Quality Assurance Manager

A growing private-label beverage manufacturer is opening a brand-new production facility outside Milwaukee, and wants a QA leader in early.

This is a rare chance to build a food safety and quality system from the ground up, including taking the site through SQF certification and preparing for Edition 10. Most QA managers inherit a programme. This one you'd own from day one, in a lean organisation where quality has a genuine seat at the table.

Type: Contract to hire

• Develop the food safety and quality programme for a new facility
• Write SOPs, specifications, and quality manuals from scratch
• Establish document control, record-keeping and traceability

• Lead the site through initial SQF certification
• Prepare records and systems for SQF Edition 10
• Manage specialty certification requirements and audits
• Ensure compliance with FSMA and applicable regulatory standards

• Develop and maintain HACCP plans and prerequisite programmes
• Build the environmental monitoring programme, including zoning, swab sites and response procedures
• Oversee sanitation verification and validation
• Manage supplier approval and incoming material controls

• Work hands-on with production on the floor, not just from an office
• Investigate non-conformances, run root cause analysis and close corrective actions
• Handle customer complaints and specification requirements
• Train and develop the plant team on quality and food safety

• QA leadership experience in food or beverage manufacturing
• Working knowledge of SQF, HACCP and FSMA
• Experience building or rebuilding a quality programme, not just maintaining one
• Hands-on approach: comfortable on the floor with the production team
• Someone who thrives in a lean, flexible organisation and can wear multiple hats

• Experience taking a site through initial certification or a greenfield start-up
• Beverage, canning or bottling experience
• Familiarity with specialty certification schemes