Quality Manager

MUSH is a place where driven individuals unlock their highest potential and, as part of a team of high performers, accomplish extraordinary feats. If you want to build a reputation for doing hard things well and aspire to make the world a little healthier, MUSH may be the place for you.

Our first product line of ready-to-eat overnight oats pioneered a new category for the breakfast occasion—offering a healthy, satiating, and convenient alternative to traditional morning meals. By making wholesome food more accessible, we believe humankind can feel, think, and do better.

In just a few years, we’ve grown from weekend farmers markets to over 10,000 retail doors, including Whole Foods, Costco, Sprouts, Target, and 7-Eleven, as well as premium specialty stores, coffee shops, and gyms nationwide. We’re now building a world‑class team capable of executing on the huge opportunity ahead of us.

The Quality Manager will be responsible for leading all aspects of product quality, food safety, and sanitation at our manufacturing facility. This role ensures our products meet the highest standards of safety, compliance, and excellence while supporting continuous improvement across operations.

As a people leader, this role manages and develops a team of Quality Technicians and Sanitation professionals and serves as a key partner to Operations, R&D, and Corporate Quality. The right individual will balance strategic thinking with a strong command of daily execution—building systems that scale while maintaining the agility of a growth‑stage brand.

While this role is scoped at the Manager level, we’re open to elevating the title and responsibilities to Director for candidates with deeper experience and leadership skills.

• Lead and continuously improve all Quality and Food Safety programs within the manufacturing facility.
• Oversee lab operations, sanitation, and quality systems to ensure compliance with FDA, GFSI (BRC preferred), and customer requirements.
• Ensure robust documentation, data accuracy, and timely review of all production and quality records.
• Partner with senior leadership to prepare for and host internal, external, and regulatory audits; ensure prompt closure of any findings.
• Maintain and evolve HACCP, PCQI, environmental monitoring, allergen control, and traceability programs.
• Serve as the primary site contact for corporate quality and regulatory partners.

• Drive root cause analysis (RCA) and corrective/preventive actions using tools such as 5‑Why and Fishbone methodologies.
• Monitor quality data trends (defect rates, complaints, holds, micro results) to identify improvement opportunities.
• Collaborate with R&D and Operations as the owner of formulation controls, sanitation verification, and testing protocols.
• Own the facility’s third‑party laboratory testing and environmental monitoring programs.
• Regularly review, update, and train teams on Quality and Food Safety policies and SOPs.
• Lead or participate in cross‑functional continuous improvement initiatives focused on yield, waste reduction, and process capability.

• Build and mentor a high‑performing quality and sanitation team.
• Set clear expectations, coach for results, and hold team members accountable to MUSH’s standards of performance and conduct.
• Foster a culture of proactive problem‑solving, engagement, and ownership across shifts and departments.
• Provide timely feedback, evaluations, and recognition to ensure strong individual and team performance.

• Act as a key thought partner to Operations and Product teams in designing scalable quality systems for growth.
• Support supplier quality initiatives and drive collaboration across functions to strengthen end‑to‑end food safety.
• Represent MUSH Quality in business and technical discussions, providing data‑driven recommendations and insights.

• Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science, Engineering, Microbiology, or a related field.
• 7+ years of experience in food manufacturing, with increasing leadership responsibility (Director‑level candidates should bring 10+…