Quality Assurance Manager

Firestone Pacific Foods LLC•Vancouver, WA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Firestone Pacific Foods (FPF) grows, freezes and packs frozen fruit products on behalf of food retailers and foodservice companies in the United States and overseas. Our fruit is harvested at the peak of ripeness, processed and packed in our state-of-the art facilities shipment with a keen attention to quality and food safety. The Firestone Family began farming in the Vancouver, WA, in 1896. In 2019, an impact investment fund managed by Agriculture Capital acquired FPF to build out a low cost, vertically integrated supply chain of high quality, organic blueberries operating at scale to address growing global demand for this nutritious fruit. Reporting to the Director of Quality, the Quality Assurance (QA) Manager will develop, maintain and review all food safety, quality, and regulatory systems in the IQF, Repack, and Cold Storage locations. The QA Manager oversees the implementation of the requirements, policies, procedures, programs, and training components of the food defense plan. This position frequently partners with stakeholders from Operations, Safety, Procurement, Transportation, Finance (Compliance), Sales, and HR to provide food safety leadership and subject matter expertise. The QA Manager is also responsible for supporting, tracking, and communicating the Food Safety Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and working with Company stakeholders to seek continuous improvement in KPIs.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in a food-related discipline, such as food science, microbiology, chemistry, or food industry management required; Master's degree in the same areas preferred.
Previous experience working in the food industry, with a particular emphasis on supervisory experience.
Minimum 5 year of experience working in a food manufacturing environment.
Proficient understanding of food safety & quality assurance principles, HACCP, FSMA ,GFSI standards and 21CFR. Ability to effectively communicate requirements to non-FSQA associates.
Must be a proficient user of Microsoft Office Suite such as Excel (create/modify spreadsheets), Word (create/modify documents), and PowerPoint (prepare/present presentations), and Outlook (email correspondence)
Experience managing direct reports
Effectively manage multiple complex tasks simultaneously, planning and scheduling work and activities to routinely meet demand and schedule parameters and manage time efficiently.
Superior problem solving and analytical skills (both quantitative and qualitative).
Knowledge of food microbiology, food safety, and food defense.
Ability to thrive in ambiguity, multitask and thrive under pressure.
Advanced interpersonal skills, along with ability to communicate effectively and maintain credibility across all levels of business.
Demonstrated passion for solving problems and operational excellence.
Focused, organized, results-oriented individual.
Ability to work effectively within a team.
Ability to influence Business Units without direct control.
Successful candidate will be a self-motivated individual, able to achieve high impact in an unstructured environment

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in a food-related discipline, such as food science, microbiology, chemistry, or food industry management preferred.

Responsibilities

Execute all food safety-related strategies, policies, and procedures; maintain open communication with all related departments to address the identification of food safety hazards and process improvement opportunities.
Stay up-to-date on all food safety standards that are customary within the food industry and mandated by government regulations; be familiar with the Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventative Controls management system required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the standards set by the Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI) and the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requirements.
Manage the Food Safety Plan, inclusive of CODEX Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles, pre-requisite programs, preventative controls, food safety policies, FSMA requirements, and specific preventative controls SOPs.
Direct, mentor, and coach the Food Safety Technician, sanitation personnel, and other team members as needed through technical training.
Assist with managing the food safety and quality management systems pertaining to SQF certification and act as the backup SQF practitioner.
Routinely audit food safety practices to objectively evaluate performance and provide feedback to other personnel as necessary to ensure compliance with the FSMA Rule and any regulatory requirements (federal, state, and local).
Assist in completing the annual food safety management system reassessments; communicate and implement required changes with Firestone Pacific Foods stakeholders and others as necessary.
Use a document control system to collect, maintain, and update Firestone Pacific Foods standard operating procedures, policies, and templates for all food safety related records used by Firestone Pacific Foods associates.
Maintain supplier and customer document databases.
Manage the regulatory approval process for product labels; both domestically and internationally. Deliver and track program training for Key Role associates and supervisors with direct food safety management system responsibilities.
Provides oversight and training for maintaining facility cleanliness and sanitation standards. Routinely measures operational sanitation program compliance to ensure food is received, stored, handled, and transported in a food-safe condition to customers and their patrons.
Maintain effective working relationships with regulatory authorities, industry trade groups, suppliers, internal stakeholders, and customers.
Implement predefined customer and supplier standards, address customers' needs, and act as liaison between customers and operations to ensure standards and expectations are met.
Complete Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVP) activities.
Occasionally perform on-site supplier visits for auditing and business development projects, including both domestic and international suppliers.
Provides data to support reporting on Food Safety compliance and overall performance against food safety KPIs.
Support leaders by building a strong culture of food safety, quality, and regulatory compliance.
May perform other duties as required