Senior Program Manager, Food & Beverage - U.S.
About The Position
DNV Business Assurance is seeking to fill the role of Senior Program Manager, Food & Beverage. This position can be remote from anywhere in the Continental U.S.. The Senior Program Manager, Food & Beverage is accountable for the technical governance, delivery integrity, and business performance of assigned Food & Beverage certification schemes within DNV Business Assurance North America, including SQF and COSTCO programs. Serving as the primary technical authority for the Local Unit, the role ensures full alignment with DNV Global Technical Hub requirements, applicable accreditation standards (including ISO/IEC 17021 and ISO/IEC 17065), and scheme owner expectations. The position provides strategic technical leadership across auditors, operations, sales teams, and customers, while supporting accreditation readiness, resource planning, and continuous competence development. The role holds overall accountability for the operational profitability and technical integrity of the Food & Beverage certification portfolio in North America.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in food science, food technology, agriculture, biology, quality, or a related discipline.
- 5 years of experience with Food & Beverage certification schemes, including SQF and customer-driven programs (e.g., COSTCO), within an accredited certification body.
- 5 years of working knowledge of ISO/IEC 17021 and ISO/IEC 17065, with demonstrated ability to apply accreditation and scheme requirements to audit planning, review, and certification decision-making.
- Demonstrated experience leading and managing a mixed resource model, including full-time auditors, subcontract auditors, and technical reviewers.
- Proven capability to act as a senior technical authority, providing sound judgment on interpretation of standards and scheme rules, audit findings and nonconformities, corrective action evaluation and technical rejections, and certification and risk-based decisions.
- Strong written and verbal English communication skills, with the ability to provide clear, authoritative technical guidance to internal and external stakeholders.
- Travel approx. 10% domestically.
- Pre-employment background and drug screening.
- Immigration-related employment benefits, for example visa sponsorship, are not available for this position.
Responsibilities
- Hold overall technical responsibility for all assigned Food & Beverage certification schemes within the Local Unit, including SQF and COSTCO.
- Act as the Local Unit focal point for interpretation and implementation of requirements issued by the Global Technical Hub, including globally managed Food & Beverage schemes such as FSSC 22000 and BRCGS.
- Provide line management for a team of approximately 6 full-time auditors, ~25 contracted auditors, and SQF technical reviewers and supporting roles (~30 resources in total).
- Act as a senior technical escalation point for interpretation of standards and scheme rules, audit findings and technical nonconformities, and technical rejections and corrective action assessment.
- Contribute to or oversee technical reviews, certification decisions, and risk evaluations, in accordance with scheme and accreditation rules.
- Support Operations and Sales teams by providing authoritative technical guidance on scheme eligibility and scope, certification pathways, and interpretation of standards and requirements.
- Engage directly with customers, as needed, to provide clear, accurate technical clarification that supports confidence in DNV certification outcomes.
- Support onboarding and authorization of new auditors, including qualification and scope approvals, and scheme-specific authorization and maintenance.
- Provide ongoing technical coaching, guidance, and consistency support to auditors.
- Deliver or support annual training programs, including scheme and standard updates, industry and regulatory developments, and technical consistency and calibration activities.
- Support and participate in witness audits and oversight activities, as required.
- Actively support Accreditation Body assessments (e.g., ANAB), including activities related to ISO/IEC 17065.
Benefits
- Generous paid time off (vacation, sick days, company holidays, personal days)
- Multiple Medical and Dental benefit plans to choose from, Vision benefits
- Spending accounts – FSA, Dependent Care, Commuter Benefits, company-seeded HSA
- Employer-paid, therapist-led, virtual care services
- 401(k) with company match
- Company provided life insurance, short-term, and long-term disability benefits
- Education reimbursement program
- Flexible work schedule with hybrid/remote opportunities
- Charitable Matched Giving and Volunteer Rewards through our Impact Program
- Volunteer time off (VTO) paid by the company
- Career advancement opportunities
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Number of Employees
501-1,000 employees
