Food Safety Quality Assurance Manager

Foster Farms has been serving families since 1939. Since the founding days, Foster Farms has always been committed to providing consumers with the highest-quality, best-tasting poultry products available. Our commitment to excellence, honesty, quality, service, and our valued team members will shine through in everything we do.

Foster Farms is always looking for talented individuals to join the Foster Farms team. We offer the experience of a large organization but operate like a family business. More than half of our job openings are filled by internal promotion, and we encourage team members to gain a variety of experiences across different functional groups.

PURPOSE OF POSITION:

• Works directly with processing plant manager to ensure compliance with Foster Farms, FSIS/USDA/FDA, and customer requirements.
• Oversees, executes, and administers the Food Safety and Quality Assurance (FSQA) programs to ensure the safety, legality, and quality of its products.
• This position manages and develops an FSQA Supervisor at the processing plant level to achieve departmental goals.
• This position has the sole in-plant authority to release or retain product on hold for quality or regulatory concerns, thus sound judgment in rendering a product as wholesome or unwholesome is required.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Functioning as primary FSQA leader
• Managing and enforcing the implementation, verification and validation of Food Safety programs such as HACCP/SSOP Plans and FDA Food Safety Plan
• Ensuring adherence with audit standards such as BRC and Silliker
• Managing regulatory relationship with local USDA/FSIS or other regulatory agencies
• Retaining product that does not conform to customer agreements, finished product specifications, or legal requirements
• Rendering decision for product disposition, including release into commerce
• Manage the implementation, maintenance, evaluation, and enforcement of:
• USDA regulations including the working relationship with local USDA/FSIS
• FDA regulations including the working relationship with FDA investigators
• Corporate programs (pest control, allergen, product quality)
• Any and all product monitoring programs that may have both legal (FSIS/FDA requirements) and customer implications
• Manage the employee population of that site and its competence in food safety and quality procedures. This includes the design and execution of training as needed Manage the employee population of that site and its competence in food safety and quality procedures. This includes the design and execution of training as needed
• Lead pathogen testing root cause investigations in partnership with production. Management to address processing, sanitation, and maintenance related issues
• Lead investigation regarding quality monitoring defects to determine root cause. In partnership with production management, address manufacturing, mechanical, or formulation issues that led to deficiencies
• In partnership with the site's production manager, schedule meetings and direct communications with local USDA/FSIS to report non-compliance resolution, as well as Foster Farms response to trending concerns.
• Evaluate current FSQA programs to established standards and adjust programs to conform with regulatory changes or internal modifications to ensure conformance is relevant.
• Manage and improve as needed, the FSQA data reporting systems, communicating trends and root-cause analysis to senior management for deficiency resolution and process improvement.
• Actively lead projects (FSQA or operations) and activities to modify, retrofit, and improve performance from a food safety and/or quality perspective. This may also include commercialization projects organized by R&D for new products

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree from a 4-year, accredited college or university, preferably in the area of animal or food science or related field
• Advanced degree in animal science, food science, food safety or related field preferred
• Proficient use of Microsoft including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint
• Requisite - 5+ years of work experience in food processing environment with food safety/quality programs focus
• Required - former managerial experience of salaried supervisory employees
• Cross-functional team leadership skills, as well as coaching and mentoring skills
• Thorough, practical, and functional knowledge of USDA/FSIS/FDA food safety regulations including current regulations and directives and HACCP/SSOP/HARPC programs
• Detail oriented with analytical aptitude; exposure to Statistical Process Control is beneficial
• Proactive problem-solving and critical thinking approach to FSQA program design, implementation, and improvements
• Ability to adapt to product changes and commercialization of new products
• Ability to work independently without direct supervision and instruction
• Strong writing and presentation skills, in order to communicate at all levels throughout the organization
• Ability to render sound judgment regarding food safety risks and/or product quality defects
• Ability to execute sound judgment regarding communication for product disposition decisions
• Preferable - knowledge of pest control practices and sanitation cleaning procedures
• Ability to work flexible hours
• Ability to travel for business related visits (other plants) or conferences

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Foster Farms is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Minorities, Females, Veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Foster Farms participates in E-Verify during the hire process at all locations for all new Team Members.