Quality Manager

Refresco•San Antonio, TX

11d

About The Position

The Quality Manager oversees the site’s Quality department and reports to the Plant Manager. The role is responsible for total product and package quality, food safety and quality cost management, safety, compliance, GMPs, and execution of Quality protocols to meet plant objectives. The position manages the Quality team and laboratory, water treatment, syrup blending, sanitation, microbiological equipment, raw materials, and related quality processes. The manager also serves as the facility’s SQF Practitioner and leads site projects such as waste reduction, validation, and new product launches. The role ensures compliance with corporate, customer, third-party certification, and government requirements, including FDA, CFIA, OSHA, environmental standards, GMPs, HACCP, and SQF. It leads continual improvement of food safety and quality management systems, audits, inspections, corrective actions, documentation, employee training, and cost and resource management. The position also has personnel-management responsibilities, including hiring, performance management, termination, staff development, and performance evaluations. The position operates in a fast-paced production plant. The schedule may include weekdays, weekends, afternoons, evenings, and overnight work, with overtime scheduled as needed. The work environment includes moving equipment, noise requiring hearing protection, and potentially very hot or relatively cold temperatures; the laboratory is temperature controlled. Sitting for periods of time is required. Travel is anticipated rarely.

Requirements

Undergraduate degree in Food Science, Quality, or a related discipline or field.
At least 5 years of direct Quality management experience in a manufacturing environment.
Knowledge of quality management systems, HACCP plans, food safety and security standards, and government regulations relating to the food and beverage industry.
Proficiency in Lab Data Collection Program, Excel, Word, SAP, and PowerPoint.
Ability to analyze and solve problems and to be results-oriented.
Organized, detail-oriented, and adaptable to change.
Excellent verbal and written interpersonal and communication skills.
Ability to apply statistical methods to analyze data and identify trends.
Ability to read and understand the metric system.
Ability to lead teams and make sound decisions under pressure, considering cost, quality, and time constraints.
Ability to communicate and liaise with other departments, suppliers, stakeholders, and teams.
Ability to work a schedule that may include weekdays, weekends, afternoons, evenings, and overnight; overtime may be scheduled as needed.

Nice To Haves

Experience in the food or beverage industry is preferred.
SQF Practitioner certification is preferred.
Familiarity with GFSI, FDA, and other relevant standards and regulations is preferred.

Responsibilities

Ensure compliance with health and safety policies, GMPs, PPE requirements, food quality and food safety standards, and applicable corporate, customer, certification, and regulatory requirements.
Directly manage the Quality team, tracking KPIs and continuous-improvement project goals, costs, waste, employee training, and department morale.
Manage and utilize the laboratory, water treatment, syrup blending, sanitation, microbiological equipment, raw materials, and quality processes.
Ensure raw materials and finished products meet specifications and manufacturing standards, optimizing resources and complying with FDA, CFIA, GMP, HACCP, and other applicable requirements.
Support and maintain third-party food safety and quality certification compliance and continually improve the facility’s food safety and quality management systems.
Develop, implement, maintain, and continually improve the SQF System and related food safety and quality programs.
Oversee daily Quality inspections to ensure products meet compliance requirements.
Write, update, and maintain Standard Operating Procedures for the Quality Program.
Champion the internal audit process through continuous improvement, shared best practices, and teamwork.
Understand plant financials and fixed and variable costs, including how cost centers, production volume, and variable labor affect QC results and costs.
Participate in planning capital needs, prepare capital requests, and manage capital projects through completion.
Lead development, implementation, review, and maintenance of Food Safety Fundamentals, Food Safety and Quality Plans, and the SQF program; communicate relevant information to employees.
Ensure food safety and quality documents are stored, maintained, and accessible.
Manage departmental non-conformances and corrective actions, ensuring documentation and timely closure of outstanding actions.
Ensure compliance with OSHA, environmental, and corporate standards, and investigate root causes of non-compliance.
Lead and direct other employees, including hiring, performance management, termination, training, instruction, and performance evaluations.
Provide guidance and training on work standards and expected outcomes; plan and evaluate performance, staff training and development, and recruitment, and contribute to pay recommendations as applicable.
Develop strategies for a safe working environment, accident reduction, and energy and waste minimization.
Serve as the facility’s SQF Practitioner.
Lead teams in site projects such as waste reduction, validation, and new product launches.