Food Quality Manager

Role Description A Food Quality Manager is responsible for developing, implementing, monitoring, and continuously improving food quality and food-safety systems across production, processing, packaging, storage, and distribution operations. The role ensures products meet established quality standards, customer requirements, food-safety regulations, specifications, and internal procedures. Key responsibilities include developing and maintaining food quality and food-safety policies, procedures, standards, specifications, and management systems; implementing quality-control programs across raw materials, production processes, finished products, packaging, storage, and distribution; monitoring product quality, food-safety risks, hygiene standards, production conditions, and process performance; conducting inspections, audits, sampling, testing, verification activities, and quality assessments; reviewing raw materials, ingredients, packaging materials, suppliers, production processes, and finished products against approved specifications; managing HACCP programs, food-safety plans, prerequisite programs, traceability systems, allergen controls, sanitation programs, and food-defense initiatives; identifying quality deviations, contamination risks, process failures, non-conformities, and customer complaints; investigating quality incidents, product defects, food-safety events, and customer complaints using root-cause-analysis methodologies; developing and monitoring corrective and preventive actions (CAPA); establishing quality metrics, key performance indicators, dashboards, and reporting systems; coordinating internal, supplier, customer, certification, and regulatory audits; preparing audit documentation and ensuring corrective actions are completed within required timelines; managing relationships with suppliers, laboratories, certification bodies, customers, regulatory authorities, and external quality-service providers; overseeing laboratory testing, microbiological analysis, chemical testing, allergen testing, shelf-life studies, and other quality assessments where applicable; reviewing certificates of analysis, test results, specifications, technical documentation, and supplier quality records; supporting new-product development, product trials, process changes, packaging changes, and production-line improvements from a quality perspective; reviewing and approving product specifications, labels, packaging information, and quality documentation; ensuring appropriate controls are established for allergens, foreign materials, pathogens, chemical hazards, and other food-safety risks; monitoring sanitation, cleaning, pest control, personal hygiene, environmental monitoring, and facility conditions; supporting product-release decisions and ensuring non-conforming products are appropriately controlled, investigated, reworked, rejected, or disposed of; managing product traceability, recall preparedness, mock recalls, and withdrawal procedures; developing and delivering food-quality and food-safety training for production, warehouse, laboratory, procurement, and other employees; maintaining accurate quality records, inspection reports, audit findings, test results, CAPA records, complaint investigations, and compliance documentation; utilizing quality-management systems, laboratory information systems, digital inspection platforms, automated monitoring technologies, data analytics, and AI-assisted quality tools where appropriate; monitoring food-industry trends, regulatory changes, customer expectations, emerging food-safety risks, and technological developments; analyzing quality data to identify recurring issues, process trends, waste, defects, and improvement opportunities; collaborating with production, engineering, procurement, warehouse, logistics, R&D, maintenance, sales, and management teams; supporting continuous-improvement initiatives designed to reduce defects, waste, contamination risks, customer complaints, and production losses; and continuously improving product quality, food safety, compliance, operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and quality culture. Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Microbiology, Chemistry, Biotechnology, Quality Management, or a related discipline. Strong understanding of food-quality management, food-safety principles, HACCP, GMP, sanitation, hygiene, traceability, and quality-control systems. Knowledge of food-processing operations, raw materials, ingredients, packaging, production processes, storage, and distribution. Strong understanding of microbiological, chemical, physical, allergen, and other food-safety hazards. Familiarity with food-safety and quality standards such as HACCP, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, BRCGS, SQF, GMP, and relevant regulatory requirements is advantageous. Strong knowledge of quality-control methodologies, inspection procedures, sampling, testing, specifications, and CAPA. Strong analytical, problem-solving, root-cause-analysis, and decision-making skills. Experience with internal audits, supplier audits, customer audits, certification audits, and regulatory inspections is beneficial. Ability to develop, implement, and maintain food-quality and food-safety management systems. Strong understanding of product traceability, recall management, allergen control, sanitation, environmental monitoring, and food-defense programs. Familiarity with laboratory testing, microbiological analysis, chemical analysis, shelf-life testing, and quality data interpretation. Knowledge of quality-management systems, digital inspection platforms, laboratory information systems, automated monitoring, data analytics, and AI-assisted quality technologies is advantageous. Strong documentation, reporting, communication, leadership, and stakeholder-management skills. Ability to collaborate effectively with production, R&D, procurement, engineering, logistics, laboratory, suppliers, customers, and regulatory authorities. Ability to develop and deliver food-quality and food-safety training programs. Relevant professional certifications such as HACCP, PCQI, ISO 22000, BRCGS, SQF, Lead Auditor, or equivalent qualifications are advantageous. Strong attention to detail and commitment to food safety, product quality, regulatory compliance, and customer satisfaction. High level of integrity, accountability, professionalism, and leadership. Strong commitment to continuous improvement, operational excellence, consumer protection, and maintaining a strong food-safety culture.