Director of Food Safety

Bright Farms is The Place to Grow!

At Bright Farms, we're on a mission to revolutionize the way leafy greens are grown. But we don't just want to grow great tasting greens, we want them to do good as well: for the planet, for the health of people, and for the well-being of our employees. We give Bright Farmers the tools, training, support, and opportunities they need to do better for themselves and the world every day.

Because when you do good for your people, they do good for the world.

Bright Farms is a national leader in the booming indoor farming industry, transforming how produce is grown and delivered with its expanding network of eight high-tech, sustainable hydroponic farms.  From seed to leaf we grow lettuce smarter, with less space, no pesticides and protected inside, so it's better for the planet and way better for humans. Bright Farms' fresh lettuce options, from classic greens to crunchy mixes and salad kits, are available in more than 4,500 retail stores across the East Coast, Midwest, and South.

The Food Safety Director is responsible for leading Bright Farms' food safety strategy and ensuring the highest standards of food safety, regulatory compliance, and product integrity across all growing and production facilities. This role partners closely with Operations, Quality, EHS, Supply Chain, and Commercial teams to strengthen a proactive food safety culture, drive continuous improvement, and ensure compliance with FDA regulations, GFSI standards, customer requirements, and company policies.

The Director provides strategic leadership in risk management, audit readiness, environmental monitoring, and food safety program development to help deliver safe, high-quality leafy greens to our customers every day.

Specifically, you will:

* Develop and execute Bright Farms enterprise food safety strategy across all growing, harvesting, packing, and distribution operations

* Lead and continuously improve the company's Food Safety Management System while ensuring compliance with FDA regulations, FSMA, SQF certification requirements, customer expectations, and industry best practices

* Serve as the company's food safety expert, providing strategic guidance to executive leadership and cross-functional business partners

* Build scalable food safety programs that support company growth, operational excellence, and customer confidence

* Lead all SQF certifications, regulatory inspections, customer audits, and third-party assessments while maintaining continuous audit readiness

* Oversee environmental monitoring, sanitation validation, water quality programs, allergen controls, pest management, and preventive food safety initiatives

* Develop enterprise food safety KPIs and leverage data analytics to identify trends, mitigate risk, and drive continuous improvement

* Lead investigations involving food safety incidents, customer complaints, product holds, withdrawals, and recalls while ensuring timely root cause analysis and corrective actions

* Partner with Operations and Quality leaders to embed food safety into daily operations and strengthen accountability across the organization

* Develop and maintain food safety policies, standards, procedures, and training programs that reinforce a world-class food safety culture

* Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing food safety team while fostering continuous learning and professional development

* Evaluate emerging regulations, scientific research, and industry trends to proactively strengthen Bright Farms food safety programs

* Collaborate with suppliers, customers, and external regulatory agencies to ensure compliance throughout the supply chain

* Support new product launches, facility expansions, automation initiatives, and capital projects by incorporating food safety principles into planning and execution

* Champion a culture where food safety is everyone's responsibility and is embedded in every aspect of the business

The ideal candidate has:

* Bachelor's degree in food science, Microbiology, Biology, Agriculture, or a related scientific discipline required;
Master's degree preferred

* 10+ years of progressive food safety leadership experience within food…