Quality Assurance Manager / SQF Practitioner

Salary: $75,000–$90,000
Industry: Food Manufacturing
Department: Quality Assurance / Food Safety
Reports To: VP of Quality & R&D

Position Overview

Our client is seeking an experienced Quality Assurance Manager / SQF Practitioner to lead food safety, quality, and regulatory compliance within a fast-paced food manufacturing environment.

This individual will serve as the site's designated SQF Practitioner and Food Safety Team Leader, with responsibility for maintaining the Quality and Food Safety Management System, HACCP programs, SQF certification, audit readiness, corrective actions, documentation, and continuous improvement.

The ideal candidate has strong hands-on experience in food manufacturing, SQF, HACCP, GMPs, audits, and quality systems and is comfortable working cross-functionally with Production, Operations, R&D, Purchasing, Maintenance, Sanitation, and Warehouse teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the site's designated SQF Practitioner and maintain the SQF Food Safety Management System.

• Lead the site's Food Safety Team and HACCP program.

• Develop, maintain, verify, and continuously improve HACCP and Food Safety Plans.

• Ensure compliance with SQF, HACCP, GMP, regulatory, customer, and internal quality requirements.

• Lead preparation for SQF certification and recertification audits.

• Coordinate regulatory inspections, customer audits, third-party audits, and internal audits.

• Maintain site audit readiness and ensure required documentation and records are accurate and current.

• Manage corrective and preventive actions, including root cause analysis and verification of effectiveness.

• Oversee GMP, sanitation, allergen control, pest control, supplier approval, traceability, recall, environmental monitoring, chemical control, and foreign-material programs.

• Coordinate mock recalls and maintain effective traceability systems.

• Investigate food safety incidents, customer complaints, product failures, labeling issues, allergen concerns, and quality non-conformances.

• Oversee supplier approval and supplier quality monitoring programs.

• Review laboratory, environmental, microbiological, chemical, and other required testing results.

• Maintain controlled procedures, specifications, forms, records, and quality documentation.

• Coordinate employee training related to GMP, HACCP, SQF, food safety, sanitation, and quality procedures.

• Support new product development, process changes, validation activities, and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Promote a strong food safety and quality culture throughout the facility.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Microbiology, Quality Assurance, Food Safety, or a related field preferred.

• 5+ years of experience in food manufacturing, quality assurance, food safety, HACCP, SQF, or a related technical role preferred.

• Previous experience as an SQF Practitioner or equivalent food safety system leader strongly preferred.

• Formal HACCP training required.

• Experience developing and maintaining HACCP plans.

• Strong working knowledge of the SQF Food Safety Code for Manufacturing.

• Experience preparing for and participating in SQF, regulatory, customer, and third-party audits.

• Strong knowledge of GMPs, sanitation, allergen controls, traceability, recall procedures, and preventive controls.

• Strong root cause analysis and corrective action experience.

• Excellent documentation, organizational, leadership, and communication skills.

• Ability to work cross-functionally and hold teams accountable to food safety and quality standards.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: $75,000–$90,000

• Health insurance

• Dental insurance

• Vision insurance

• Paid time off

Why This Opportunity?

This is an opportunity to take ownership of the food safety and quality systems for a growing food manufacturer. The Quality Assurance Manager will have direct influence over SQF certification, audit readiness, operational quality, food safety culture, and continuous improvement throughout the facility.