Quality Manager

Snack Innovations Inc • Full-time • Piscataway Township, New Jersey, United States • $100k - $130k / year • 2d ago

Benefits:

401(k)
Dental insurance
Health insurance
Vision insurance

About Snack Innovations
Snack Innovations is a leading manufacturer of better-for-you salty snack food located in Piscataway NJ. We produce a wide range of snack chips, sticks, straws, curls and popcorn.

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced, hands-on Quality Manager to lead plant-level quality assurance, food safety, and quality control operations at an assigned Snack Innovations manufacturing facility in Piscataway, New Jersey, reporting to the Director of Quality. This role is built for someone who has managed the quality function in a sizable food manufacturing facility, successfully led BRCGS or SQF audits, understands snack production, and can independently lead the plant quality team from day one.

Core Responsibilities

Food Safety, Regulatory Compliance & Audit Leadership

Own and maintain the facility's food safety plan, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) program, preventive controls, and supporting prerequisite program
Ensure compliance with Food and Drug Administration requirements, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), current Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), BRCGS or Safe Quality Food (SQF) requirements, other applicable GFSI-recognized standards, customer requirements, and company policies
Independently lead plant preparation and execution for BRCGS or SQF certification audits, customer audits, internal audits, and regulatory inspections, including timely closure of identified findings
Maintain continuous audit readiness through effective internal audits, record review, traceability exercises, mock recalls, food defense reviews, and emergency response activities
Manage environmental monitoring, allergen control, sanitation verification, pre-operational inspection, and other plant food safety verification programs

Quality Control, Laboratory Operations & Product Release

Oversee incoming material, in-process, packaging, and finished product quality controls against approved specifications and sampling plans
Manage required analytical and sensory testing, including moisture, sodium, nitrogen or package gas, microbiological testing, weight, appearance, taste, texture, seasoning application, packaging integrity, coding, and other product-specific requirements
Ensure testing is completed accurately using approved methods and that laboratory and production testing equipment is properly calibrated, verified, maintained, and documented
Review production records, laboratory results, quality documentation, complaints, and product trends to identify risks and recurring issues
Ensure product specifications, formulas, labels, packaging requirements, and quality standards are current, accurate, and consistently followed
Manage product holds, release decisions, nonconforming materials, deviations, and disposition in partnership with Operations
Exercise authority to place product on hold, prevent product release, reject nonconforming materials, or stop production when food safety, quality, legality, or regulatory compliance may be compromised

Investigation, Corrective Action & Continuous Improvement

Lead investigations of customer complaints, product deviations, out-of-specification results, foreign material events, and other quality or food safety concerns
Direct root cause analysis and corrective and preventive actions, ensuring actions are documented, completed, verified, and sustained
Track food safety and quality metrics and communicate trends, risks, priorities, and required actions to plant and quality leadership
Verify that required food safety, quality, laboratory, and production records are complete, accurate, timely, and audit-ready
Identify practical opportunities to strengthen process control, reduce recurring defects, improve documentation, and support new products, processes, equipment, and specifications

Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Partnership

Lead, coach, and develop Quality Shift Supervisors and Quality Techs across assigned shifts, including clear expectations, work priorities, accountability, and follow-through
Maintain a strong presence on the production floor and ensure quality and food safety concerns are addressed promptly and effectively
Train employees on GMPs, food safety, allergens, quality requirements, testing procedures, documentation, and related plant procedures
Partner closely with Production, Sanitation, Maintenance, Warehouse, Research and Development, Supply Chain, and Corporate Quality Systems to prevent and resolve issues
Manage plant execution of supplier approval, incoming material, and supplier performance requirements in coordination with Corporate Quality Systems
Promote a strong food safety culture based on ownership, consistency, sound judgment, and continuous improvement

Qualifications·

Minimum of five years of quality assurance, food safety, or quality control experience in food manufacturing, including supervisory or management responsibility
Demonstrated experience leading the quality function in a sizable food manufacturing facility and managing multiple employees across shifts
Prior experience independently leading BRCGS or SQF certification audits with successful audit outcomes is required
Experience in snack manufacturing or a closely related high-volume food production environment is required
Bachelor's degree in food science, microbiology, biology, chemistry, or a related field preferred; equivalent directly related experience will be considered
Strong working knowledge of FDA regulations, FSMA preventive controls, GMPs, HACCP, allergen control, sanitation programs, environmental monitoring, and GFSI-recognized certification requirements
Qualification as a Preventive Controls Qualified Individual and formal HACCP training required
Working knowledge of laboratory and sensory testing methods, equipment calibration, product specifications, quality documentation, and data analysis
Strong leadership, audit management, investigation, root cause analysis, decision-making, communication, and problem-solving skills
Ability to work across shifts, maintain regular production-floor presence, and respond to urgent food safety or quality issues as needed
Bilingual English/Spanish strongly preferred