Food Safety and Quality Assurance Manager​/SQF Practitioner

Taylor Farms is a leading producer of salads and fresh foods, recognized across North America for innovation, operational excellence, and a commitment to delivering high-quality products at the peak of freshness. The organization operates in a dynamic, high-growth environment where food safety, product integrity, quality, and customer trust are fundamental to business success.

The Food Safety & Quality Assurance Manager / SQF Practitioner is a highly visible, hands-on leadership role responsible for advancing food safety, quality systems, regulatory compliance, and operational risk management within a complex, 24/7 manufacturing environment in Tracy, CA.

This leader serves as a trusted FSQA partner to Operations and senior leadership, bringing strong working knowledge of USDA and FDA regulations, FSMA, HACCP, SQF, preventive controls, and food safety management systems. The role requires an experienced practitioner who can confidently navigate regulatory inspections, customer audits, SQF certification, investigations, product holds, corrective actions, and emerging food safety risks.

Success requires more than technical expertise. The ideal leader is engaged, flexible, responsive, and visible across all shifts, building strong relationships with frontline teams while maintaining uncompromising standards. This individual brings a practical, solutions-oriented mindset, excellent written and verbal communication, sound judgment, and the ability to resolve conflict constructively.

The role will lead continuous improvement through data analytics, KPI development, trend analysis, root-cause investigation, CAPA, and system optimization, converting insights into measurable improvements in food safety, quality, and operational performance.

• Lead and continuously improve site FSQA programs, including SQF, HACCP, preventive controls, regulatory compliance, environmental monitoring, sanitation, traceability, allergen control, and product integrity.
• Serve as a key technical resource for USDA, FDA, FSMA, customer, and third-party requirements.
• Lead SQF certification and surveillance audits, internal audits, customer audits, regulatory inspections, and corrective action programs.
• Provide visible FSQA leadership across a 24/7 manufacturing operation, maintaining meaningful engagement with employees and leaders across all shifts.
• Partner closely with Operations, Sanitation, Maintenance, R&D, Supply Chain, and other functions to identify risk and embed food safety into daily execution.
• Lead investigations involving deviations, complaints, non-conformances, holds, recalls, and food safety incidents using disciplined root-cause and risk-based methodologies.
• Establish effective CAPA and verification processes that address systemic issues and prevent recurrence.
• Use quality systems, data analytics, dashboards, KPIs, and trend analysis to identify emerging risks and drive continuous improvement.
• Build and sustain a science-based food safety culture rooted in accountability, operational discipline, learning, and excellence.
• Develop, coach, and empower FSQA team members while strengthening technical capability and leadership depth.
• Communicate effectively with employees at all levels, from frontline production teams through senior leadership.
• Navigate conflict with professionalism and sound judgment, creating alignment while maintaining food safety and regulatory standards.
• Support new products, process changes, equipment improvements, and facility initiatives by integrating FSQA considerations early into decision-making.
• Maintain a proactive, can-do mindset, responding quickly and thoughtfully to operational needs while preserving sound scientific and regulatory judgment.

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