Quality Assurance Manager

Details: 

Position Name: Quality Assurance Manager

Location: Defiance, OH (on-site)

Type: Full-time

Job Description:

This is a full-time, on-site leadership position responsible for ensuring our products, processes, documentation, and plant practices meet company, customer, and regulatory requirements. The Quality Assurance Manager leads the QA team and oversees food safety programs, regulatory compliance, SQF/HACCP/FSMA systems, Grade A PMO compliance, laboratory and environmental monitoring, product hold and release, sanitation quality oversight, audits, corrective actions, documentation, training, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and continuously improve the facility's Food Safety and Quality Management System.
• Maintain HACCP, FSMA Preventive Controls, allergen, GMP, SQF and related food safety programs.
• Maintain Grade A PMO compliance and coordinate regulatory inspections, documentation and responses.
• Oversee Appendix N/ODA requirements and ensure findings, corrective actions and regulatory responses are completed within required timeframes.
• Lead FDA, ODA, customer and third-party audit preparation, response and corrective-action closure.
• Oversee laboratory testing, environmental monitoring, product hold/release and sanitation quality programs.
• Lead investigations, root-cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions (CAPA).
• Maintain quality systems, SOPs, documentation, training records and audit readiness.
• Lead, coach and develop Quality Assurance employees and ensure appropriate department coverage.
• Partner with Production, Sanitation, Maintenance, Warehouse, Human Resources and plant leadership to resolve quality and food-safety issues.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, or a related field required.
• Minimum 7 years of progressive quality assurance or food safety experience in FDA-regulated food or beverage manufacturing.
• Minimum 3 years of supervisory, lead or management experience.
• Experience in dairy, beverage, frozen or other regulated food manufacturing.
• Working knowledge of HACCP, SQF, FSMA Preventive Controls, GMPs, allergen control, sanitation, CAPA, traceability and environmental monitoring.
• Experience supporting or leading regulatory, customer and third-party audits and corrective-action responses.
• Strong leadership, communication, organization, documentation and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Grade A PMO and dairy regulatory experience.
• SQF Practitioner, HACCP and/or PCQI certification, or ability to obtain required certifications within an established timeframe.
• Experience with microbiological and analytical laboratory testing, environmental monitoring, LIMS/QMS systems, supplier quality and customer complaint investigations.