Our client is an award-winning family-owned company manufacturing a full line of ham and pork products for over 75 years. Their plant in South Chicago has 110 employees, working Monday through Saturday. They are seeking a Quality Assurance Manager for their BRC certified meat processing plant who can build the department as the company grows.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Demonstrate unwavering integrity, respect, teamwork, and equity in all interactions with employees, customers, suppliers, and regulatory agencies.
  • Provide proactive guidance to establish and maintain controls, programs, and organizational structures that comply with Food Safety, Regulatory, customer, and GFSI requirements. SQF Certification experience preferred.
  • Lead and coach site quality team to ensure clear understanding of individual goals and the development of robust plans.
  • Foster a culture of continuous improvement and professional growth within the team.
  • Design, implement, and verify analytical testing and procedures to ensure statistically significant results for the safe manufacture of products.
  • Implement a comprehensive training program covering GFSI requirements, Food Safety, and Quality Programs
  • Provide technical expertise to all departments, focusing on quality and food safety, continuous process improvement, and product development.
  • Function as the primary point of contact for all regulatory agencies and customers.
  • Develop project charters and facilitate action plan identification.
  • Develop, implement, and maintain Food Safety and Quality SOP’s, Food Safety Plan/HACCP, GMP’s, pest control, allergen control, Good Laboratory Practices, Traceability, Recall, and other applicable food safety/quality programs.
  • Oversee the resolution of quality management issues, including KPI reporting, corrective action plans, analytical/microbiological concerns, and held inventory disposition.
  • Provide subject matter expertise in corrective and preventive action (CAPA) activities.
  • Utilize data to drive statistical process control (SPC) and implement process capability improvements.
  • Manage and direct staff responsible for microbiological and other quality control testing.
  • Evaluate and resolve customer/consumer product quality issues.
  • Ensure all quality-related information required for regulatory reviews and reporting is maintained.

Personnel:

  • Directly manage employees in the QA department, this position has three direct reports:
    • One Document Control Specialist; One Process Quality Technician and One Lead

Process Quality Specialist.

  • Hire, train, coach, develop and evaluate all staff.
  • Foster culture of effective teamwork and support throughout the facility

Safety:

  • Implement and ensure adherence to all safety procedures related to plant operations.
  • Compliance with company, local, provincial, and federal regulations, HACCP guidelines and other programs designed to safeguard employees and customers.

Performance:

  • Drive metrics and review plant performance for production, faulty, donations, Right First Time, labor utilization, financial results.
  • Communicate and review plant objectives regularly at all levels to ensure plant objectives are accomplished.
  • Identify and implement long-range, 3 to 10-year, facility-specific plans, and schedule specific to the Food Safety and Quality function.

Qualifications:

  • Knowledge of meat and poultry product manufacture
  • Familiarity with meat-processing equipment
  • Knowledge of Sanitation requirements
  • Bachelor’s degree in biology, Chemistry, Food Science/Food Technology, or related field
  • 5-10 years of experience in a food manufacturing environment
  • Minimum of 3 years in a QA Manager role
  • Working knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel computer applications

For more information, please contact Moira McGrath at OPUS International, Inc. at (954) 428-3888 or moira@foodscience.com