Quality, Food Safety & Sanitation Program Manager

Land O'Lakes•Arden Hills, MN

4d•Remote

About The Position

The Quality, Food Safety & Sanitation Program Manager is responsible for leading all Quality Assurance, Food Safety, Regulatory, and Sanitation activities associated with the implementation of new processing technology across multiple dairy manufacturing facilities. This role serves as the primary quality and regulatory representative for a multi-year capital project, partnering with Engineering, Operations, R&D, Manufacturing, and external regulatory agencies to ensure new equipment, processes, and products are designed, validated, and launched in compliance with food safety, quality, customer, and regulatory requirements. The position is accountable for developing and implementing quality systems, sanitation programs, regulatory compliance strategies, environmental monitoring requirements, testing programs, and customer readiness processes necessary to successfully commission and commercialize new manufacturing capabilities. This role can be based in Arden Hills, MN (preferred) or Virtual. Key Focus Areas: Quality, Food Safety, and Regulatory Leadership - Strong Collaboration and Partnership with other key members of the quality team Quality and Food Safety Systems Development and Implementation Regulatory and Customer Readiness Laboratory and Testing Plan Development Support of Hygienic Design, Commissioning, and Validations of all new equipment and processes. Support Master Sanitation Implementation and Training Training, Education, and Team Building Large focus on details, communication, and reporting to senior leadership in order to streamline decision making and maintenance of timelines. Must be highly meticulous, precise and analytical. Others as required by business needs

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in food science, Dairy Science, Microbiology, Biological Sciences, Engineering, or related technical discipline.
7+ years of experience in dairy, food manufacturing, quality assurance, food safety, sanitation, or regulatory compliance.
Experience implementing quality systems in manufacturing environments.
Strong knowledge of: HACCP, Preventive Controls, Environmental Monitoring Programs, Sanitary/Hygienic Design.
Strong knowledge of: Regulatory inspections and compliance, Dairy manufacturing operations.
Demonstrated ability to manage complex, cross-functional projects.

Nice To Haves

Experience with major capital projects, plant expansions, or new facility start-ups.
PCQI certification.
Experience supporting FDA and state regulatory inspections.
Experience with laboratory setup and analytical testing programs.
Knowledge of dry dairy processing and milk powder manufacturing along with butter processing and manufacturing.

Responsibilities

Leading all Quality Assurance, Food Safety, Regulatory, and Sanitation activities associated with the implementation of new processing technology across multiple dairy manufacturing facilities.
Serving as the primary quality and regulatory representative for a multi-year capital project.
Partnering with Engineering, Operations, R&D, Manufacturing, and external regulatory agencies to ensure new equipment, processes, and products are designed, validated, and launched in compliance with food safety, quality, customer, and regulatory requirements.
Developing and implementing quality systems, sanitation programs, regulatory compliance strategies, environmental monitoring requirements, testing programs, and customer readiness processes necessary to successfully commission and commercialize new manufacturing capabilities.
Supporting Hygienic Design, Commissioning, and Validations of all new equipment and processes.
Supporting Master Sanitation Implementation and Training.
Training, Education, and Team Building.
Focusing on details, communication, and reporting to senior leadership in order to streamline decision making and maintenance of timelines.