Title: Quality Manager - USDA experience is required
Location: Thornton, IL
Position Summary:
Plans, coordinates, and directs the quality assurance program designed to ensure that the plant and finished products conform to all customer, federal, and state regulatory requirements. Implements and maintains Quality Assurance policies and procedures. Facilitates the quality improvement program and serves as the plant liaison in dealings with regulatory agencies and client companies.
Responsibilities:
- Provides direct support, leadership, and direction to QA staff. Supervises subordinates, including making hiring/firing decisions, providing training and development.
- Maintains and improves product quality by completing product and compliance audits, investigating customer complaints, and collaborating with management to resolve product issues.
- Ensures food safety by periodically performing internal audits to verify adherence to company, state, and federal procedures, including GMPs, Sanitation, HACCP, and Safety.
- Acts as plant liaison with regulatory agencies and client company representatives and auditors. Reviews and maintains all required processing records and regulatory inspections and reports.
- Oversees all aspects of the Quality Control Laboratory, including microbiological, chemical, physical, and sensory aspects of all food products. Coordinates sampling and testing with Production.
- Develops quality assurance plans by conducting hazard analysis, identifying critical control points and preventative measures, establishing critical limits, monitoring procedures, corrective actions, and verification procedures.
- Manages the Pest Control program in the facility through coordination with contracted pest control service representatives.
- Develops, updates, and implements the plant HACCP program and directs the cross-functional Food Safety Committee, including regular plant audits and monthly committee meetings. Ensures proper and effective training of plant personnel.
- Performs accident investigations, seeks corrective measures, and manages departmental priorities.
Skills, Experience & Qualifications:
- 5+ years of experience in a quality assurance function, including 3+ years of quality supervision experience and/or relevant training.
- Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Microbiology, or a related field or equivalent experience.
- Strong working knowledge of HACCP, quality systems, and sanitation requirements in a manufacturing facility.
- Strong leadership, team building, and motivation skills.
- Problem-solving, prioritization, decisiveness, and strong communication and administrative skills.
- High attention to detail and self-motivation.
- Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal skills.
Preferred:
- Experience with dressing and dip or dairy technology.
- Ability to flex your schedule to cover 2nd and 3rd shifts as required.
Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information.
