Director of Food Safety & Quality

Bernatello's Foods•Kaukauna, WI

About The Position

This role leads and executes the SQF Certification strategy and programs, as well as Gluten-Free Certification strategy and programs at company manufacturing facilities. The Director will lead all third-party, customer, and internal audits, ensuring constant audit readiness. This position manages the Quality team, enforcing company standards and procedures to guarantee compliance with federal, state, and local regulators and audit certifications. Responsibilities include establishing and maintaining proactive quality, safety, and sanitation standards, processes, and documentation to meet requirements for retail and warehouse customers, SQF, GFCO, OSHA, FDA, EPA, and other regulatory agencies. The role focuses on developing and implementing systems for the highest degree of Food Safety and Quality in the industry, overseeing all HACCP, pre-requisite quality programs, and quality/food safety related programs to meet regulatory requirements. Monitoring compliance with FSMA rules and regulations, championing quality and food safety initiatives, and ensuring timely implementation of plant audit corrective action plans are key. The Director will also champion change management execution and oversee a thriving food safety culture, in addition to leading customer service efforts through documentation and analysis of feedback.

Requirements

10+ years’ experience in food manufacturing industry
Knowledge of Federal, State, and local food regulations, including, but not limited to the CFR, FSMA, USDA/FSIS, Bioterrorism Act and National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Law.
Experience in HACCP and GFSI (SQF, BRC, FSSC) or ISO-certified or specific training a plus.

Nice To Haves

HACCP (three-day course)
FSMA (Food Safety Preventive Controls)
SQF Practitioner
SQF Implementation
Sanitary Transportation
Trained in Internal Auditing and Food Defense/Fraud

Responsibilities

Leads and executes the SQF Certification strategy and SQF programs at company manufacturing facilities.
Leads and executes the Gluten-Free Certification strategy and GF programs at company manufacturing facilities.
Lead all third-party, customer, and internal audits; always maintain audit readiness.
Manages the Quality team and enforce company standards and procedures guaranteeing compliance with federal, state and local regulators and audit certifications.
Establishes and maintains proactive quality, safety, and sanitation standards, processes, and documentation to meet standards required for retail and warehouse customers, SQF, GFCO, OSHA, FDA, EPA, state and other regulatory agencies.
Works to develop and implement systems to achieve the highest degree of Food Safety and Quality in the industry
Oversee all HACCP, pre-requisite quality programs, and all quality/food safety related programs to meet regulatory requirements.
Monitors compliance with FSMA rules and regulations
Champions quality and food safety initiatives to monitor and document product, facility and worker compliance.
Ensures plant audit corrective action plans are implemented and completed in a timely manner
Champions execution of change management
Oversight of a thriving food safety culture
Leads and executes customer service efforts, including documentation and analysis of feedback received.
Resolves problems by analyzing data, investigating issues, identifying solutions, and making recommendations.
Analyzes data to measure, assess, and improve product quality and performance.
Participates in new product development and conduit between development of the products and integration into food safety programs and operations
Works with operations leadership to assess, develop and implement the process and methodologies required to continuously reduce product variability and improve overall product quality.
Provides leadership in managing Food Safety/ Quality issues that arise.
Utilizing a proactive and collaborative approach, partners with supply chain to approve new and monitor existing suppliers/vendors based on criteria established.
Monitors vendors and suppliers to ensure ingredients and raw materials received meet our quality standards and holds them accountable as needed.
Conducts random audits and site tours of suppliers, vendors, and co-packs utilized throughout our product supply chain.