Quality Assurance Food Safety Specialist II

Iowa State University•Ames, IA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Quality Assurance Food Safety Specialist II (Quality Assurance Specialist II) provides advanced, department-wide leadership in food safety, regulatory compliance, audit programs, emergency preparedness, and risk mitigation across University Dining operations. This role is responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining a comprehensive Food Safety Management System (FSMS) that supports regulatory compliance, protects public health, and promotes a strong culture of continuous improvement and accountability. The position supports a large, complex University Dining Program encompassing approximately 25 dining and production operations, including residential and retail dining, catering, cafés, convenience operations, commissary and bakery production, warehouse/logistics, procurement, maintenance, IT/menu management, and administrative units. Operations employ roughly 200 full-time staff and 1,200 part-time student employees. The Specialist serves as the primary subject matter expert for food safety and quality assurance, leads audits and inspections, responds to food safety concerns and emergencies, and supervises staff responsible for training, audits, and documentation.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and 3 years of related experience

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Public Health, Environmental Health, or a closely related discipline; equivalent professional experience may substitute for formal education.
Demonstrated progressive experience in food safety, regulatory compliance, and/or quality assurance within complex foodservice or production environments.
Prior experience in higher education dining or large-scale, multi‑unit foodservice programs.
Proven knowledge of DIAL/FDA standards, EH&S requirements, OSHA regulations, and participation in regulatory or third‑party audits.
Professional certifications, including ServSafe, HACCP, and OSHA.
Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship.
Immigration sponsorship is not available for this position.

Responsibilities

Lead the department-wide audit and inspection program across all dining, production, warehouse, and service operations.
Conduct routine and investigative internal audits and inspections.
Act as Dining’s lead auditor and primary point of contact for DIAL/FDA, EH&S, OSHA, and regulatory or third-party audits.
Prepare, maintain, and review food safety, workplace safety, and regulatory documentation.
Investigate audit findings, workplace safety incidents, and customer concerns using root-cause analysis.
Develop, implement, and track corrective and preventive action (CAPA) plans.
Serve as liaison with EH&S, Student Health Services, DIAL, FDA, and other public health agencies.
Lead food safety and operational emergency preparedness, response, and recovery efforts.
Respond to foodborne illness outbreaks, recalls, utility disruptions, and regulatory actions.
Develop and maintain Dining-specific emergency response EOPs, including continuation of service plans.
Guide containment, product disposition, cleaning, documentation, and food and workplace safety communication during emergencies.
Monitor changes in FDA Food Code, OSHA requirements, and state/local regulations and update department systems accordingly.
Provide strategic oversight of food safety and quality assurance training programs.
Translate SOPs, audits, and regulatory requirements into onboarding and role-based training.