Plant Quality & Food Safety Manager

Lead Quality. Protect Food Safety. Drive Excellence.

WPSFresh is looking for an experienced Plant Quality & Food Safety Manager to take the lead in ensuring the highest standards of food safety, product quality, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence at our fresh-cut food manufacturing facility.

This is more than a quality assurance role. You’ll be the plant’s quality and food safety leader
, partnering with Production, Sanitation, Maintenance, Engineering, Warehouse, Supply Chain, and Corporate FSQA to build a culture where quality and food safety are everyone's responsibility.

If you’re a hands-on leader who knows how to navigate audits, solve problems, develop teams, and turn quality data into meaningful improvements, this is an opportunity to make a significant impact.

• Lead and maintain the plant's Quality Management System (QMS).
• Oversee quality assurance and quality control programs throughout production.
• Serve as the plant's food safety leader, SQF Practitioner, and PCQI.
• Help develop and maintain the facility's Food Safety Plan.
• Oversee HACCP, Preventive Controls, GMPs, SSOPs, Environmental Monitoring, Food Defense, Food Fraud, and allergen control programs.
• Monitor product quality metrics and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Lead root cause investigations and corrective/preventive actions (CAPA).
• Oversee product testing, analyze results, and identify quality trends.
• Ensure products consistently meet customer specifications, company standards, and regulatory requirements.

• Ensure compliance with FDA, USDA, FSMA, SQF, EPA, state, county, and other applicable requirements.
• Serve as the primary plant contact during customer, regulatory, certification, and third-party audits.
• Maintain a constant state of audit readiness.
• Lead internal audit programs and corrective action processes.
• Conduct food safety risk assessments and develop mitigation strategies.
• Partner with Corporate FSQA and other teams to address compliance and quality issues.

• Lead, coach, and develop quality and food safety personnel.
• Establish department goals, KPIs, and performance expectations in partnership with Corporate FSQA leadership.
• Develop and deliver training related to food safety, sanitation, quality, and regulatory requirements.
• Build strong partnerships across Production, Maintenance, Sanitation, Engineering, Warehouse, and Supply Chain.
• Promote a culture of quality, accountability, food safety, and continuous improvement.
• Prepare and present quality and food safety metrics to plant and senior leadership.

• Use Lean, Six Sigma, root cause analysis, and other problem-solving methodologies to improve processes.
• Identify opportunities to reduce waste, improve yields, and enhance product quality.
• Analyze data and trends to identify risks and opportunities.
• Support new product launches and process validation.
• Evaluate supplier quality and support supplier approval programs.
• Review customer complaints and ensure corrective actions are effective.
• Partner with sanitation leadership and approved chemical suppliers to ensure sanitation programs meet company and regulatory standards.

We’re looking for a food quality and safety leader who can think strategically while remaining hands-on in the plant.

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, Biology, Engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in food manufacturing, quality assurance, and food safety.
• 5+ years of leadership or management experience.
• Strong knowledge of:
  • HACCP
  • FSMA Preventive Controlsli>
    
    GMPs
  • SQF, BRCGS, or FSSC 22000
  • FDA and USDA regulations
  • CAPA and Root Cause Analysis
• Proven experience leading certification, customer, and regulatory audits.
• Strong leadership, communication, project management, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, ERP systems, and Quality Management Systems.
• Exceptional attention to detail and the ability to prioritize in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

You’re someone who:

• Knows food safety inside and out but also…