Manager, Quality & Food Safety

Manager, Quality & Food Safety – Russell Stover Chocolates

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At Russell Stover
, not only do we love chocolate, but we love our jobs! Every day we go to work exhibiting our values of excellence, innovation, entrepreneurship, responsibility, and collaboration. Working at Russell Stover you’ll be part of the leading manufacturer of boxed, seasonal, and sugar‑free chocolates. For over 100 years, Russell Stover Chocolates, Whitman’s, and Pangburn’s have been crafted with the finest ingredients to bring happiness to generations.

Today, we produce over 55 million pounds of chocolate annually, and our legacy brands can be found in 13 company‑owned stores and over 9,000 wholesale accounts. Join our team and let’s continue making chocolate lovers happy!

• Assisting in product recall or other company crisis.
• Educating and developing the local quality team.
• Drafting and implementing the quality policies, procedures, and standards for the organization and helping roll them out at the plant level.
• Problem solving and root cause analysis.
• Leading the QA Team and supporting quality initiatives within the organization.
• Providing direction on deviations and assisting with investigation.
• Ensuring that manufactured products are produced in compliance with company specifications, policies, and government regulations.
• Participating in food tasting and product evaluation to ensure quality controls are met and nuances in the flavor profile are detected to protect the taste profile.
• Effectively implementing and/or utilizing approved analytical methods to ensure the quality of raw materials, semi‑finished products, finished products and packaging materials.
• Establishing a sustainable and proactive quality assurance function.
• Overseeing the microbiological testing program, interpreting results, and providing recommendations for improvements.
• Leading, interpreting, initiating, and investigating consumer data.
• Assisting the R&D department with projects as assigned.
• Working comfortably across all stakeholders and levels of leadership in the business in a collaborative approach.
• Implementing concepts, strategy, and solutions to problems of unusual complexity requiring a high degree of creativity and innovativeness.
• Subject matter expert for food safety and quality, including microbiology, sanitation, FSMA, HACCP, GFSI, allergens, SPC, suppliers, etc.
• Ensuring adherence to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) guidelines during plant visits to support product quality and uphold food safety standards.
• Completing and following FSQA training and programs to comply with regulatory requirements, ensure consumer safety, and support the company’s food safety and quality objectives.
• Promptly reporting any observed or suspected issues that may impact food safety, quality, or compliance to support timely corrective actions and maintain compliance.
• Actively contributing to the continuous improvement of the company’s Food Safety Culture through engagement and actions aligned with your role.
• Demonstrating punctuality, accountability, and a positive approach to meeting projects and job responsibilities.
• Serving as an internal resource to help change and improvements for the business.

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Technology, Food Science, Microbiology, or other related science.
• 5+ years of food safety, quality, sanitation, and/or microbiological experience.
• 5+ years of progressive and demonstrated managerial experience.
• 3+ years supervisory experience with direct supervision of at least two people.
• Proven knowledge of food quality standards, including federal (FDA) regulations.
• Formal training and demonstrated competency in HACCP, FSMA, sanitation, food safety, regulatory compliance, and GFSI.
• Strong understanding of GMP, HACCP, SPC, IPM, SAP, analytical testing and food microbiology.
• Knowledge of quality management systems.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to speak, read, and write English fluently.
• Excellent computer skills with a working knowledge of MS Office.
• Ability to lift and carry up to 50…