Food Safety & Quality Assurance (FSQA) Manager

Food Safety & Quality Assurance (FSQA) Manager

IL - Rock Island

As a leader and innovator in the snack food industry for over 50 years, J&J Snack Foods provides branded snack foods to foodservice and retail supermarket outlets across the U.S. Its products include such icons as SUPERPRETZEL, ICEE, and Dippin' Dots along with other key brands like LUIGI'S Real Italian Ice, The Funnel Cake Factory Funnel Cakes, and Hola Churros. J&J also has a strong presence in bakery providing cakes, cookies, and pies to some of the largest grocery and convenience retailers in industry. Our company continues to deliver record sales led by a talented team and a commitment to "Fun Served Here".

Position Summary:

The Food Safety & Quality Assurance (FSQA) Manager reports to the Plant Manager and leads the development and execution of the facility's food safety and quality strategy in alignment with J&J Snack Foods corporate standards. This role drives a strong food safety culture and continuous improvement of FSQA systems and programs, overseeing sanitation, product specifications, and the facility FSQA team.

The FSQA Manager monitors system effectiveness through internal audits, data analysis, and KPI reporting, and serves as the primary liaison with regulatory agencies, third-party auditors, and customer audit representatives. The position ensures compliance with regulatory requirements, including the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), and maintains SQF certification to meet customer standards. Additionally, the FSQA Manager leads training initiatives, manages product holds and risk assessments, responds to customer/consumer complaints with root cause analysis and corrective actions, and ensures the production of safe, high-quality food products.

Essential Functions:

• Develops FSQA strategy, compliance goals/objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs) to drive continuous improvements in food safety & quality programs and culture.
• Organizes FSQA system/programs and ensure appropriate system reviews/audits are conducted to meet corporate FSQA standards, maintain SQF certifications and meet all regulatory requirements.
• Implements appropriate monitoring programs and maintains documentation for FSQA system including validations and verifications.
• Leads and facilitates the plant in consumer and customer complaint resolution, and complaint reduction programs.
• Leads the facility in the adoption and disciplined use of a clearly defined, well-documented and systematic commercialization process for new product launches and product process redesigns and supports translation of R&D draft product specifications to appropriate manufacturing specifications and documentation.
• Leads activities that empower, engage, and involve operators with the information and tools needed for continuous improvement in facility manufacturing processes and meeting all regulatory/SQF requirements.
• Maintains awareness of the business context of objectives and company profitability.
• Supports determination and implementation of product dispositions regarding holds, warehouse, transport, logistics and risk assessments.
• Participates in FSQA bimonthly calls, FSQA Summit meetings and corporate driven peer to peer audit program.
• Position oversees budget and labor expenses and ensures FSQA supplies are stocked and ordered.
• Position is responsible for all the above and any other duties as assigned by management.

Competencies:

• Capable of developing and managing business strategy to achieve FSQA initiatives.
• Possess ability to interpret and apply federal, local, state, and international food laws and regulations to all products sold domestically or internationally.
• Have a passion to lead, educate, and grow a diverse group of individuals.
• Capable of working with multiple departments simultaneously to achieve a variety of goals.
• Be detail-oriented, organized, efficient and resourceful with strong problem-solving skills.
• Be able to demonstrate business acumen through issue identification, risk management, and cross-functional consensus building.
• Must exhibit a high degree of adaptability to engage effectively with all levels and styles of employees and management.
• Self-motivated leader who can collaborate and lead cross-functional team members.
• Capable of managing simultaneously workloads, multiple customer demands and shifting priorities within a fast-paced, rapidly evolving environment with the ability to multi-task, prioritize, and adapt well to change.
• Must demonstrate excellent communication (written and verbal) and interpersonal skills.
• Can handle complexity and judgment to meet business needs.
• Have a respectable professional persona and act as a representative for the department.
• Excellent organization and time management skills.
• Must complete all the above and any other duties as assigned by management.
• Proficient in all Office Programs: Excel, PPT and Word.

Required Skills:

• Experience managing food safety systems.
• Excellent report writing skills and demonstrated interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal).
• Demonstrated problem solving skills (extensive experience with root cause analysis and CAPA programs).
• Excellent knowledge of food manufacturing processes, sanitation programs, and process validations/verifications and experience using a full range of statistical and analytical tools and fundamentals.
• Extensive experience in SQF, ISO, HACCP and/or other food safety & quality assurance systems including prerequisite programs and preventive controls.
• Must be HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) certified, be a recognized SQF practitioner and have PCQI certification.

Preferred Skills / Experience:

• Solid understanding of food safety and manufacturing of RTE foods.
• Preferred candidates have a thorough understanding of risk assessments, water activity and microbiology.

Education and Experience:

B.S. in Food Science, Food Safety & Defense, or related field, required.

Minimum of 5 or more years' experience in Food Safety & Quality Assurance Management in the food industry.

US Salary Pay Range

$100,000 - $100,000 USD

Disclaimer: This position description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the team member. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

EEO Statement: J&J Snack Foods Corp.is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discriminatory employment actions against, and treatment of, employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived Federal, State and local laws that prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, national origin, ethnicity, alienage, religion or creed, gender, gender identity, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship, genetic disposition or characteristics, disability or veteran's status, sex offenses, prior record of arrest or conviction, genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristic, status as a victim or witness of domestic violence, sex offenses or stalking and unemployment status.