Senior Manager, Quality Operations Engineer

Senior Manager, Quality Operations Engineer

Northlake, IL

About Misfits Market:

Misfits Market is a mission-driven, high-growth startup dedicated to reducing food waste and making shopping for sustainable, high-quality groceries easier and more affordable. We deliver organic produce, high-quality meats and seafood, plant-based proteins, dairy, bakery, wine, and other grocery items to nearly every zip code in 48 states at up to 30 percent off traditional grocery store prices. In 2022, Misfits Market acquired sustainable e-grocer Imperfect Foods and now leverages its in-house transportation network to deliver directly to consumers with one of the most carbon-efficient grocery delivery models on the market.

By tackling inefficiencies in the food system, our passionate and motivated team of problem solvers helps save an average of 500,000 pounds of food per week from waste, with an all-time savings of over 190 million pounds of food.

Core values:
Doing more with less;
Thinking Differently;
Respecting one another;
Moving deliberately and quickly;
Taking initiative and delivering.

The Senior Manager, Operations Quality Engineering is a leadership position responsible for the strategic direction, daily operations, and long‑term success of the company’s Quality and Food Safety department. The manager oversees Quality Engineers (QE II), Quality Assurance Supervisors, and Quality Technicians to ensure total compliance with SQF standards, NOP requirements, and FBM initiatives. The manager serves as the primary SQF Practitioner and HACCP Coordinator, maintaining the integrity of the facilities Food Safety and Quality Plans.

• Team Development:
  Manage, coach, and mentor Quality Engineers and Supervisors, focusing on high-level problem-solving and process improvement.
• Succession Planning:
  Guide supervisors and engineers through the manager promotion track, ensuring they achieve required SQF certifications.
• OKR & KPI Management:
  Define and track departmental objectives and key results, such as achieving a 95% target score on SQF audits and maintaining 100% compliance for organic audits.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration:
  
  Partner with Operations, Merchandising, and Operational Excellence teams to champion a collaborative food safety culture.
• Defect Reduction:
  Investigate internal errors (picking mistakes, damaged goods) and external customer complaints. Perform root cause analysis to prevent issues at source.

• SQF Practitioner:
  Lead the development, implementation, and maintenance of the SQF system (Editions 9/10).
• HACCP Leadership:
  Lead the multidisciplinary HACCP team, coordinate monthly meetings, and perform mandatory validation checklists for all Food Safety Plans.
• Audit Readiness:
  Serve as the primary point of contact for third‑party, regulatory (FDA/USDA), and customer audits.
• CAPA & RCA Oversight:
  Trigger and manage CAPA and RCA for audit non‑conformances, customer complaints, or product recalls.

• Final Disposition Authority:
  Serve as authorized personnel to provide systematic release for held products and equipment.
• Traceability Excellence:
  Oversee mock recall and trace exercises, achieving a target recovery rate of 100% (+/-2%).
• Sanitation & GDP Monitoring:
  Monitor the effectiveness of daily hygiene and monthly Good Distribution Practices audits, ensuring SOP compliance.

Gold Standard Program:
Enhance and implement the Gold Standard box experience program, leveraging consumer insights and data‑driven controls to continuously improve customer experience.

• System Revamp:
  Partner with cross-functional teams to improve WMS functionality, including photo documentation for QC functions and enhanced transaction history tracking in line with FDA traceability requirements.
• Data Analysis:
  Utilize advanced tools such as Tableau, SQL, and Statistical Process Control to analyze quality trends and roll up VOC reports.
• Enhanced Platforms:
  Identify and deploy new electronic Food Safety and Quality Management System.

• Education:
  
  Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Industrial, Mechanical, Manufacturing),…