QA Manager
Location: Fort Madison, IA
Ensures the safety and quality of all food products produced at the plant in Fort Madison, IA. Responsible for communicating and defining specifications, conducting inspections, and ensuring compliance with food laws and regulations. Manages HACCP plans to meet regulatory requirements. Establishes and promotes best lab practices and ensures adherence to quality policies. Takes an active role in resolving customer complaints and collaborates with the plant leadership team. Provides support to Sales, R&D, and Operations regarding customer issues and concerns.
Position Responsibilities
• Ensures that all plant personnel adhere to good manufacturing practices (GMP), including proper waste disposal, personal hygiene, and practices.
• Develops and presents a comprehensive orientation process to all employees, providing training on the Key Concepts of Food Safety and Quality and emphasizing their responsibility in identifying any failures in these areas. Maintains compliance with annual training requirements.
• Collaborates closely with Operations and Maintenance to promote Food Safety and Quality ownership on the floor.
• Trains and develops subordinates in their duties.
• Manages Plant timelines and critical milestones for the Food Safety and Quality Improvement Plan, as well as other food safety/quality metrics (e.g., complaint reduction, quality incident reduction, and quality index scores).
• Interprets, analyzes, and communicates internal and external quality and food safety issues, including consumer complaints, and implements appropriate corrective measures.
• Ensures compliance with all applicable regulatory agency requirements, such as USDA, FDA, CFIA, etc.
• Acts as a liaison with local USDA and/or FDA inspectors and other food regulatory officers visiting the plant.
• Provides leadership for compliance with food safety and quality programs, implementing and maintaining programs such as HACCP, SQF certification, specifications for raw and finished materials, recall program, environmental monitoring program, and comprehensive pest control program.
• Develops corrective actions when food safety or quality deficiencies are identified. Acts as a liaison for technical and QC issues between operations, RQI, and sales/marketing departments.
• Assists Corporate with quality assurance involving vendor issues, including improvements and corrective measures.
• Oversees product quality during new product implementation and market introduction. Ensures the use of applicable MOPD and CQV tools.