Position Title: Director of Quality & Compliance

Department: Operations

Reports To: President

Direct Reports: QA/QC Team

Location: Headquarters

Job Summary

As the Director of Quality & Compliance for our client, you will lead efforts to ensure product quality, regulatory adherence, and food/feed safety across all manufacturing and distribution operations. Your expertise will drive the production of feed, seed, fertilizer, mineral, and grain products that consistently meet internal standards, industry regulations, and customer expectations. Success will be measured by achieving specific performance targets, fostering collaboration across teams, and aligning with our client’s mission to be a trusted partner in the agricultural supply chain.

Key Responsibilities & Performance Expectations

1. Quality Assurance & Control

• Develop and execute QA programs to achieve a first-pass yield of 95%+ across all product lines.
• Implement testing protocols for raw materials, in-process production, and finished goods, reducing non-conformance reports (NCRs) to fewer than 5 per month.
• Resolve customer quality complaints within 48 hours, keeping complaint volume below 1% of total orders.
• Partner with production teams to maintain zero critical defects in third-party audits.
• Oversee supplier quality to ensure 100% of raw materials meet specifications.

2. Regulatory Compliance

• Maintain full compliance with FDA, USDA, AAFCO, FSMA, EPA, OSHA, and state regulations, targeting an audit readiness score of 90%+.
• Ensure labeling accuracy, achieving 100% compliance in monthly random checks.
• Manage inspections and audits, resolving regulatory inquiries within 72 hours.
• Update and maintain SOPs, keeping all compliance documentation audit-ready.

3. Feed & Food Safety Programs

• Lead HACCP, GMPs, FSMA, and Safe Feed/Safe Food initiatives, securing a compliance score of 95%+ in annual assessments.
• Execute traceability and recall protocols, completing two successful mock recall drills annually with 100% accuracy.
• Conduct facility audits, addressing safety risks within 24 hours of identification.
• Train staff on safety standards, ensuring 100% training completion within 90 days of hire.

4. Continuous Improvement & Leadership

• Drive process enhancements, delivering at least three quality improvement initiatives per quarter to keep cost of quality (CoQ) below 5% of production costs.
• Lead cross-functional efforts to reduce product waste or rework by 10% annually.
• Mentor QA/QC team, maintaining turnover below 10% and providing 20+ hours of training per employee annually.
• Advise leadership on quality and compliance strategies, contributing to one strategic initiative per year.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Product Quality Metrics

• First-pass yield: ≥95%.
• Non-conformance reports: ≤5/month.
• Customer complaints: <1% of orders, resolved within 48 hours.

Regulatory Compliance

• Audit readiness score: ≥90%.
• Compliant labels: 100% in monthly checks.
• Regulatory issue resolution: ≤72 hours.

Feed & Food Safety

• Compliance score: ≥95%.
• Mock recall drills: ≥2/year with 100% accuracy.
• Employee training completion: 100% within 90 days.

Continuous Improvement

• Quality initiatives: ≥3/quarter.
• Cost of quality: <5% of production costs.
• Waste/rework reduction: ≥10% annually.

Leadership & Team Development

• QA/QC turnover: <10%.
• Internal audit participation: ≥80% across departments.
• Training hours: ≥20/employee annually.

Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Animal Science, Agribusiness, or a related field.
• 5-10 years of experience in quality assurance, compliance, or production management within feed, fertilizer, grain, or food manufacturing.
• Deep knowledge of FDA, AAFCO, FSMA, HACCP, GMPs, and third-party audits.
• Proven success in developing quality control systems that reduce defects and boost efficiency.
• Strong leadership and communication skills, with experience collaborating across manufacturing, operations, and regulatory teams.
• Familiarity with ERP and quality management systems (e.g., NetSuite, QMS software) is a plus.

Alignment with Our Client’s Core Values

• Customer Focus: Deliver safe, high-quality products to earn customer trust.
• Quality Always: Champion excellence through rigorous QA efforts.
• Teamwork Wins: Collaborate across departments to meet shared goals.
• Act Responsibly: Uphold safety, ethical, and sustainability standards.
• Innovate Boldly: Improve processes to stay ahead of industry trends.
• Develop Talent: Build a high-performing QA/QC team through mentorship.
• Grow Purposefully: Support sustainable growth with strategic compliance.
• Stay Agile: Adapt swiftly to regulatory and customer demands.
• Driven by Purpose: Reinforce our client’s mission to be a reliable supply partner by ensuring product integrity.

Growth & Development Opportunities

This role offers a pathway to career advancement as our client grows. You’ll shape enterprise-wide quality systems and influence strategic decisions, positioning yourself for a potential VP-level role overseeing compliance and product integrity across multiple locations. By meeting these performance goals, you will play a critical role in advancing our client’s success and commitment to quality, safety, and customer satisfaction.