Quality Assurance Manager (Moses Lake Facility)

Basic American Foods•Moses Lake, WA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Quality Assurance Manager has ultimate responsibility for safe, quality food at the assigned manufacturing facility. The role actively improves food and laboratory safety, quality, and efficiency in QA laboratories and production. The manager maintains detailed knowledge of laboratory policies and test procedures and fosters high performance in QA labs by upholding Good Laboratory Practices and ensuring technicians are routinely trained and tested for accuracy. The manager oversees food safety and quality from receipt of raw materials and ingredients through production and shipment. The role leads QA staff and plant operational teams in following and documenting HACCP, SOPs, SSOPs, and cGMPs; ensures product testing and laboratory training are maintained; and is responsible for facility QA budget and capital-project approval. The manager evaluates laboratory and production processes to reduce waste and cost, advises Operations on issues, identifies process attributes that predict and maintain product quality, and ensures specifications and test procedures are updated in a timely manner. The manager investigates food safety and quality deficiencies, identifies root causes, and ensures corrective actions are validated and sustained. The role coaches and develops direct reports and their teams, supports plant-operations training, and works with Technology, Marketing, Sales, and customers to ensure products perform as designed. The position is based in a manufacturing plant environment, requires travel up to 20%, and includes moving or lifting up to 50 pounds.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science degree.
Five to seven years of related experience and/or training.
HACCP Certification.
SQF Practitioner Certification.
Knowledge of accounting, database, human resource, internet, inventory, manufacturing, order-processing, project-management, spreadsheet, and word-processing software or systems.
Ability to move or lift up to 50 pounds.

Responsibilities

Oversee food safety and quality from receipt of raw materials and ingredients through production and shipment at the assigned facility.
Lead QA staff and plant operational teams to ensure HACCP, SOPs, SSOPs, and cGMPs are followed, recorded, and maintained.
Develop, train, and sustain Good Laboratory Practices.
Ensure product safety and quality testing is maintained and recorded.
Ensure technician laboratory training is completed and results are accurate and consistent across technicians and laboratories.
Approve the facility QA budget and capital projects.
Evaluate laboratory and production processes to remove waste and reduce costs; provide expertise to Operations in evaluating and resolving issues.
Identify process locations and attributes that predict quality, and use them to maintain consistency and reduce reliance on finished-product testing.
Identify finished-product quality attributes, targets, and ranges in consideration of process capability; publish supporting specification changes and test procedures in a timely manner.
Determine root causes of food safety and quality deficiencies and resolve them promptly; validate and maintain corrective actions.
Coach, develop, and train direct reports and their staff, and support plant-operations training in food safety, quality, and customer requirements.
Work with Technology, Marketing, Sales, and customers to ensure products perform as designed.
Proactively manage safety compliance, complete behavior-based safety observations, and ensure unsafe conditions are corrected promptly.
Ensure a trained designee can cover the QA Manager's duties during an absence.