Vice President, Quality & Food Safety

F&S Produce Company Inc•Vineland, NJ

4d•$200,000 - $240,000

About The Position

The Vice President, Quality & Food Safety is F&S Fresh Foods’ senior executive leader for Quality Assurance, Food Safety, Regulatory Compliance, Supplier Quality, and Customer Quality across all facilities. The role sets enterprise-wide strategy, standards, and systems to ensure products are safe, consistent, and compliant with regulatory, customer, and certification requirements. As the company’s senior authority on food safety risk, audit readiness, and crisis management, this leader protects consumers, customers, and the F&S brand while partnering with Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, Product Development, Sales, and Executive Leadership. The position leads the company’s quality and food safety functions, food safety and quality management systems, regulatory and certification readiness, supplier quality, customer quality, audits, and incident response. It also develops leaders and teams, drives data-based improvement, and champions a companywide culture of food safety and quality.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Food Technology, Engineering, or a related scientific discipline.
HACCP and Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) certifications.
15 or more years of progressive Quality and Food Safety leadership, including 7 or more years leading multi-site organizations.
Extensive experience in fresh, refrigerated, ready-to-eat, produce, protein, or other highly regulated food manufacturing.
Proven success leading customer audits, regulatory inspections, certification audits, recalls, and crisis events.
Strong knowledge of FDA, USDA, FSMA, GFSI, Environmental Monitoring Programs, and Quality Systems.
Strategic, consumer- and customer-focused decision-maker who uses metrics, risk assessments, and audit results to set priorities while balancing operational and commercial objectives.
Executive presence and influence with customers, regulators, and leadership, with a track record of building high-performing teams and delivering measurable results.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.
Lead Auditor, SQF Practitioner, BRCGS, or equivalent certification.

Responsibilities

Set and execute the long-term Quality and Food Safety strategy, including enterprise goals, standards, KPIs, and governance processes aligned with business objectives.
Lead corporate Quality Assurance, Food Safety, Regulatory Compliance, Supplier Quality, and Customer Quality functions, ensuring consistent programs across all facilities.
Own the enterprise Food Safety Management System, including HACCP, Preventive Controls, Environmental Monitoring, Allergen Management, Traceability, Food Defense, and pathogen control.
Establish and maintain enterprise quality management systems so products meet specifications, customer expectations, and regulatory requirements.
Ensure compliance with FDA, USDA, FSMA, GFSI, state, local, and customer requirements; interpret emerging regulations and maintain audit and inspection readiness at every site.
Serve as senior liaison with regulatory agencies, certification bodies, and customer auditors, overseeing closure of audit findings, regulatory actions, and corrective actions.
Act as executive authority and decision-maker for food safety incidents, recalls, and crisis response, maintaining risk assessment, traceability, mock recall, and incident management programs.
Represent F&S during customer visits, audits, business reviews, and quality events; build strategic relationships and lead resolution of significant complaints and brand-risk events.
Partner with Commercial, Product Development, and Operations to support growth while maintaining product integrity and improving customer satisfaction.
Establish supplier approval, audit, and monitoring standards and drive supplier performance improvement with Procurement to mitigate supply chain risk.
Drive data-based improvement to reduce defects, waste, and customer complaints and improve process capability; publish executive dashboards and performance updates for leadership.
Lead and develop Directors, Managers, and technical leaders, building succession plans, bench strength, accountability, engagement, and high performance.
Establish enterprise training standards and competency requirements with Operations and Human Resources, integrating food safety and quality into talent development and performance management.
Champion a companywide culture where food safety and quality are everyone’s responsibility, promoting proactive risk identification and continuous improvement.
Serve as the company’s senior subject matter expert on food safety, quality systems, microbiology, compliance, and regulatory matters.
Participate in strategic planning, acquisition integration activities, and enterprise transformation initiatives.