Senior Manager, Quality Assurance

J.M. Smucker Co • Orrville, OH

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Manager, Quality Assurance for Uncrustables leads quality assurance efforts across three sandwich manufacturing facilities and an R&D pilot plant. The role ensures facilities meet company standards for food safety and quality, as well as regulatory and customer requirements. It combines strategic oversight with hands-on project execution and requires adaptability, attention to detail, and leadership through influence.

The position is based in Orrville, Ohio, with a hybrid arrangement requiring onsite work at least nine days per month, primarily during company-designated core weeks. The role may require additional onsite work and travel to support plant or bakery issues, with travel up to 35% annually. It typically requires working 45 or more hours per week, including on-call availability, and flexibility outside core hours.

The Senior Manager is the primary liaison between Corporate QA and Uncrustables manufacturing facilities, supports plant quality teams, oversees compliance and improvement work, and has one salaried direct report. The role also develops and mentors plant QA managers and their teams while collaborating with plant leadership and cross-functional partners.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree.
• At least 7 years of progressive quality and food safety experience.
• At least 2 years of experience in a manufacturing setting.
• Experience working with at least two distinct product types.
• Demonstrated people-management experience with small- to mid-size teams.
• Ability to lead and work in a cross-functional, team-oriented environment.
• Strong knowledge of quality assurance, food manufacturing, packaging, processing, and distribution.
• Knowledge of USDA HACCP, FDA FSMA, and GFSI (BRCGS).

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Biology, Microbiology, or a related scientific field.
• Previous experience with low-moisture ready-to-eat foods; strongly preferred.
• Previous experience in bread manufacturing with a focus on bread quality.
• Strong quantitative and qualitative assessment skills, critical thinking, and the ability to constructively challenge ideas and assumptions.
• Project management capabilities, including leading multiple concurrent projects.
• Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (human food) qualification or HACCP experience.
• Initiative, effective time management, and motivation to achieve goals without constant oversight.
• Proactive identification of opportunities and independent problem solving.
• Ability to thrive in a dynamic environment, navigate change, and remain flexible as priorities or technologies shift.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Ability to develop written tools, policies, and SOPs.
• Demonstrated continuous improvement capability.
• Ability to work across functions and disciplines while leading through influence rather than authority.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary liaison between Corporate QA and Uncrustables manufacturing facilities.
• Ensure facilities comply with company Quality and Food Safety policies and procedures, applicable federal, state, and local regulations, including FSMA, and applicable GFSI and other certifications.
• Support each facility’s Operational Excellence journey by driving quality loss elimination and use of Quality Pillar tools integrated with other Operational Excellence pillars.
• Develop and mentor plant QA managers and their teams, and manage one salaried direct report.
• Conduct or lead 19 Key Element operational QA audits with the JMS CQA team and follow up with plant teams on gaps and corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
• Lead or participate as the CQA representative in improvement projects with Uncrustables plant teams and cross-functional partners, including R&D, TSO, and Engineering.
• Drive continual quality improvement measured through quality KPIs, internal and external audits, and company quality metrics.
• Provide technical support to manufacturing plants and R&D on quality and food safety requirements.
• Assist with managing plant quality non-conformances and escalations by investigating root causes and implementing corrective and preventive actions to prevent recurrence.
• Collaborate with Plant Managers and Operations VPs and Directors to build predictive quality into manufacturing processes.
• Participate on the corporate crisis team as needed.
• Travel to support plant or bakery issues as needed, up to 35% annually.
• Work flexibly outside core hours and be available on call.

Benefits

• The company states that it supports employees’ physical, emotional, and financial needs.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior