Director Of Quality & Food Safety

The Director of Quality & Food Safety is the senior, on-site quality leader for a single dairy manufacturing facility, responsible for driving daily execution and long-term performance of food safety, quality, and regulatory compliance programs. This role is highly operational and hands‑on, serving as a process authority and technical leader within the plant while actively participating in plant activities and continuous improvement initiatives.

The Director partners closely with Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, Supply Chain, R&D, and the Site Lean/Six Sigma Champion to integrate food safety and quality into manufacturing processes, eliminate variation, and strengthen risk-based decision‑making. This position leads the site Quality team and ensures the facility consistently produces safe, compliant, and high‑quality dairy products.

• Serve as the primary food safety and quality authority for the plant, providing real-time decision‑making support to Operations and Plant Leadership
• Actively participate in daily plant activities including Gemba walks, production meetings, shift handoffs, changeovers, and troubleshooting
• Drive a culture of open communication, accountability, and shared ownership of food safety and quality across all departments and shifts

• Maintain clear, frequent, and effective communication with Production, Engineering, Supply Chain, R&D, Maintenance, and Customer Service to quickly address quality concerns and operational risks
• Translate customer requirements, complaints, and quality expectations into actionable plant‑level controls and process improvements
• Enable faster, data‑driven decision‑making by ensuring timely escalation, alignment, and closure of quality and food safety issues
• Partner with plant leadership to balance customer responsiveness, operational flexibility, and food safety risk management

• Own and administer the site Safe Quality Food (SQF) program, ensuring sustained certification and audit readiness
• Ensure compliance with FDA, Code of Federal Regulations (CFRs), Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO), customer standards, and internal requirements
• Lead regulatory inspections, customer audits, internal audits, and corrective action follow‑up

• Work closely with the Site Lean/Six Sigma Champion to reduce process variation, quality defects, and food safety risks
• Participate in Kaizen events and continuous improvement initiatives focused on throughput, quality, and waste reduction
• Serve as a process authority for new equipment, process changes, line modifications, and new product introductions
• Lead cross‑functional root cause analysis and Corrective/Preventive Action (CAPA) activities using structured problem‑solving methodologies

• Collaborate with Supply Chain and Procurement to ensure raw material quality, supplier compliance, and effective issue resolution
• Support supplier corrective actions and risk assessments as needed
• Act as the site technical lead for customer complaints, quality concerns, and food safety issues
• Ensure thorough investigations, root cause identification, and timely, effective corrective actions
• Support product holds, withdrawals, recalls, and crisis response efforts when required

• Track, analyze, and communicate quality and food safety KPIs to plant leadership
• Use Quality Management System (QMS), Laboratory Information Systems (LIMS), and quality data to identify trends, risks, and improvement opportunities
• Promote transparency and shared understanding of quality performance across departments

• Lead and develop the site Quality & Food Safety team
• Ensure effective onboarding, training, coaching, and performance management
• Train plant personnel on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), food safety expectations, quality standards, and customer requirements
• Perform other plant‑related responsibilities aligned with business objectives

• Bachelor…