POSITION SUMMARY:

The Quality Assurance Manager is a member of the site leadership team responsible for ensuring products manufactured at the location are safe, wholesome and comply with all applicable Balchem, customer and regulatory requirements. They will lead the site team in developing and maintaining a culture of best in class Quality through their influence and coaching. The Quality Manager is directly responsible for the implementation of quality systems and initiatives related to the production, packaging, receipt, storage, and release of food products manufactured within the facility. The individual in this position must establish relationships with not only her/his direct reports but within all departments in the organization to effectively cultivate a culture in which safety, quality, and productivity goals are met.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Responsible for all aspects of company Quality Assurance in compliance with local, state, and federal food safety standards
• Helps to develop and maintain a culture in which quality production is top priority and a spirit of continuous improvement is fostered
• Monitors performance across production areas and works with area managers to improve performance on a continual basis in response to risk assessment process, testing of incoming ingredients, outgoing products, observations and/or incidents
• Assists with the delivery of company production of consistent and measurable high-quality standards
• Implements programs to ensure compliance with 3rd party industry standards (e.g. AIB, SQF, etc.)
• Leads SQF, FSMA and HACCP initiatives as well as on-going continuous improvement efforts including facilitating, organizing, training and advising
• Maintains, monitors, reviews and implements GMPs, HACCP, SOPS, and SSOPS to ensure highest quality products and plant environment
• Performs risk assessment on new ingredients and updates HACCP register accordingly
• Leads customer and regulatory audits
• Escalates any quality control and food safety issues and presents plausible solutions
• Maintains current knowledge of trends and changes affecting food safety and develops, recommends and implements appropriate program additions and changes
• Leads response to customers, inspectors and auditors
• Works with R&D and Production in the development and production of new Products, Processes, and Equipment
• Responsible for developing and implementing an effective internal audit program and ensures corrective actions are completed
• Supports new product/customer launches
• Applies Statistical Process Control (SPC) methods for analyzing data to evaluate the current process and process changes
• Develops employees plant-wide through training and creation of over-all quality awareness
• Plays an active role on quality management teams within organization.
• Develop and establish a Continuous Improvement plan and annual goals for the QA program based off trending of complaints, audits, CAPAs, etc.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to lift 50 lbs. and required to stand, walk, sit and reach with hands and arms.
• B.S. or B.A. in Food Science or equivalent
• 3-5 years' experience in Food, Supplement, or related industry
• Familiarity with SQF, FDA (FSMA), HACCP and other regulatory and industry guidelines and requirements

• PCQI and HACCP certified desired