Manufacturing Plant Quality Leader

Provide food safety leadership to ensure compliance with federal, state, Kroger food safety, and quality requirements as they relate to the manufacturing, storage, and distribution of dairy products. Ensure a clean, safe manufacturing facility and necessary training, development and proactive solutions for lab techs, sanitation crew, facility management and hourly associates on food safety and sanitation programs and processes. Develop procedures, inspect, and coordinate all facility and grounds cleaning and sanitation functions. Support plant safety and environmental sustainability initiatives, as well capital projects and Total Productive Maintenance activities. Demonstrate the company’s core values of respect, honesty, integrity, diversity, inclusion, and safety. 

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership in areas of food safety, sanitation, product quality standards and related regulations. Ensure management of these areas during unplanned events/emergencies
• Serve as liaison for governmental inspections, participate in corporate compliance inspections/audits, & lead effort to maintain audit readiness
• Maintain plant sanitation through environmental/product testing & physical inspections
• Ensure Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) are followed & pest control program compliance by leading routine walkthroughs & supporting food safety/quality initiatives
• Ensure Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point, Hazard Analysis & Risk-based Preventive Controls, Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures, allergen programs, formulations, & finished product consistently meet specification
• Train & resource Quality Assurance staff
• Ensure effective annual training of Safe Quality Foods (SQF), GMPs, Food Safety Modernization Act, & Food Safety Programs
• Prepare/update plant work instructions and verify record keeping is timely and accurate/meets necessary regulations
• Ensure all records are completed/approved for preventive controls, laboratory, sanitation, production, & verification checks
• Ensure receiving procedures for incoming/outgoing ingredients adhere to quality/safety standards
• Investigate consumer comments & support resulting action plans
• Assist Corporate Food Technology with product development/audits & calculation of raw materials
• Provide production with continuous improvement support
• Lead investigations of non-conforming events driving to root cause(s) & effective resolution
• Manage change control & hold programs to enable risk assessment & decisions
• Participate in the annual budgeting process & identify key capital projects
• Perform data analysis to identify trends or find leading indicators to enable proactive decisions
• Coordinate factory & external lab testing of samples; generate Certificate of Analysis
• Manage all site analytical & micro activities
• Ensure the correct calibration of laboratory equipment, including butterfat testing equipment, following all Good Laboratory Practices (GLPs)
• Provide feedback to suppliers to improve relationships & resolve quality issues
• Assist management in all Safe Quality Food policies & requirements
• Support the development, implementation, maintenance, & ongoing improvement of the SQF Systems
• Ensure compliance with the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance
• Accountable to the Kroger Manufacturing Food Safety & Quality Principles
• Supervise & coach direct reports in the performance of their duties; complete performance reviews/provide feedback

Qualifications

Minimum

• Bachelor's degree in dairy Science, food Science, microbiology, or related field
• Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) certified
• GFSI related program certification; SQF practitioner certified preferred
• 5+ years of food/beverage quality assurance or related lab experience
• Ability to read, analyze, & interpret scientific/technical journals, financial reports, & legal documents.
• Ability to apply statistical process control concepts
• Strong analytical & critical thinking skills (Root Cause Analysis)
• Strong understanding of Pasteurized Milk Ordinance

Desired 

• Dairy experience
• Thorough knowledge of food safety & microbiological concepts
• Plant QA Assistant Manager or QA Supervisory experience