Quality Assurance Manager / Bakery Manufacturing

Bridor USA, Inc.•Vineland, NJ

91d•$85,000 - $105,000•Onsite

About The Position

Bridor USA is seeking an experienced QA Manager – Food Safety & Quality to lead Quality Assurance, Food Safety, Quality Control, and regulatory compliance at our high-volume industrial bakery manufacturing facility in Vineland, New Jersey. We are looking for an established food-manufacturing quality leader with significant experience in a large-scale production environment and strong working knowledge of BRCGS and GFSI food-safety systems. The QA Manager must build strong partnerships with Operations while maintaining the independence and authority of the Quality function. The successful candidate will be comfortable making difficult decisions, challenging production when necessary, and standing firm when legitimate food-safety or product-quality concerns exist.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Microbiology, Chemistry, Biology, or a related discipline
Ten or more years of progressive Quality Assurance and Food Safety experience in food manufacturing
Significant experience in a large-scale, high-volume food-manufacturing environment
Demonstrated career progression and sustained responsibility within food-manufacturing Quality functions
Five or more years of experience leading and developing Quality teams
Strong hands-on experience with BRCGS and/or comparable GFSI certification standards
Experience leading customer, regulatory, and third-party certification audits
Strong knowledge of FDA regulations, FSMA, HACCP, GMPs, Environmental Monitoring, Allergen Management, Sanitation, Root Cause Analysis, and Corrective and Preventive Action
Ability to partner effectively with Operations while maintaining appropriate Quality authority and independence
Proven ability to make difficult decisions and challenge or escalate production activities when food safety or product quality is at risk
Strong leadership, communication, analytical, organizational, and decision-making skills
HACCP certification
Preventive Controls Qualified Individual certification
SQF Practitioner certification or comparable GFSI/BRCGS training and experience
Candidates must be currently authorized to work in the United States

Nice To Haves

Experience working within a BRCGS-certified food-manufacturing facility
Bakery, frozen foods, dairy, protein, beverage, or similar high-volume food-manufacturing experience
Experience with automated production and packaging operations
Internal Auditor certification
Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or comparable continuous-improvement experience
ERP or electronic Quality Management System experience

Responsibilities

Lead the facility’s Quality Assurance, Food Safety, and Quality Control programs
Maintain and continuously improve the Quality Management System and Food Safety Management System
Ensure compliance with FDA, FSMA, HACCP, GMP, BRCGS, customer, and Bridor requirements
Oversee HACCP, Preventive Controls, Environmental Monitoring, Allergen Management, Food Defense, Traceability, Recall, Supplier Quality, and related programs
Maintain a strong presence on the production floor and serve as the facility’s Quality and Food Safety subject-matter expert
Make appropriate product-hold, disposition, escalation, and production-related quality decisions
Lead customer, regulatory, and third-party certification audits
Maintain continuous BRCGS and regulatory audit readiness
Coordinate audit preparation, corrective actions, documentation, and follow-up
Lead mock recalls, traceability exercises, and investigations involving significant food-safety or quality issues
Ensure quality records, procedures, and supporting documentation remain accurate and current
Partner closely with Operations, Sanitation, Engineering, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and Research and Development
Resolve manufacturing issues collaboratively without compromising food-safety or quality standards
Challenge or escalate production decisions when food safety, regulatory compliance, or product integrity may be at risk
Lead Root Cause Analysis and Corrective and Preventive Action activities
Analyze quality trends, customer complaints, audit findings, and manufacturing data to identify improvement opportunities
Support initiatives that reduce waste, improve process controls, and strengthen manufacturing performance
Support supplier qualification, approval, monitoring, and performance programs
Lead investigations involving customer complaints, nonconforming products, deviations, and other quality concerns
Ensure investigations are thorough, properly documented, and supported by effective corrective actions
Support new product introductions, process changes, and commercialization activities from a Quality and Food Safety perspective
Lead, coach, mentor, and develop the facility’s Quality team
Establish clear performance expectations, accountability, and employee-development plans
Build a knowledgeable and confident Quality organization capable of supporting a high-volume manufacturing operation
Promote collaboration while ensuring Quality employees have the confidence to raise and escalate concerns when appropriate