Quality Assurance Assistant Manager

The J.M. Smucker Co.•Emporia, KS

18d•Onsite

About The Position

Your Opportunity as the Assistant Quality Assurance Manager The Assistant Quality Assurance Manager works closely with the Quality Assurance Manager to manage site Quality and Food Safety systems, develop strategic plans, and integrate the Quality Pillar with Autonomous Maintenance (AM), Planned Maintenance (PM), and Focused Improvement (FI) pillars. This role requires strong daily interaction with operations, sanitation, maintenance, engineering, and technical teams, as well as collaboration with other site and network Quality and Food Safety leaders. The Assistant Quality Assurance Manager role at the Emporia Hostess Manufacturing Plant is a key development position designed to build the next generation of Quality leadership within J.M. Smucker. This role is intentionally structured as a phased development assignment, with a strong Food Safety & Sanitation focus during the first 18–24 months, followed by a balanced Quality Assurance and Food Safety role moving forward. This role was created to strengthen sanitation leadership, elevate quality system maturity, and intentionally build future QA leadership capability at the Emporia site. During the initial development phase, the Assistant Quality Assurance Manager will spend approximately 70% of their time leading sanitation and hygiene programs and 30% supporting quality systems. As capability, system ownership, and leadership maturity are demonstrated, the role will evolve to an approximate 50/50 split between Sanitation and Quality leadership. The individual in this role is being developed to assume a future Quality Assurance Manager role within the J.M. Smucker organization. Location: 1525 Industrial Rd, Emporia, KS 66801 (Hostess Manufacturing Plant) Work Arrangements: 100% on-site. Day Shift. Tuesday-Saturday 8am-5pm. Flexibility required. Willingness to work off shift (including nights, weekends, and/or holidays) and flow to the work as needed.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required
Minimum of 3 years of operational experience in a manufacturing or distribution environment
Minimum of 2 years of demonstrated leadership experience with the ability to direct and engage teams
Proven people and organizational development skills
Ability to work effectively with coaching and guidance while demonstrating ownership and accountability
Experience using problem-solving tools, including root cause analysis and data‑driven decision making
Experience with prioritizing work based on business impact and communicate priorities effectively
Strong verbal and written communication skills
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Word
Willingness to work flexible hours, including off‑shifts and weekends, as required

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree Food Science, Microbiology, Engineering or a related technical field preferred
Experience with statistical analysis and PQM tools to analyze complex data and drive improvement plans
Familiarity with modern digital tools, including Microsoft Copilot or similar AI‑enabled productivity tools, to support data analysis, documentation, and continuous improvement work
Experience with Prodika and SharePoint data management systems
Working knowledge of Food Safety, Food Defense, FSMA Preventive Controls, PCQI principles, Quality 19 Key Elements, and BRC auditing
Demonstrated high potential and desire to grow into a future Quality Assurance Manager role

Responsibilities

Be a visible, trusted leader on the manufacturing floor who shapes the site’s food safety and quality culture every day and makes a real impact on how products are made
Take on a high‑ownership leadership role with a clear development path, designed to prepare you for a future Quality Assurance Manager position within J.M. Smucker
Lead and maintain accountability for site food safety and sanitation systems, including environmental monitoring, Master Sanitation Schedule execution, and sanitation planning, with accountability for prioritization and resource alignment
Own sanitation prioritization, downtime tradeoffs, and risk-based decision making across the site, balancing food safety, quality, cost, and operational needs
Own the strategy, governance, and phased implementation plan for the transition of food-contact equipment cleaning responsibilities, including risk assessment, milestones, and cross-functional alignment.
Serve as a key quality and sanitation system owner for the site, influencing cross‑functional decisions, escalating risks, and ensuring alignment when quality or food safety is at risk
Set expectations and make day‑to‑day decisions related to sanitation and quality system execution, escalating risks and tradeoffs appropriately to site leadership
Drive cross‑functional alignment with Operations, Maintenance, and Engineering by setting quality and sanitation expectations, identifying risks, and ensuring follow‑through on agreed actions
Build and lead teams through coaching, training, and engagement, helping people grow while holding high standards for execution and accountability
Play a key role in ensuring consumers receive safe, high‑quality, defect‑free products every day
Own quality and food safety investigations, including root cause determination, corrective and preventive action strategy, and effectiveness verification, while delegating execution activities as appropriate.
Set expectations for quality and food safety training effectiveness, partnering with the training function to ensure programs remain current and impactful
Learn and apply best‑in‑class Quality systems while progressively taking on greater ownership of Quality and Food Safety programs
Use Quality Pillar, Quality Assurance Key Elements, SPC, and PQM tools to strengthen systems, eliminate losses, and improve performance
Help integrate the Quality Pillar with Autonomous Maintenance, Planned Maintenance, and Focused Improvement to drive plant‑wide results
Actively contribute as a core member of the site Quality Pillar Team and collaborate with Quality leaders across the network
Serve as the site owner and primary interface for sanitation system readiness during regulatory, corporate, and third-party audits, coordinating cross-functional support and delegating preparation activities as appropriate.
Develop strong business judgment by prioritizing work based on risk and impact, and communicating clearly with peers and leadership
Grow your leadership capability, technical depth, and confidence as you expand your scope and prepare for the next level of Quality leadership