Site Food Safety & Quality Manager

Tulkoff Foods•Baltimore, MD

3d•$92,000 - $120,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Site Food Safety and Quality Manager provides overall leadership, execution, and continuous improvement of the food safety and quality management system (FSQMS) at Tulkoff Foods’ Baltimore facility. Reporting to the Vice President of Food Safety and Quality, the manager ensures site-manufactured products meet regulatory, customer, and company food safety and quality standards. The role leads the site quality team, promotes a strong quality culture on the plant floor, and partners with Operations, Sanitation, Maintenance, R&D, and Supply Chain to deliver safe, high-quality products consistently and on time. The position is based primarily on the plant floor and in an office setting at the Baltimore facility. Work includes regular exposure to food processing and refrigerated or temperature-controlled areas, and requires use of PPE. The role may require responding to quality issues outside standard business hours and occasional evenings or weekends to support production, audits, or investigations. Travel is up to 25%.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in food science, microbiology, chemistry, or a related field.
5–7 years of progressive experience in food manufacturing quality assurance or food safety, including experience leading a site-level QA/QC team in a production environment.
SQF Practitioner certification, or ability to obtain it within 90 days of hire.
HACCP certification.
Working knowledge of GFSI-benchmarked schemes and audit processes.
Strong working knowledge of FDA/USDA regulations, FSMA Preventive Controls requirements, allergen management, and environmental monitoring and sanitation programs.
Proven leadership, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
Strong root cause and statistical analysis skills.
Proficiency with quality management software and Microsoft Office/Excel.
Ability to work in a fast-paced manufacturing environment and respond to quality issues outside standard business hours when needed.
Ability to stand and walk for extended periods and occasionally lift up to 25–50 lbs.
Ability to work with required PPE in food-processing and refrigerated or temperature-controlled areas.
Some schedule flexibility, including occasional evenings or weekends, to support production needs, audits, or investigations.

Responsibilities

Lead the site Food Safety and Quality Management System (FSQMS) and ensure ongoing compliance with the SQF Code, HACCP principles, and applicable GFSI-benchmarked scheme requirements.
Ensure site compliance with FDA and, where applicable, USDA regulations, including FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Food; act as the primary site contact for regulatory inspections and third-party audits.
Own readiness for SQF/GFSI recertification audits, customer audits, and regulatory inspections; lead root cause analysis and ensure timely closure of corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs).
Develop, maintain, and update the site HACCP/Food Safety Plan and prerequisite programs, including allergen control, sanitation, pest control, environmental monitoring, and traceability/recall programs.
Oversee document control, product specifications, hold-and-release procedures, non-conformance management, and customer complaint investigation and resolution.
Hire, train, coach, and develop QA supervisors, technicians, and laboratory personnel; build talent depth and succession plans for the site quality team.
Partner with procurement and supplier quality teams to ensure incoming raw materials and packaging meet specifications and food safety requirements.
Lead root cause investigations and continuous improvement initiatives to reduce defects, complaints, and non-conformances and strengthen the plant-wide quality culture.
Collaborate with Operations, Sanitation, Maintenance, R&D, and Supply Chain leadership to align quality and food safety priorities with production and business goals.
Track, analyze, and report site quality KPIs, including audit scores, complaint rates, CAPA closure, and hold/release volume, to the VP of Food Safety and Quality and site leadership team.
Develop and deliver GMP, food safety, and quality training programs for plant personnel at all levels.
Manage the site quality department’s staffing plan, budget, and laboratory/testing resources.