Quality & Safety Manager

VPI•Appleton, WI

About The Position

The Quality & Safety Manager manages and maintains VARC’s Enterprise Quality Management System across locations and business lines. Quality is the primary focus, particularly food quality and food safety. The role leads internal and external audits, supports certifications and regulatory readiness, and independently verifies that requirements are effectively implemented. The position has no direct reports and advances its work through operational and department leaders, the Quality Team, supervisors, committees, and external subject-matter experts. The manager maintains quality systems, standards, controlled documentation, records, and governance; oversees applicable ISO 9001, food safety, GMP, customer-specific, and Class I medical-device requirements; and leads complaint, quality incident, and corrective and preventive action governance. The role independently may place products or processes on hold when warranted, while release requires agreement between Quality and the responsible operational leader. It also facilitates management review, monitors training-system compliance, provides formal support for significant customer quality communications, and oversees existing safety systems. Operations and department leaders retain responsibility for operational execution, including root-cause determination, corrective actions, supplier management, and employee training and competency. The role coordinates with leaders and stakeholders across the organization and travels among VARC locations as needed for audits, certification activities, system support, and issue response. Required training after hire includes HACCP, PCQI, applicable SQF Practitioner training, and OSHA 30-hour training, within timelines established by VARC.

Requirements

Exceptional attention to detail, organization, recordkeeping, and documentation skills.
Ability to independently lead audits and professionally represent VARC with customers, certification bodies, regulators, suppliers, and external experts.
Ability to interpret standards and translate requirements into practical, maintainable systems and expectations.
Sound judgment about when issues can be addressed internally and when specialized outside expertise is required.
Ability to influence decisions, coordinate work, and drive accountability without direct supervisory authority.
Strong written and verbal communication, analytical, planning, prioritization, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to work independently while partnering effectively across multiple locations, functions, and organizational levels.
Relevant education or experience in quality, compliance, safety, auditing, food safety, manufacturing, regulated operations, or a related field.
Obtain HACCP, PCQI, applicable SQF Practitioner training, and OSHA 30-hour training after hire within timelines established by VARC.
Ability and willingness to travel among VARC locations as business needs require.
Ability to embrace VARC’s mission and work effectively in an organization serving individuals with disabilities or other barriers.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in quality, food science, safety, engineering, business, or a related field preferred; an equivalent combination of applicable education, training, and practical experience will be considered.
Experience working within a formal quality management system or audited environment preferred, but not required.
Food manufacturing or food-safety quality experience preferred, but not required.

Responsibilities

Manage and maintain VARC’s Enterprise Quality Management System across locations and business lines, including production, food-related packaging, Class I medical-device work, services, transportation, childcare, employment and day services, and other applicable functions.
Maintain the integrity of quality systems, standards, controlled documentation, records, and governance while ensuring document owners remain responsible for developing and updating their procedures.
Lead external customer, certification, and regulatory audits independently; coordinate audit readiness, responses, corrective actions, and follow-through.
Own the internal audit program, personally conduct or lead internal audits, and coordinate trained internal auditors when appropriate.
Manage and maintain applicable ISO 9001 systems and support enterprise standardization, using outside expertise for implementation, specialized interpretation, or system design when appropriate.
Oversee applicable food safety, GMP, customer-specific, and Class I medical-device quality requirements; identify gaps and coordinate specialized regulatory expertise when needed.
Own governance of customer complaint, quality incident, and corrective and preventive action processes; determine when CAPA is required, coordinate and verify investigations, identify actions and due dates, approve closure, and verify effectiveness as appropriate.
Provide quality oversight of supplier requirements and issues while Purchasing and Operations retain responsibility for supplier management.
Facilitate quality management review.
Ensure training and competency systems and documentation satisfy applicable SQF, ISO, food-safety, customer, and regulatory requirements; monitor completion of required training while department leaders remain responsible for employee training and competency.
Place product or processes on hold independently when a quality, food-safety, regulatory, or safety concern warrants; work with the responsible operational leader on release, escalating unresolved disagreements to executive leadership.
Prepare supporting information and recommendations for quality-related regulatory reports or notifications; obtain President/CEO or Chief Operating Officer approval for significant regulatory submissions.
Provide formal quality support for customer communications involving complaints, corrective actions, audit findings, and other significant quality matters; Sales and Operations remain primary contacts for routine customer communication.
Oversee existing safety systems, track applicable requirements and obligations, monitor audits and corrective actions, identify gaps, and escalate incomplete or inadequate follow-through.
Participate in the Corporate Safety Committee and potentially other assigned committees, focus groups, or improvement teams.
Coordinate with General Managers, Operations Managers, department leaders, supervisors, the Quality Team, customers, auditors, regulators, suppliers, and external resources.
Travel among VARC locations as needed for audits, certification activities, system support, and issue response.
Accept other duties as assigned.