Food Safety & QA Manager

Job Title:

Food Safety & QA Manager (SQF Practitioner)

Bread Man Baking Co. – Houston, TX

At Bread Man Baking Co., we are passionate about crafting exceptional artisan bread products and delivering the highest standards of quality, food safety, and customer satisfaction. As a rapidly growing commercial bakery, we operate in a fast-paced, dynamic environment where teamwork, accountability, and continuous improvement are essential to our success.

We are seeking a hands-on Sanitation Supervisor who thrives in an ever-changing manufacturing environment and enjoys leading by example. This role is responsible for overseeing all sanitation activities within our SQF and Kosher-certified facility, ensuring the highest standards of cleanliness, food safety, and regulatory compliance are consistently achieved.

The ideal candidate is a strong people leader who prefers spending the majority of their time on the production floor working alongside the sanitation team, building a culture of accountability, collaboration, and partnership with production and FSQA leadership. This position reports directly to the Head of Manufacturing.

The Food Safety & QA Manager is responsible for leading the Food Safety and Quality Assurance function within a mid-market artisan bread manufacturing facility. This role owns the site’s SQF Food Safety and Quality Management System, ensuring compliance with SQF Code requirements, regulatory standards, and customer expectations.

As the designated SQF Practitioner, this leader drives food safety culture, audit readiness, and continuous improvement while supporting the integrity and consistency of artisan bread products at scale.

• Serve as the site’s SQF Practitioner, with full responsibility for development, implementation, and maintenance of the SQF system.
• Ensure ongoing compliance with the SQF Code (current edition), including Food Safety and Quality modules.
• Lead SQF certification and surveillance audits, ensuring successful outcomes and high audit scores.
• Manage document control, policies, procedures, and records in alignment with SQF requirements.
• Conduct internal audits and drive closure of non-conformances.

• Oversee the facility’s Food Safety Plan (HACCP / HARPC) and preventive controls program.
• Act as the Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI).
• Ensure compliance with FSMA, FDA regulations, and applicable state/local requirements.
• Lead regulatory inspections and maintain strong relationships with inspectors.
• Oversee traceability, recall readiness, and mock recall exercises.

• Define and enforce quality specifications for artisan bread products (crumb structure, crust, flavor, shelf life).
• Oversee incoming ingredient verification, in-process controls, and finished product evaluation.
• Manage non-conformance programs, including holds, investigations, and corrective actions.
• Partner with R&D and Operations to ensure new products meet both standards and SQF requirements.
• Oversee sanitation programs including SSOPs and Master Sanitation Schedule (MSS).
• Ensure compliance with GMPs and hygienic practices across all production areas.
• Lead Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP) appropriate for RTE bakery operations.

• Manage the Approved Supplier Program in compliance with SQF requirements.
• Conduct supplier risk assessments and approve suppliers based on food safety and quality criteria.
• Review supplier COAs, specifications, and audit documentation.
• Collaborate with sourcing to maintain ingredient quality consistent with artisan standards.

• Drive a “audit-ready every day” culture.
• Lead root cause analysis and CAPA using structured methodologies.
• Partner with Operations on process improvements that enhance both efficiency and product quality.

• Lead and develop FSQA team members (supervisors, technicians).
• Deliver training programs covering SQF, GMPs, food safety, allergen control, and quality standards.
• Champion a plant-wide food safety and quality culture, ensuring…