Food Safety Quality Assurance Manager

PURPOSE OF POSITION:  Works directly with processing plant manager to ensure compliance with Foster Farms, FSIS/USDA/FDA, and customer requirements. Oversees, executes, and administers the Food Safety and Quality Assurance (FSQA) programs to ensure the safety, legality, and quality of its products. This position manages and develops an FSQA Supervisor at the processing plant level to achieve departmental goals. This position has the sole in-plant authority to release or retain product on hold for quality or regulatory concerns, thus sound judgment in rendering a product as wholesome or unwholesome is required. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:Functioning as primary FSQA leaderManaging and enforcing the implementation, verification and validation of Food Safety programs such as HACCP/SSOP Plans and FDA Food Safety PlanEnsuring adherence with audit standards such as BRC and Silliker              Managing regulatory relationship with local USDA/FSIS or other regulatory agenciesRetaining product that does not conform to customer agreements, finished product specifications, or legal requirementsRendering decision for product disposition, including release into commerceManage the implementation, maintenance, evaluation, and enforcement of:USDA regulations including the working relationship with local USDA/FSISFDA regulations including the working relationship with FDA investigatorsCorporate programs (pest control, allergen, product quality)Any and all product monitoring programs that may have both legal (FSIS/FDA requirements) and customer implicationsManage the employee population of that site and its competence in food safety and quality procedures.  This includes the design and execution of training as needed Manage the employee population of that site and its competence in food safety and quality procedures.  This includes the design and execution of training as neededLead pathogen testing root cause investigations in partnership with production.  Management to address processing, sanitation, and maintenance related issuesLead investigation regarding quality monitoring defects to determine root cause.  In partnership with production management, address manufacturing, mechanical, or formulation issues that led to deficienciesIn partnership with the site’s production manager, schedule meetings and direct communications with local USDA/FSIS to report non-compliance resolution, as well as Foster Farms response to trending concerns. Evaluate current FSQA programs to established standards and adjust programs to conform with regulatory changes or internal modifications to ensure conformance is relevant. Manage and improve as needed, the FSQA data reporting systems, communicating trends and root-cause analysis to senior management for deficiency resolution and process improvement. Actively lead projects (FSQA or operations) and activities to modify, retrofit, and improve performance from a food safety and/or quality perspective. This may also include commercialization projects organized by R&D for new products