Quality Manager II

Job Summary

Responsible for leading, maintaining, and executing all aspects of Quality Assurance and Food Safety for the plant. Coach, teach, mentor, and manage the Quality and Food Safety teams onsite. Utilize lean tools and root cause analysis to continuously improve the existing quality system. Ensure all requirements from customers, regulatory, and 3rd‑party certifications are met and in compliance.

• Manage all Quality and Food Safety programs including HACCP, Food Safety Plans, Food Quality Plans, Identity Preserved Certifications, IA Vulnerability, and Food Defense.
• Execute a robust internal audit program to ensure site is always audit‑ready.
• Participate in Maker's Pride Production System requirements such as Drumbeat (Daily Directional Setting), Weekly KPI, Lean Steering Committee, and Tiered Auditing.
• Lead Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and Corrective Actions/Preventative Actions (CAPA) investigations.
• Coach, teach, and mentor the QA and Food Safety teams to build bench strength and career paths for employees.
• Collaborate with all plant leadership to drive quality culture improvements and consumer complaint reductions.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary activities among various team members, assuring timely, efficient, and cost‑effective finality.
• Administrate all product specifications and associated floor instructions, assuring compliance with regulatory labeling requirements.
• Ensure food standard compliance with FDA, USDA, GMP, and company policy.
• Assess Environmental Monitoring Programs to ensure continuous pathogen control.
• Oversee the Hold and Release program, ensuring proper hold verifications and disposition processes.
• Lead Trace and Mock Recall exercises.
• Measure and monitor various company KPIs and drive improvements in key performance areas.
• Lead customer QA discussions related to quality or food safety incidents in the plant.
• Advise commercialization and production teams on process specifications, capabilities, and customer requirements, including recipe and sensory attributes.
• Support commercialization teams in integrating customer and compliance requirements into internal specifications and critical quality parameters.
• Maintain SQF Practitioner or other GFSI scheme and PCQI duties.
• Trend and analyze data as needed to drive improvements in EMP, Pest Control, Consumer Complaints, etc.
• Support all aspects of sanitation, including allergen matrix and control programs, chemical control programs, pest control programs, and cleaning validations for all sanitation systems as assigned.
• May perform other functions as needed.

• Intentional Adulteration Vulnerability Assessments
• Preventative control validations
• SMART goal setting and team coaching
• Basic RCA and CAPA tools
• Sanitation Programs
• Environmental Monitoring Programs
• Robust Hold and Release Program Requirements

• Personnel development
• Team building
• Internal auditing
• Procedure and Standard Work generation
• Risk assessments
• Proficiency in advanced quality statistics, measurement systems analysis, and continuous improvement
• Strong understanding of plant GFSI scheme implementation; SQF Practitioner certification is a plus.
• PCQI / Food Safety Plans / HACCP Plan development and maintenance

• Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Direct various program activities within the plant.
• Influence Quality Culture behaviors.
• Recognize food safety & quality gaps and provide a plan to address them.
• Work collaboratively with all departments.
• Ensure collaborative relationships with industry, trade, other associations, regulatory agencies, and Hearthside staff.

Proficiency in: MS Office Suite, SAP

• Frequent production environment exposure including noise, dust, heat, cold, moving machinery, forklifts, and slippery floors.
• 50% of work in an office setting.
• Handle daily employee issues.
• Travel up to +10%.

• Use hands and fingers.
• See, hear, and talk.
• Frequently required to sit.
• Daily required to walk, climb, and/or balance.
• Lift and carry up to 25 lbs.
• Walk up to 400 yards to necessary production areas.
• Stand, walk, and climb stairs infrequently.

• Bachelor’s…