Quality & Food Safety Leader

Valley Queen•Milbank, SD

2d•Onsite

About The Position

This position is responsible for ensuring the production of safe, high-quality food products in compliance with regulatory, customer, and company standards. This role leads the facility’s food safety and quality programs, oversees compliance with HACCP, FSMA, and GFSI requirements, and provides leadership to QA and sanitation teams to maintain continuous improvement in quality systems and plant hygiene.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in related field and/or a minimum of 10 years’ experience in food manufacturing quality assurance and/or sanitation leadership.
Knowledge of food safety regulations including HACCP, GMP, FSMA and SQF.
Strong leadership and team management experience.
Ability to conduct audits, troubleshoot quality issues and implement improvements.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in food science.
Bilingual in English/Spanish.
Preventive Controls Qualified Individual certification.

Responsibilities

Manage and maintain the plant’s Quality Management System (QMS) to meet internal, customer, and third-party audit requirements.
Oversee daily QA operations including product testing, process verification, and documentation review.
Lead and coordinate internal, customer, and regulatory audits (FDA, USDA, State, GFSI).
Investigate non-conformances, implement root cause analysis, and ensure timely corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs).
Ensure compliance with labeling, allergen control, and traceability requirements.
Maintain accurate and complete quality and production records in compliance with regulatory standards.
Serve as the plant’s PCQI (Preventive Controls Qualified Individual).
Oversee implementation, verification, and validation of food safety programs including HACCP, FSMA Preventive Controls, environmental monitoring, and supplier verification.
Lead the Food Safety Team and ensure effective communication of food safety objectives across departments.
Monitor trends in microbiological results, environmental swabs, and product testing to proactively identify risks.
Develop and deliver employee training on GMPs, food safety, allergen control, sanitation, and quality awareness.
Promote a culture of food safety and continuous improvement throughout the facility.
Collaborate cross-functionally with Production, Maintenance, and Sanitation teams to ensure alignment with quality objectives.
Analyze process data to identify opportunities for quality improvement and waste reduction.
Support implementation of initiatives related to product quality and safety.
Recommend and validate changes to formulations, processes, or equipment to improve quality performance.