Dir. QA - Solina USA

Overview:

Solina USA, is a proud Solina Group company, specializing in the creation of customized seasonings and sauces. We take pride in our four strategically located production facilities across the United States which empower us to deliver high-quality, innovative flavor solutions efficiently to our customers. Our focus is on catering to Quick Service Restaurants, Fast casual, Casual dining, and food manufacturers, where our commitment lies in providing exceptional flavor solutions tailored to their unique needs. Solina USA has a proven national reputation of providing an exceptional customer experience by providing a high-quality product at a cost-competitive price point. We create dynamic relationships where our creativity can be visible through our customers culinary vision making “Food Matter.”

 

SUMMARY OF POSITION

 

The Director of Quality has the responsibility for the strategic design, implementation, and management of the corporate quality systems including the following areas:

• Company food safety standards to ensure compliance with regulatory, customer, and internal requirements.
• Auditing and testing systems for in-process and finished products to ensure conformance to internal, customer, and regulatory requirements.
• Ingredient quality programs including supplier information, qualification and auditing systems.
• Company sanitation and pest control programs.
• Corrective and preventative action to ensure conformity with established standards.

The incumbent also leads interactions with Customers, Product Development, Sales and Supply Chain leadership to develop systems and standard operating procedures to meet internal and customer quality requirements.

 

The QA Director works with Senior Management in the identification of strategic goals and plans. Advises company management in regulatory policy and program matters, and recommends appropriate courses of action, along with overseeing relationships with Customers to ensure accurate technical information, specifications and resolve customer complaints.

Responsibilities:

• Designs and manages quality systems that ensure optimum product performance and maintain a leading edge in the quality field. 
• Leads investigating and implementing corrective/preventative action for customer complaints, nonconforming products, and nonconforming systems.
• Develops and manages procedures and work instructions to ensure conformance to specifications, quality systems, food safety, and good laboratory practices. 
• Maintains a close relationship with Operations and R&D to facilitate quality products, and design and achieve quality goals.
• Manages the design and implementation of quality-related training programs for QA and Operations personnel in performing required tests, decision making skills, statistical process control, and other areas as needed.  Partners with HR, Operations and R&D to design effective training curriculums to meet best practices manufacturing processes.
• Leads setting direction and goals for company product quality, food safety, HACCP, GMP, laboratory, facility and equipment cleaning, and pest control operations.
• Participates as part of New Project Design Team and reviews new products, product design and product packaging, and makes recommendations for product, food safety, and environmental compliance.
• Recommends, reviews changes, and oversees implementation, and documents any approved design changes that apply to commercial products.  Works directly with customers to facilitate specifications, product design, quality systems, information exchange, non-conforming product, variances and investigation.
• Sets direction for audits of in-process & finished products, facility housekeeping, sanitation, pest control, food safety programs of assigned facilities.  Manages these audits for outside manufacturers and suppliers as needed.
• Acts as Project Coordinator and/or Project Leader as assigned for special projects.
• Represents the Company, as directed by General Manager, in discussions with customers, suppliers, auditors, and regulatory agencies of the county, state, and federal government (USDA, FDA, etc.).
• Establishes, prepares and manages necessary department budgets, operating and periodic reports.
• Initiates and handles personnel actions such as hires, transfers, promotions, discipline and terminations.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree (B.A.) from a regionally accredited four-year college or university in Food Science or related field and 10+ years’ experience in the flavors industry and processes; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of 5+ years’ experience in a position of leadership to include team development and management within a manufacturing environment under FDA, required.

 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Ability to uphold regulatory, company, and customer standards.
• Skilled at quality assurance principles, food science and flavors/spice processing, SPC and statistics.
• Experienced with GFSI / BRC Expert Practitioner is a plus.
• Comprehensive experience with FDA Rules and Regulations.
• Knowledge of Inventory and Manufacturing software; Spreadsheet and Word Processing software; and major enterprise ERP(s)
• Ability to independently respond to inquiries or complaints from customer, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. 
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong decision making and problem solving skills.
• Excellent planning and organizational skills with demonstrated multi-tasking and project management skills.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY

Yes

 

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

Up to 25%

 

Pay Range:USD $150,000.00 - USD $200,000.00 /Yr.