Quality & Food Safety Senior Manager

Gate Gourmet – Quality and Food Safety Manager

This role is located in the Americas and is part of Gate Gourmet, a Gategroup company that is the world’s largest independent provider of catering and provisioning services for the airline industry. Gate Gourmet serves more than 250 carriers in more than 30 countries and delivers healthy, affordable meals to over 270 million travelers worldwide.

Base pay range

• $/yr – $/yr

Job Summary

Responsible for assuring Quality and Food Safety compliance in the assigned operations region. Actively leads improvements and implements risk mitigation solutions in the assigned work region. Reports directly to the Managing Director of the assigned operational region.

Annual Hiring Range

• $ – $ Per Year
• Paid time off
• 401(k) with company match
• Company-sponsored life insurance
• Voluntary short-term/long-term disability insurance
• Voluntary life, accident, and hospital plans
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employee Discounts

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Drive a culture of prevention and excellence by using data and metrics to identify potential risks, track performance, and implement proactive measures to reduce defects and non‑compliance in the assigned region.
• Achieve assigned regional quality and food safety goals, objectives, and key performance indicators to align with organizational priorities and regulatory standards.
• Monitor, analyze, and communicate food safety and quality trends, compliance metrics, and improvement opportunities to internal and external stakeholders.
• Partner with operational units and corporate team to integrate sustainable and scalable quality and food safety solutions into daily workflows and long-term planning.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams, including Corporate Quality and Food Safety, HR, Operations, Procurement, and Customer Service, to identify and mitigate potential food safety and quality risks.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable local, state/provincial, and federal food safety regulations (e.g., FDA, USDA, HACCP, PHAC) and company standards.
• Oversee the timely investigation of food safety or quality‑related issues from the assigned region, support root cause analyses, review PDCA process and corrective and preventive actions to address non‑conformities effectively and verify effectiveness of action plans.
• Oversee the execution and milestones of key initiatives and special projects aimed at enhancing food safety and quality systems, such as HACCP plans, allergen management, and supplier quality assurance.
• Provide technical expertise and operational support to unit leaders to address quality and food safety challenges and ensure adherence to company standards.
• Provide strategic leadership and guidance to Quality and Food Safety managers and/or representatives, through mentorship, coaching, and development programs.

Qualifications

• Education:
  
  Bachelor’s degree in food safety, quality management, or a related field. Relevant and extensive work experience may substitute for the degree requirement.
• Work Experience:
  
  5+ years of food manufacturing, ingredient manufacturing, or similar regulated manufacturing experience in quality and food safety. Airline and/or food industry experience preferred. Proven track record of successful results. Proven experience in field implementation of food safety and quality processes aligned with ISO standards.
• Technical
  
  Skills:
  
  Certifications in food safety or quality management desired but not required. Working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications. Strong knowledge of Food Safety and Quality standards. Lead Auditor certification in GFSI or similar quality standards preferred.
• Core Competencies:
  
  Advanced technical knowledge in catering processes and design functions, manufacturing methods, inspection, statistical methods, and quality auditing. Technical understanding of airline‑specific specification requirements, systems, and tools related to catering operations. Basic lean, Six Sigma knowledge, and continuous improvement understanding is a plus.
• Language / Communication
  
  Skills:
  
  Effective oral and written communication skills.

Work Environment / Requirements of the Job

Regular office environment; may work in food storage rooms. Travel up to 50%.

EEO Statement

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the individual(s) assigned to this position. Management reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties and to assign other duties as necessary. In addition, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

gategroup is an equal opportunity employer committed to workforce diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status or other category under applicable law.