Team Lead FSQA

The Hershey Company•Plymouth, IN

6d•Onsite

About The Position

You’ll help protect the products and brands people love by leading Food Safety and Quality Assurance support for our Plymouth, Indiana pretzels operation, a high-speed, complex environment producing favorites such as Dots Pretzels and Reese Filled Pretzels. As a Team Lead FSQA, you’ll serve as a key connection point between QA and Manufacturing, helping ensure product safety, quality, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement across your assigned area. This is a great opportunity for a hands-on quality leader who enjoys solving problems, coaching others, using data to improve systems, and partnering across Operations, R&D, Supply Chain, and regulatory teams to keep Hershey moving with confidence.

Requirements

3+ years of relevant experience in Quality Assurance, Food Safety, Manufacturing Quality, or a related technical/manufacturing environment.
Experience leading or influencing teams, troubleshooting quality issues, conducting audits, and supporting compliance programs is required.
Bachelor’s or Associate degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent related experience.
Working knowledge of food industry regulations, GMP, HACCP, PEP, sanitation, pest control, and GFSI standards.
Strong attention to detail, documentation discipline, auditing/assessment capability, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to communicate effectively, influence without direct reporting authority, and support a fast-paced production environment.
Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint and quality/production systems such as SAP and RedZone.
Ability to work flexible hours and perform hands-on plant/lab activities, including sampling, testing, stair/platform access, and occasional lifting of test equipment or product cases.

Nice To Haves

SQF Practitioner
HACCP Certification
PCQI
Lean/Six Sigma experience
working knowledge of SPC
experience with ERP implementation or integration of quality processes

Responsibilities

Lead QA Technicians on the designated shift, helping manage standard work, support daily execution, and reinforce food quality and safety expectations.
Support production activities by providing QA guidance, troubleshooting, training, audits, and incident management to meet company and regulatory requirements.
Plan and execute sampling, analytical, microbiological, environmental monitoring, and retained sample programs; document results and escalate out-of-tolerance findings.
Coordinate QA verification activities such as sampling plans, specification checks, sensory programs, sanitation verification, hygiene audits, allergen control validation, and HACCP/PEP system checks.
Investigate quality and food safety incidents, analyze data and trends, identify root causes, and partner cross-functionally on corrective and preventive actions.
Use systems such as RedZone, SAP, LIMS, QIMS, Line Production Reporting, and CONC reporting to isolate issues, monitor trends, and support continuous improvement.
Prepare reports and dashboards that highlight quality, food safety, laboratory, and operational risks; share insights and recommended actions with leaders and partners.