Quality Manager

Role Snapshot

• Position: Plant Quality Manager
• Location: Linden, NJ
• Environment: Food manufacturing
• Scope: Leadership of plant Quality Assurance, Food Safety/Defense, regulatory compliance, auditing, and continuous improvement programs
• Visibility: Key member of the plant leadership team, partnering closely with Manufacturing and Corporate Technical teams

This Role Is for You If…

• You’re a hands-on quality leader who is comfortable working directly in a manufacturing environment.
• You have experience leading Quality Assurance and Food Safety teams and programs.
• You have a strong working knowledge of HACCP, HARPC, FSMA, GMPs, and regulatory compliance.
• You’ve successfully managed third-party audits and can lead a facility through audit preparation and execution.
• You enjoy using root-cause analysis, process controls, KPIs, and data to drive measurable improvements.
• You can effectively partner with Operations while maintaining high standards for food safety and product quality.

What You’ll Do

• Lead and coordinate the facility’s Quality Assurance and Food Safety/Defense programs.
• Manage HACCP and HARPC implementation, training, documentation, and recordkeeping.
• Oversee internal and third-party audits and ensure ongoing regulatory compliance.
• Develop and lead food safety, quality, and employee safety training.
• Establish quality KPIs and continuous improvement initiatives, analyze trends, and drive process improvements.
• Lead QA staff and support production with daily quality issues, product dispositions, investigations, and resolutions.
• Oversee raw material, packaging, in-process, and finished-product testing, as well as outside laboratory testing.
• Investigate and resolve customer quality complaints.
• Partner with Manufacturing and Corporate Technical teams on customer requirements, new products, and product-line extensions.
• Manage food-safety-related outside vendors, including pest control and sanitation chemical providers.

Ideal Background – Partial List

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Food Science, Biology, Chemistry, or a related discipline.
• HACCP certification.
• 5+ years of experience managing Food Safety/QA professionals within food, personal care, nutritional supplement, pharmaceutical, or a similar manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated success managing third-party audits.
• PCQI/FSMA certification or strong FSMA experience.
• Experience with process controls, root-cause analysis, laboratory testing, data interpretation, and continuous improvement.
• Strong leadership, coaching, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Spanish bilingual capabilities are preferred.

About the Opportunity

This is an opportunity to take ownership of plant-level quality and food safety while serving as an integral member of the facility leadership team. The position combines hands-on quality leadership with team development, regulatory compliance, operational partnership, and continuous improvement, making it a strong opportunity for someone who wants to have a direct impact on both product quality and manufacturing performance.