Quality Assurance Manager; Food and Beverage Industry

Quality Assurance Manager (Food & Beverage Industry) Summary The Quality Assurance Manager is responsible for leading and overseeing the Quality Assurance function for onsite manufacturing operations. This position provides leadership to the QA team, ensures products and processes consistently meet established quality and food safety standards, and drives compliance with SQF, USDA, FDA, HACCP, GMP, and other applicable regulatory requirements. The QA Manager partners closely with Production, Operations, Maintenance, Warehouse, and other cross-functional teams to maintain strong quality systems, identify opportunities for improvement, investigate quality issues, and ensure effective corrective and preventive actions.

This role maintains a visible presence on the production floor while providing leadership and direction for QA laboratory and inspection activities.

• Lead, manage, and develop the QA team, including quality technicians and laboratory personnel.
• Establish daily priorities, assign responsibilities, and monitor performance to ensure effective QA coverage across manufacturing operations.
• Provide leadership and direction for QA activities across receiving, production, mixing, laboratory, warehouse, and shipping operations.
• Partner with Production, Operations, and Maintenance leadership to ensure products and processes consistently meet established quality standards.
• Maintain a strong presence on the production floor and provide QA leadership during manufacturing activities, process changes, and new product introductions.
• Oversee routine inspections, quality control checks, pre-operational inspections, HACCP verification, and other required quality activities.
• Ensure QA documentation, records, and testing results are complete, accurate, and maintained in accordance with company and regulatory requirements.
• Lead QA participation in daily production meetings, first-batch reviews, new product launches, and process changes.
• Oversee daily operations of the QA laboratory, including testing schedules, workflow, equipment, supplies, maintenance, and third-party laboratory coordination.
• Ensure all required microbiological and analytical testing is completed accurately and submitted to external laboratories within established timelines.
• Review and approve laboratory and quality testing results and ensure timely release of finished products and new products.
• Oversee new product processes, including receiving, documentation, COA creation, testing, product release, and coordination with shipping.
• Investigate out-of-specification results, nonconformances, quality incidents, and other issues; determine appropriate corrective actions and follow through to resolution.
• Lead investigations related to customer complaints and coordinate corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) as needed.
• Support the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of QA policies, procedures, SOPs, and quality systems.
• Lead and participate in internal, customer, regulatory, and third-party audits, including preparation, response, and follow-up activities.
• Ensure ongoing compliance with SQF, HACCP, GMP, FDA, USDA, and other applicable food safety and regulatory requirements.
• Support regulatory inspections and special production runs while serving as a primary QA resource for onsite quality and food safety matters.
• Oversee label verification and approval activities to ensure products meet applicable requirements.
• Monitor quality trends and identify opportunities to improve processes, reduce defects, and strengthen food safety and quality performance.
• Maintain QA performance metrics and communicate quality trends, issues, and improvement initiatives to leadership.
• Coordinate QA training for new and existing employees and ensure personnel understand applicable quality, food safety, and documentation requirements.
• Lead daily QA meetings and communicate priorities, expectations, quality concerns, and follow-up actions across departments.
• Manage laboratory inventory, supplies, equipment maintenance, and related work orders to ensure uninterrupted QA operations.
• Assist with warehouse transfers, shelf-life evaluations, and other quality-related operational activities.
• Provide guidance and support during production deviations, quality concerns, and other issues requiring QA involvement.
• Foster a culture of quality, accountability, food safety, and continuous improvement throughout the organization.
• Perform additional duties and responsibilities as…