Food Safety Quality Manager – FSQM
Full-Time
Monmouth, Illinois
04/11/2025
Compensation: 90000.-95000. / Annually
Benefit Offered: YES
Our client, a nationwide manufacturer of pet foods and goods, has an immediate need for an experienced Food Safety & Quality Manager (FSQM), to join their winning team in Monmouth.
Our candidate of choice will be responsible for providing technical quality and food safety leadership and expertise for the manufacturing /distribution of the plant’s products and manufacturing facility. You will have close interaction with other site departments, corporate FSQ, and the plant’s day-to-day operations employees along w ensuring that the MPF Food Safety and Quality Management System (FSQMS) is fully developed, implemented and maintained and is compliant with FDA regulatory and SQF requirements.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Ensure compliance with FDA regulations (including FSMA requirements) and SQF standards.
- Maintain and improve the SQF system, ensuring audit readiness at all times.
- Serve as the primary contact for regulatory agencies, certification bodies, and auditors.
- Serve as the facility’s main FDA contact and lead regulatory inspections and 3rd party audits with joint ownership and responsibility with the Plant Manager for driving associated corrective actions.
- Lead integration of the current quality assurance and food safety processes into one integrated process which ties to business objectives. This includes HACCP system (Food Safety Plan), regulatory audits, quality systems review process, standard operating procedures (SOP’s), incoming ingredient inspections, food safety audits, consumer complaints, calibration and preventive maintenance programs and standardized work instructions.
- Develop, implement, and maintain HACCP and Preventive Controls for Animal Food programs.
- Oversee GMP compliance, sanitation programs, and pest control management.
- Manage supplier approval and verification programs to ensure raw material quality and safety.
- Ensure proper documentation and record-keeping in accordance with SQF and FDA requirements.
- Manage/ Oversee pest control contract and microbiological testing to assure compliance with SQF and Quality standards.
- Oversee monitoring, verification, and validation activities to ensure that all products leaving the facility meet the facility Food Safety and Quality Plans.
- Develop and execute an internal audit program to ensure compliance with food safety and quality standards.
- Conduct regular internal audits, identify non-conformances, and drive corrective actions.
- Foster a food safety culture by conducting training and awareness programs for employees.
- Provide leadership to the FSQ team, including hiring, training, and performance management.
- Work cross-functionally with Operations, Nutrition Services, Procurement, and Maintenance to ensure food safety integration in all processes.
- Provide guidance and leadership in situations where deviations have occurred or a potential risk has been identified related to food safety and/or quality attributes by assuring root causes are addressed through a corrective action process.
- Oversee the sanitation program to ensure compliance with food safety regulations and company standards.
- Develop and enforce sanitation procedures, including cleaning schedules and validation activities.
- Work with production and maintenance teams to ensure proper cleaning and sanitation of equipment and facilities.
- Monitor and analyze food safety and quality metrics, implementing corrective and preventive actions as needed.
- Provide assistance to product and process improvement activities by supporting research and development manufacturing trials at the site.
- Investigate and manage customer complaints related to product quality and safety.
- Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for non-conformances, deviations, and product holds.
- Stay updated on industry trends, regulatory changes, and best practices in food safety and quality.
- Lead the development and implementation of statistical tools and systems to support continuous process and product improvement.
KEY REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor’s degree in Food Safety, Microbiology, Chemistry, Food Science, Engineering or related field.
- 4+ years of food processing and management experience, with at least 2 years in a manufacturing. environment under USDA and/or FDA.
- 2+ years facilitating food safety/quality related training events.
- HACCP Certification from a nationally / internationally recognized and accredited HACCP training firm.
- Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) Certification.
- Auditing / audit skills experience in quality or food safety management systems, including internal / external auditing for compliance.
- Ability to analyze processes for Biological, Chemical, and Physical hazards with an understanding of the science and support behind each type of hazard and each step of a production process.
- Experience with FDA and/or USDA Rules and Regulations.
- Must have strong organizational and leadership skills.
- Experience implementing and using state of the art statistical process control tools in a manufacturing environment.
- Able to work with cross functional departments within the organization.
- Good problem-solving skills and corrective action/resolution skills.
- Strong computer skills with experience using Word, Excel, Access, Power Point.
- Ability to manage and develop personnel.
- Knowledge of SQF, BRC, ISO 22000, and / or FSSC 22000 are a plus.
Please apply today to be one of the first people considered for this position!
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