Quality Assurance Manager

The Quality Assurance Manager will provide leadership, direction, and day‑to‑day support to the organizations managing the processes critical to delivering unsurpassed quality to the North American Salads and Healthy Snacking businesses, including overall management, measurement, analysis, feedback, and business‑related reports on raw, intermediate, and finished product quality. This position is accountable for overall strategic quality leadership, directly integrating it into the business to drive revenue and growth, including quality system development and execution in support of business objectives.

• Quality System Development / Implementation:
  Design, develop, and implement quality systems across the supply chain, including identification of critical quality parameters, monitoring and controls, working with R&D and the business to develop consumer‑relevant specifications, and designing and implementing verification/validation schemes and reporting capabilities.
• Process Control:
  Develop, implement, and maintain standardized product specifications, process SOPs, and performance targets. Research and identify new technologies and processes to improve quality, and apply SPC concepts to reduce variation, improve quality, and optimize cost.
• Quality Reporting:
  Develop business‑related reports to drive quality improvement across the supply chain, including historical metrics and cost of quality failure. Ensure robust inspection processes and manage integrated systems that deliver the highest quality product to customers.
• Technical Consulting:
  Provide technical quality expertise and tools to optimize resources and quality while minimizing cost.
• Strategic Consulting:
  Work closely with Ag Operations, procurement, manufacturing, and logistics to develop quality processes and procedures across the supply chain, assess market and supply‑chain impacts, and support customer relations with audits and information.
• Food Safety:
  Execute against the organization’s food safety requirements and continually improve to meet changing market, regulatory, and company conditions.
• Organizational Development:
  Ensure the right resources support quality and business needs, manage and develop field and manufacturing quality teams, and implement feedback, salary planning, reward, and recognition programs integrated with competency models.

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science or a related field;
  Master’s preferred.
• 4–7 years of experience in quality assurance or process control, with 2–4 years as a manager.
• Agriculture or specific produce experience is preferred.
• Certification in quality disciplines (e.g., ASQ CQE, CQA) preferred.

• Experience in agriculture (growing, protecting, auditing) and food processing (floor, lab, QA management).
• Advanced knowledge of statistics, including SPC, DOE, and quality engineering tools.
• Strong analytical skills that drive customer, consumer, and brand protection decisions.
• Ability to develop people, teams, and oneself through innovative means.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a team and work in a matrix organization.
• Influence at all levels of the organization and across functions.
• Prioritize duties in a changing environment and meet business objectives.
• Strong communication skills, written and verbal, in team and public settings.
• Effective presentation and public‑speaking skills.
• Strong computer skills with proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to develop and adhere to department budgets.