VP of Quality & Innovation

Vice President of Quality & Innovation

Connecticut | Confidential Search

No sponsorship offered, US residents only

$200,000 to $225,000 benefits

A growing manufacturer is hiring a VP of Quality & Innovation to sit on its executive leadership team and own quality, food safety, regulatory, and product innovation across multiple manufacturing sites.

This is not a caretaker role. The business is scaling, and it needs a leader who can build the quality infrastructure to match, while accelerating a product innovation pipeline that’s currently underutilized.

The mandate:

• Own the enterprise-wide Quality Management System and food safety compliance (FDA, FSMA, HACCP, SQF/BRC) across all sites
• Lead new product development from concept to commercialization, this role owns R&D, not just QA
• Drive Lean/Six Sigma continuous improvement initiatives tied directly to waste reduction and yield
• Build and mentor a high-performing Quality and Innovation function, including succession planning for key technical roles
• Sit at the executive table and shape company strategy, not just departmental output

What it takes:

• 15 years in food manufacturing leadership, 7 specifically in senior Quality roles
• A track record leading both Quality and Product Development functions, not one or the other
• Multi-site experience preferred; up to $500M revenue environment preferred
• CQE, CMQ/OE, HACCP, PCQI, or Lean Six Sigma Black Belt are all a plus, none a deal breaker if the operating experience is right

Success in year one looks like: measurably stronger audit results, a faster-moving innovation pipeline, and a Quality organization other departments actually want to work with.

Confidential search.