Quality Assurance Manager; Salinas, CA - St

Overview

The Quality Assurance (QA) Manager is primarily responsible for execution planning and execution of operational quality and food safety throughout the facility, ensuring products meet company food safety and quality standards from raw material receipt through production. The role assists in developing, executing, verifying, and owning food safety strategies and policies across the facility, and is accountable for meeting the standards of quality and food safety audits of all types, including system, process, and product audits.

The manager develops plant employees to use continuous improvement tools and root cause analysis for problem solving, trains staff to establish clear expectations of food safety and quality policies and processes, and utilizes high‑level organizational and analytical skills for risk assessment, data capturing, and documentation required for food safety.

• Execute and maintain the HACCP and Preventative Controls Program for Value‑Added Products.
• Manage food safety plans by conducting hazard analyses, managing critical control points and preventive measures, maintaining critical limits, monitoring procedures, corrective actions, verification procedures, and monitoring inventories.
• Ensure the plant operates in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practices and adheres to federal and state regulatory policies.
• Oversee and improve daily production and third‑party sanitation and pest control activities; verify sanitation effectiveness through environmental and ATP testing programs.
• Maintain processes and principles to meet targets and metrics established by the company for food safety and quality.
• Lead root‑cause analysis, CAPA development initiatives; analyze quality data, trends, KPIs to drive performance and risk reduction.
• Lead, mentor, and develop the quality team with clear communication and training, building trust with transparent, sound, and consistent decision making.
• Provide training across the facility on food safety, quality, and SOPs.
• Communicate non‑compliance issues with specifications, policies, and processes, including risk assessment information using high‑level problem‑solving skills.
• Validate quality processes utilizing knowledge of the products to connect product specifications, visual quality attributes, and SOPs to shelf life and consumer experience performance.
• Problem‑solve by conducting investigative work, documenting meaningful information, determining operational and performance qualification, writing and updating quality assurance procedures.
• Achieve quality assurance operational objectives by contributing information and analysis to project work with cross‑functional teams; preparing and completing action plans; implementing quality and food safety standards; identify connection of activities with other operational areas.
• Communicate quality performance trends to leadership through investigation of customer and consumer complaints and conducting quality updates; collaborate cross‑functionally when issues arise.
• Investigate customer and consumer complaints, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions.
• Participate in cross‑functional projects to improve food safety and quality processes in partnership with Director FSQA, ensuring alignment with company strategy.
• Meet quality assurance financial objectives by estimating requirements, communicating unanticipated expenditures, analyzing variances, and initiating corrective actions; initiate cost reduction ideas and manage QA staff operating costs.

• Follow all safety procedures applicable to work as assigned.
• Follow all GMP and food safety rules as applicable to the work as assigned.

• Direct reports include supervisors.
• Indirect reports include QA and Sanitation staff on all shifts.

• Bachelor's of Science degree (B.S.) in Food Sciences, Agriculture Science, Agriculture‑Biochemistry, or equivalent combination of education and experience required.
• Four years related experience in Fresh Processing industry in the capacity of a Quality Assurance Manager; minimum 3 years in a supervisory capacity in manufacturing…