Sr. Quality Improvement Leader; North York

Position: Sr. Quality Improvement Leader (North York)
Overview  Join Riverside Natural Foods Ltd., a $300 million+ Canadian-based, family-owned, and globally operating business, committed to leaving the world better than we found it. As a B-Corp certified, Triple-Bottom Line company, we proudly manufacture nutritious, 'better-for-you' snacks such as Made Good and GOOD TO GO. We value teamwork, humility, respect, ownership, adaptability, grit, and fun.
We are on an ambitious mission to double our business by 2027, and we need talented individuals to help us reach new heights.

This role offers opportunities to contribute to Riverside’s success while growing your own career. The company emphasizes values, continuous improvement, and a proactive approach to problem solving.
Position Summary/Objective  The position ensures ongoing improvement of Riverside's Food Safety and Quality Assurance System by providing leadership through strong knowledge and experience in managing food safety and quality incidents, conducting root cause analysis, risk assessment, CAPA programs, and meeting food safety and quality targets. You will lead initiatives to enhance the food safety and quality performance of products and processes within Riverside Natural Foods Ltd.

This role supports Riverside's values and purpose, focusing on problem solving, food safety, quality, and continuous improvement.
Primary Responsibilities   Demonstrate and uphold Riverside Natural Foods' core values
Manage food safety and quality incidents (including consumer and customer complaints, product holds, internal non-conformances) through investigations, RCA, data collection, and ensuring product safety and quality
Take ownership of leading investigations and RCA to identify issues affecting food safety and quality; place necessary products on hold in SAP systems
Review and analyze data from food safety records and quality verification checks to identify trends and implement corrective action
Lead cross-functional teams to identify opportunities for improvement, write incident reports, and ensure comprehensive action plans are implemented and completed to prevent recurrence
Collaborate with Production, Sanitation, Maintenance, Engineering, Facility, R&D, and other departments to implement and sustain food safety and quality improvements
Ensure consistent execution of current Food Safety and Quality Management Programs, internal procedures, and compliance with BRC requirements
Establish, develop, implement and monitor food safety and quality improvement strategies, plans and KPIs; communicate progress and results to stakeholders
Use statistical methods, data analysis and sampling plans to track product and process performance; build run charts for CTQs/CTPs and support control chart development with R&D and production
Develop, update, and implement improvement policies, procedures, and the Food Safety and Quality plan
Identify training opportunities and train employees in food safety and quality improvement methodologies, including root cause analysis, risk assessment, and CAPA development
Promote a culture of excellence and improvement awareness across the organization
Develop innovative solutions to food safety and quality issues and provide status reports to senior leadership
Adapt to different shifts when needed
Maintain a positive, engaging work atmosphere
Be a Riverside Brand Ambassador by staying close to consumers and representing the brand in every interaction, protecting product quality, availability, and experience
Other duties as assigned to support FSQA programs
Reporting Relationship  Reports directly to the Plant FSQA Leader. Plant FSQA leaders report to corporate. There are no direct reports.
Education & Qualifications   Diploma in Engineering, Food Science and Technology, Chemistry, Microbiology, or related disciplines
Minimum of 5 years of FSQA experience in food manufacturing and relevant food safety and quality programs

Experience with highly automated food manufacturing lines for continuous and batch processes
Strong understanding of hazards analysis, HACCP, GMPs, FM prevention, microbiology, pest control, and other food safety programs
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification and experience in quality improvement within production environments
Strong understanding of statistics, product sampling, SPC, and experience with SPC tools (e.g., Minitab)
Knowledge of commercialization processes and their impact on food safety and quality
Experience in investigation processes, root cause analysis methodologies and CAPA
Skills & Abilities   Persuasive, assertive, and collaborative with diverse teams
Exceptional time management, organizational, and implementation skills
Self-starter with initiative and adaptability
Strong interpersonal and communication skills with follow-through
Analytical with strong problem identification and problem-solving abilities
Passionate, curious, and committed to Riverside's core values
Respect for Riverside's values and ability to operate in a dynamic environment
Bold and courageous: challenge status…