Food and Safety Quality Assurance Supervisor

Food and Safety Quality Assurance Supervisor

Must be eligible to work in Canada.

Join the Northern Farms Team

Northern Farms is a well‑established, family‑owned pork processing company with more than 30 years of industry leadership. Our commitment to quality, innovation, and responsible growth has helped us deliver some of the freshest, highest‑quality products in the market.

Job Type: Full-time permanent

Department: R&D/QA

Reports to: Director, R&D/QA

Salary: $70,000 to $85,000

Position Summary

The Food Safety and Quality Assurance (FSQA) Supervisor supports daily food safety, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance activities at a CFIA-inspected pork slaughter and primary processing facility. This role helps ensure products, processes, records, and employee practices meet company standards, customer expectations, and applicable federal requirements.

The FSQA Supervisor leads QA team members, supports audit readiness, verifies program compliance, and works closely with Operations, Sanitation, Maintenance, Animal Welfare, and CFIA inspection staff to promote a strong food safety and quality culture.

Key Responsibilities

Food Safety and Quality System Oversight

• Support daily implementation, monitoring, verification, and continuous improvement of the food safety and quality management system.
• Oversee QA activities across receiving, slaughter, chilling, packaging, storage, and shipping.
• Verify records and support product holds, investigations, corrective actions, and release activities.

Regulatory Compliance & Food Safety

• Maintain and verify HACCP/PCP, prerequisite, GMP, sanitation, traceability, recall, and corrective action programs.
• Support compliance with CFIA requirements, SFCR, company policies, customer standards, and applicable meat hygiene expectations.
• Review and update SOPs, work instructions, forms, and records as required.

Audits & Continuous Improvement

• Support internal, customer, third-party, and CFIA audit or inspection activities.
• Maintain audit readiness through routine verification, record review, inspections, and timely follow-up.
• Support root cause analysis, corrective actions, effectiveness checks, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Testing and Inspection Management

• Coordinate inspection, monitoring, sampling, and testing activities to verify product safety and quality.
• Support microbiological, environmental, carcass, product, water, and other sampling programs.
• Review results, trend data, initiate follow-up, and elevate concerns as needed.
• Supervise, coach, and support QA team members in daily food safety and quality activities.
• Allocate QA coverage based on production, inspection, and program needs.
• Train employees on GMPs, food safety, sanitation, product handling, records, and quality expectations.
• Build strong working relationships with Operations, Sanitation, Maintenance, Animal Welfare, and CFIA inspection staff.

Reporting & Communication

• Track and report food safety and quality KPIs, verification results, non-conformances, complaints, holds, and corrective actions.
• Communicate food safety and quality concerns promptly and recommend appropriate actions when required.
• Promote a proactive, team-based food safety and quality culture.

Qualifications

• Post-secondary diploma or degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry or a related field.
• Minimum 3–5 years of food safety or quality assurance experience in food manufacturing; meat, slaughter, or primary processing experience is preferred.
• Previous leadership, supervisory, or lead-hand experience in a manufacturing or food processing environment is preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of HACCP, Preventive Control Plans (PCP), GMPs, sanitation, traceability, recall, corrective action, and audit programs.
• Knowledge of CFIA regulatory requirements, SFCR, meat hygiene requirements, and customer or third‑party audit standards is considered an asset.
• Experience in a fast‑paced, growing manufacturing environment is preferred.
• Strong analytical, investigative, and problem‑solving skills.
• Excellent attention to detail, organization, documentation, and follow‑up.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and team development capabilities.
• Effective communication and…