Primary Duties & Responsibilities

Partners with facility management team to ensure food safety best practices and processes are implemented and maintained
Manages the Plant Quality System and team. Works directly with the plant management team to maintain, modify and improve the Quality System
Ensures regulatory food safety compliance. Anticipates and responds to any regulatory agency requirements and reports related to food safety. Prevents, responds (corrective/preventive actions) and follows up to Government (Federal – USDA / FDA / etc., State, County and City) violations
Makes collaborative food safety and quality decisions regarding ingredient, raw product, in-process product and finished product conformance
Manages the HACCP and Preventive Controls plans. Responsible for leading the facility Food Safety Team, developing Hazard Analyses, HACCP plans, Preventive Controls and compliance with HACCP FSMA and all regulatory requirements
Reviews documents and verifies plant recipes/specifications, labeling, etc. Manages internal audit functions and activities in order to be audit ready
Coordinates and leads recall efforts related to the facility as directed by Corporate Food Safety and Quality
Leads and manages third-party audits
Follows up on internal and external food quality/safety audits and leads tracking of corrective actions. Participates in sample retention and evaluations
Customer/consumer Complaints: Manages complaint response, tracking and prevention
Service Supplier Control: Creates and updates service supplier program compliance and performance tracking program
Product quality: Provides support in the creation and management of product specifications.
Provides support to Product Development for the development of new products
Manages environmental and regulatory sampling program
Manages department staff, trains, assigns responsibilities, coaches, and imposes disciplinary actions
Develops team toward other leadership positions and provides coverage of Quality management positions as needed
Creates and monitors business metrics to track compliance and process effectiveness
Implements Root-Cause-Analysis and Corrective Action Plans related to food safety processes
Creates ambitious goals and strives for better performance, ensuring that the company strives towards best practices and continuous improvement efforts
Perform other duties as assigned

Education & Experience

College Degree in food science, food technology, Microbiology, or related field.
HACCP certification and plan development experience (basic and/or advanced HACCP training)
5+ years of experience in a progressively responsible QA supervisory or QA management position
Experience managing in a food manufacturing environment
Primus GFS and Famous experience, a plus
Experience interacting with the state and local regulators. Ready-to-eat and USDA-inspected operations experience strongly preferred

Skills

Strong statistics, quantitative, and analytical abilities
Bilingual English/Spanish required
Competency in Microsoft applications including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
Excellent verbal and written communication
Ability to analyze data using spreadsheets, formulas, statistical tools, etc.
Highly organized and detail-oriented
Ability to work within a high paced dynamic environment and multi-task effectively
Demonstrates the ability to remain professional and diplomatic when working under pressure
Ability to apply critical and logical thinking skills, and exercise sound judgment to arrive at appropriate business decisions. This includes a sense of balance between risks involved, timeliness, cost factors and other considerations

Certifications:

Preventive Controls Qualified Individual and HACCP certification a plus

Salary Range:

The base salary we reasonably expect to pay for this role is: $130,000 - $150,000.
The actual salary for this role will be determined by a variety of factors, including but not limited to the candidate’s skills and experience.
Please note that base pay is one important aspect of a compelling Total Rewards package. The base pay range indicated here does not include any additional benefits or cash bonuses that you may be eligible for based on your role and/or employment type.

Physical Requirements/Working Conditions

The essential functions of this job require frequent standing, walking, and upper body movements. Specific vision acuity required by this job include close vision, the ability to adjust focus, and color vision when cleaning products. Physical demands include bending, stooping, reaching above and below shoulder level. Lifting and carrying are also essential. The employee will also be in contact with chemical products and machinery.

Additionally, the incumbent will work near moving mechanical parts, stacks, pallets and may be exposed in high places and surfaces. There is moderate noise in the work environment. The incumbent for this position may be on call for emergencies according to the business needs, only when required.

The noise level is frequently quiet or moderately quiet, at or below 70 decibels and in the product plant areas noise levels can exceed 80 decibels when machinery is operating.

The incumbent may be exposed to situations in which occasional lifting may be involved (up to 50 lbs.), with or without assistance. There will be exposure to situations of working in a hot or cold environment from 38°F-60°F and will frequently be exposed to hot or wet (humid) locations.

West Pak Avocado, Inc.

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