Senior Food Quality & Compliance Leader

A growing manufacturing organization is seeking a Quality Assurance Manager to lead quality and food safety initiatives across its operations. This role is responsible for maintaining quality systems, ensuring regulatory and customer compliance, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement in the production of food or food-related products.

Responsibilities

• Lead the facility's quality assurance and food safety programs, ensuring compliance with customer, regulatory, and internal quality standards.
• Maintain and continuously improve quality management systems, policies, and documentation.
• Oversee food safety programs, including HACCP, GMP, sanitation, allergen control, and related compliance initiatives.
• Prepare for and lead internal, customer, and third-party audits while maintaining applicable certifications.
• Investigate quality issues, identify root causes, and implement effective corrective and preventive actions.
• Partner with production, operations, and leadership teams to improve product quality, reduce defects, and strengthen manufacturing processes.
• Review quality metrics and trends, providing recommendations to improve performance and minimize risk.
• Develop and maintain quality documentation, procedures, and work instructions.
• Lead and mentor quality personnel while promoting accountability and continuous improvement.
• Serve as the primary quality resource for customer inquiries, regulatory requirements, and internal stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Quality Engineering, Manufacturing, or a related field preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in food manufacturing or other regulated manufacturing environments supporting food or food-related products.
• 3+ years of leadership experience within Quality Assurance or Food Safety in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience working with food, food-related products, or other regulated consumer products preferred.
• Working knowledge of BRC, SQF, HACCP, GMPs, sanitation programs, allergen control, root cause analysis, and corrective action methodologies.
• Experience leading customer, regulatory, and third-party audits while maintaining certification standards.
• Strong understanding of regulatory compliance and customer quality requirements.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and quality management documentation systems.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills with the ability to influence cross-functional teams.
• Continuous improvement mindset with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco/Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to the individual's skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, office location and other geographic considerations, as well as other business and organizational needs. With that said, as required by local law in geographies that require salary range disclosure, Vaco/Highspring notes the salary range for the role is noted in this job posting.

The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, and can participate in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company's 401(k) retirement plan. Additional disclaimer:
Unless otherwise noted in the job description, the position Vaco/Highspring is filing for is occupied. Please note, however, that Vaco/Highspring is regularly asked to provide talent to other organizations. By submitting to this position, you are agreeing to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. Submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied.

Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase within Vaco/Highspring will be otherwise assessed by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco/Highspring does not have knowledge of the tools used by its clients in making final hiring decisions and cannot opine on their use of AI products.
Equal Opportunity Notice

Highspring LLC (d/b/a Vaco by Highspring) and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries ("we," "our," or "Vaco by Highspring") are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by applicable law.

The company is also committed to ensuring that persons who need them are provided with reasonable accommodations; if an accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or…