• Monitor emerging regulations, technologies, industry trends, and best practices and evolve quality systems accordingly.
• Support innovation and commercialization by incorporating quality and food safety requirements into new product development.
• Serve as the primary liaison with USDA, state regulatory agencies, industry associations, and other external stakeholders.
• Maintain relationships with customers, suppliers, auditors, and regulatory officials.
• Represent JBS Prepared Foods at industry events, professional organizations, and customer engagements as needed.
• Travel to plants and headquarters, up to 75% of the time, and perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Vision, medical, and dental coverage beginning after 60 days of employment.
• Paid sick leave, vacation, and six company-observed holidays.
• 401(k) with company match beginning after the first year of service, subject to the company vesting schedule.
• Base salary range of $130,000–$160,000.
• Eligibility to participate in the company's annual bonus plan, subject to its standard terms and conditions.
• Continuous learning opportunities and learning and development programs supporting professional growth and career development.

What This Job Offers

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