The Quality Area Manager is responsible for leading food safety, quality, sanitation, and regulatory compliance programs within the CH food manufacturing plant while partnering closely with operations, maintenance, engineering, and supply chain teams to ensure safe, compliant, and high-quality product production. This role provides daily leadership and technical guidance to quality personnel, drives continuous improvement initiatives, leads root cause investigations, and supports the development of a strong food safety and quality culture across the plant.

The Quality Area Manager serves as a key decision-maker during quality and food safety events, balancing risk assessment, regulatory requirements, operational needs, and customer expectations. Responsibilities include oversight of quality systems, verification activities, process monitoring programs, hold and release decisions, corrective and preventive actions, audit readiness, and compliance with company policies and regulatory standards including SQF and FDA requirements.

Success in this role requires strong leadership, communication, technical problem-solving, and the ability to influence cross-functional teams in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Major Position Responsibilities

1.      It is an essential requirement of the job that the employee have the ability to function in a feedback-rich, team-based environment.

2.      Employees must possess good interpersonal skills and be compatible with co-workers.

ESSENTIAL

40%

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE

·      Provides daily leadership and technical oversight of food safety, quality, sanitation, and regulatory programs.

·      Maintains compliance with SQF, FDA, customer, and internal food safety and quality requirements.

·      Leads quality and food safety investigations, including root cause analysis, risk assessment, containment, corrective actions, and preventive actions.

·      Serves as a technical resource for process deviations, product disposition decisions, foreign material events, and consumer complaints.

·      Verifies execution and effectiveness of prerequisite programs, process controls, sanitation activities, allergen controls, and documentation practices.

·      Reviews quality data and operational trends to identify emerging risks and opportunities for improvement.

·      Partners with Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and Corporate Quality teams to ensure processes remain controlled and compliant.

·      Supports audit readiness and participates in internal, regulatory, and customer audits.

·      Maintains a strong floor presence to verify standards, coach employees, and identify issues in real time.

·      Ensures accurate documentation, record review, hold management, traceability, and disposition activities are completed appropriately and on time.

20%

CONTINUOUS PROCESS IMPROVEMENT

·      Drives continuous improvement initiatives focused on food safety, product quality, process capability, operational efficiency, and reduction of chronic losses.

·      Uses data, trend analysis, and structured problem-solving tools to identify root causes and implement sustainable corrective actions.

·      Facilitates cross-functional collaboration during investigations, process changes, trials, validations, and improvement projects.

·      Identifies opportunities to simplify, standardize, and strengthen quality systems, work instructions, and operational practices.

·      Supports development and implementation of new technologies, processes, equipment, and monitoring systems.

·      Promotes proactive risk identification and prevention rather than reactive problem solving.

·      Encourages a culture of learning, accountability, and continuous improvement across the plant.

40%

LEADERSHIP

• Leads, coaches, and develops Quality team members to build technical capability, ownership, accountability, and leadership skills.
• Establishes clear expectations and provides timely feedback regarding performance, behaviors, and development opportunities.
• Builds strong cross-functional relationships and fosters collaboration between Quality, Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, and Supply Chain teams.
• Creates an environment where food safety and quality are treated as shared plant responsibilities.
• Supports staffing, scheduling, prioritization, and resource allocation to ensure effective daily execution.
• Leads by example through professionalism, urgency, communication, and visible commitment to food safety and employee engagement.
• Helps develop future leaders through mentoring, coaching, and delegation of meaningful responsibilities.
• Communicates effectively across all levels of the organization, from frontline employees to plant and corporate leadership.
• Maintains composure and sound decision-making during high-pressure situations, production challenges, and food safety events.
• Reinforces a culture of accountability, teamwork, respect, and continuous learning.

SUPPLEMENTAL

Fiscal Responsibility: Travel Expenses, Plant Quality Department Budget

Internal Customers: Supply Chain: Plant Leadership/Administration, Plant Operations, Plant

Engineering, Receiving, Shipping, Planning

External Customers: RD&I: Technical Services, Sensory and Consumer Science, Product Development, External Affairs and Consumer Response

(second and third shift available)