Manager, Quality Assurance

High Liner Foods - Portsmouth, NH

Full-time - Mid Level

Portsmouth, NH

Food Manufacturing

About the position

Managing quality and Food Safety in the facility while promoting continuous improvement through personnel, processes, procedures, and specifications. Manages plant QA team (QA Technicians, QA Supervisor) as well as, the plant Sanitation Function. This position supports the Production Plant, Procurement, Marketing, Sales, Research and Development and Corporate Quality and Food Safety. Fosters a strong quality and food safety culture throughout the organization and leading by example. Identifies Quality and Food Safety opportunities and risks across the operation and partners with appropriate stakeholders to drive improvement initiatives. Is a strong leader, partnering with fellow plant leadership on the implementation and execution of the High Liner Operating system; consistently producing products that meet or exceed customer and consumer expectations. Assuring the manufacturing and processing of quality, food safe and compliant products.

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day operations of the Quality and Sanitation Departments, which includes the management of a Quality Supervisors, Sanitation Supervisors, Sanitation Hourly employees, and Quality Technicians.
• Ensures the implementation and execution of quality and food safety programs and procedures to lead and support all stakeholders in the production of safe, quality and compliant products.
• Local HACCP Team coordinator. Partnering with Corporate Quality and Food Safety for the launch, maintenance and improvement of corporate policies, procedures and guidelines.
• Responsible to host and lead all customer, regulatory and third party quality and food safety audits and corrective action process.
• Investigate, review and respond to consumer and customer complaints.
• Manage the non-conformance process ensuring the completion of robust investigations, timely disposition and the execution of a strong corrective and preventative actions.
• Serve as the lead for validation of all changes in manufacturing process.
• Support new product and process trials and new product launches, collaborating with corporate R&D.
• Member of the Plant Leadership Team.
• Budget owner for lab supplies, labor, general supplies, lab services, and pest control.
• Ensure superior performance and compliance with GMP's, SOPs, Corporate Programs & Training etc.
• Ensures the plant sanitation processes are followed and are effective.
• Provides oversight to sanitation employees and inspects completed work for conformance to standards.
• Oversees the ordering/maintaining of all cleaning chemicals and maintaining all cleaning equipment.
• Oversees special cleaning projects as assigned.
• Ensures the master cleaning schedules are maintained and addressed.
• May provide oversight to be a liaison between the 3rd party pest control vendors.
• Analyzes key performance metrics and leads the plant in the establishment of a quality improvement plan and the execution of data driven quality improvement initiatives.
• Continuously reviews core competencies and department processes for cycles of improvement.
• Identifies, leads and implements process and cost improvement opportunities while maintaining quality and food safety standards as well as agreed upon service levels.
• Ensures the creation and implementation of a robust corrective/preventative action program utilizing customer/consumer complaint data, audit findings, and internal non-conformance feedback as examples, in order to drive improvements and reduction of observations.
• Ability to lead the Quality and Sanitation team to provide exceptional service to internal and external stakeholders, upholding High Liner's quality and food safety standards.
• Coach, develops and mentors team members to achieve personal growth and success while making meaningful contributions to the success of the Quality and Sanitation teams and High Liner Foods.
• Manages performance expectations including daily accountabilities, annual goals and annual performance reviews.
• Accountable for supporting annual budget process and complying with final approved budget expectations.
• Ensures the allocation and maintenance of department headcount; seamlessly manages vacation times and gaps in plant coverage and support.
• To foster a positive working environment ensuring that Policies of the Company and the Company's Code of Conduct are respected in your area and the Company's responsibilities to employees are fulfilled.

Requirements

• Minimum: BS Degree/ Food Science or Nutrition preferred and/or five years of direct experience in food manufacturing environment.
• Technical / specification writing experience, knowledge of USDC, USFDA, and USDA.
• Understanding of food technology, quality management philosophy and quality tools.
• HACCP certified with knowledge & experience of the Global Food Safety Initiative and FSMA.
• Strong leadership skills.
• Ability to manage and resolve conflict in a positive way.
• Absolute accuracy and attention to detail are essential.
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills (an ability to express complicated concepts accurately in clear and simple language).
• Excellent organizational, time management skills.
• Excellent computer skills (i.e. JDE, BOSS, GSM, ISD (?), Lotus notes, Adobe Acrobat Standard, Adobe Illustrator, all Microsoft Applications and basic in Genesis SQL).

Benefits

• Competitive Salary
• Health, dental & vision coverage
• Pay for performance incentives
• Employee & Family assistance programs
• Wellness Programs
• Retirement Planning
• Supplemental Parental Leaves
• Disability Support
• Family friendly Flex policies & Summer hours
• Volunteer hours
• Learning and mentorship opportunities
• Safety focused work environment