Manager Quality

Description

Are you looking to catapult your career by driving high-impact transformation with household brands? Do you crave an entrepreneurial, fast paced and engaging growth assignment working with incredible people from across the globe?

At Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream, we are excited to start a new chapter of accelerated growth as part of Froneri - a global pure-play ice cream leader. With nearly 100 years of winning experience in the U.S, a robust portfolio of powerhouse brands that consumers know and love such as Häagen-Dazs, Drumstick, Dreyer's/Edy's, Skinny Cow, OREO, Outshine and Frollies, and the backing and coaching of European-based ice cream experts, we know we have the winning recipe.

Headquartered in Walnut Creek, the Bay Area's hub for up-and-coming food trends, our DGIC team across our offices and factories is raising the bar on all things ice cream. Our growth has been tremendous in the past few years - moving from being #2 manufacturer in market to being #1 in 2024. The brands have strong investments in marketing support, quality improvements and exciting line extensions and innovation. DGIC has also been recognized by retail partners as the top manufacturer partner, winning the #1 position in the prestigious Advantage Award in 2024.

At DGIC, we don't just hire for roles, we grow future business leaders. Here, everyone is encouraged to think like a general manager. That means owning your piece of the business, making bold decisions, and seeing the big picture. What makes us unique? You won't just stay in your lane, you'll get hands-on exposure to everything from Sales, Marketing and operations to Finance and Supply Chain. It's like getting an MBA on the job (but with way more ice cream). If you're curious, driven, and ready to learn a lot about a lot, this is the place to stretch your skills and fast-track your career.

Unleash your potential at Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream and discover what a sweet career we have in store for you!

What to expect from Dreyers

At the heart of our culture are four core values that guide our actions and define how we work together. We Take Ownership by staying committed from start to finish, making thoughtful decisions, and focusing our efforts on initiatives that drive growth, efficiency, and sustainability. We Do What Is Right by prioritizing transparency, setting clear roles and responsibilities, and speaking up when something doesn't align with our values. We Seek to Improve through continuous innovation, embracing feedback, and learning from both our successes and setbacks. And We Are Better Together by making decisions that benefit the whole organization, fostering inclusion through diverse perspectives, and treating everyone with fairness and respect. These values are not just ideals-they are the behaviors we live by every day.

Main Purpose of the job:

To ensure all products are manufactured safely, legally, and to the required quality standards by leading the site's food safety and quality management systems, maintaining regulatory and customer compliance, and driving a culture of quality across all functions to protect consumer trust and brand integrity. Build a team and drive a culture of end-to-end quality

ROLE AND ACTIVITY

• Protect product safety and consumer trust
• Ensure all products are manufactured in compliance with food safety legislation, industry standards (e.g., HACCP, GMP, FDA), and internal policies.
• Maintain and continuously improve the site's Food Safety Management System.
• Lead quality governance and compliance
• Oversee adherence to regulatory requirements, customer standards, and third-party certifications.
• Manage audits, inspections, corrective actions, and documentation systems.
• Drive consistent product quality
• Ensure raw materials, processes, and finished products meet defined specifications.
• Lead root cause analysis and preventive actions to eliminate defects and reduce complaints (CPMU).
• Build a culture of quality
• Provide coaching, training, and leadership to embed quality ownership across all functions.
• Promote proactive quality behaviours and decision-making throughout the site.
• Strengthen cross-functional collaboration
• Partner with Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and R&D to prevent issues before they occur.
• Act as the voice of the consumer in all operational and strategic decisions.
• Manage quality team and capability
• Lead and develop the Quality Assurance, Quality Control, and Food Safety teams.
• Ensure the department has the skills, tools, and structure required to execute consistently.
• Support continuous improvement
• Use data analysis to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for process improvement.
• Champion initiatives that improve product quality, reduce waste, and enhance operational reliability.

MEASURABLE OUTCOMES

Food Safety KPIs

• Food Safety Non Conformances - Zero major non conformances; no repeat findings.
• HACCP adherence - 100% completion of CCP/PC monitoring with zero misses.
• Environmental monitoring compliance - 98-100% completion; trend shows reduction in hits.
• Allergen control performance - Zero allergen cross contact incidents.
• Quality Performance KPIs
• CPMU (Complaints Per Million Units)- Reduction vs previous year; clear trend on top complaint types.
• Internal Quality Defects - Reduction in major and repeat defects; right first time improvement.
• Foreign body incidents - Zero high risk events; year on year reduction overall.
• In-line and end-of-line quality checks compliance - 100% within standard.
• Audit & Compliance KPIs
• Certification outcome (e.g., FSSC)- Successful certification; minimal non conformances.
• Regulatory inspections (FDA/USDA/state)- Zero warnings, violations, or repeat concerns.
• Customer audits - Achieve or maintain approved supplier status; strong scores.
• Quality Systems & Governance KPIs
• Document control compliance - 100% of controlled documents in status and up to date.
• Training compliance (GMP, food safety, hygiene) - 98-100% completion.
• Deviation and incident investigations closed on time - Clear RCA and verified effectiveness of actions.
• Spec adherence (raw materials, processes, finished goods) - Zero out-of-spec product released; effective hold & release process.
• Operational Support KPIs
• Downtime due to quality issues - Reduction vs baseline; proactive prevention strategies in place.
• Process control compliance - Real-time monitoring embedded; decreasing corrective actions.
• First-time quality on key lines - Improvement driven by clear standards and operator ownership.
• Changeover & sanitation validation success rate - Achieve 98-100% compliance.
• Consumer & Customer KPIs
• Complaint investigation timeliness - 100% completed within defined SLA.
• Customer issue escalation and closure - Zero repeats; positive customer feedback.
• Product quality scorecards - Improvement across external metrics where applicable.
• People & Culture KPIs
• QA/QC team competency development - Skills matrix progression; capability built across all shifts.
• Engagement index - Year-on-year improvement in quality team engagement.
• GMP culture performance (audit or observation score) - Reduction in GMP deviations; strong site-wide ownership of quality.
• Cross-functional training & integration - Operations/engineering/quality alignment improved.
• Continuous Improvement KPIs
• Reduction of repeat non-conformances - Effective RCA; no repeats within 12 months.
• CI project delivery - Validated savings or quality improvements delivered.
• Trend visibility & governance - Clear weekly/monthly dashboards for all quality metrics.
• Proactive risk identification - Risk register maintained; key risks reduced or eliminated.

EDUCATION & CERTIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, or a related scientific field.
• HACCP certification (required).
• PCQI (Preventive Controls Qualified Individual) certification preferred.
• Training or certification in GFSI schemes (e.g., SQF, BRC, FSSC 22000) is an advantage.

Experience

• 5+ years of quality assurance or quality management experience within a food manufacturing environment.
• Proven experience leading food safety programs, regulatory compliance, and third party audits.
• Demonstrated experience managing a QA/QC team in a high volume production environment.
• Experience conducting root cause analysis and implementing corrective/preventive actions.

Technical Competence

• Strong knowledge of food safety regulations (FDA, FSMA, USDA as relevant).
• Deep understanding of HACCP, GMPs, allergen controls, sanitation programs, and environmental monitoring.
• Ability to interpret and manage specifications for raw materials, processes, and finished goods.
• Competence in data analysis, trending, and use of quality systems/software.

Leadership & Behavioral Skills

• Strong leadership presence with the ability to influence cross-functional teams.
• Excellent communication and coaching skills; able to build a culture of quality across operations.
• High level of accountability, decision-making, and integrity.
• Strong problem-solving mindset with a focus on prevention, not reaction.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, manufacturing environment

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to lead and support audits (customer, regulatory, certification bodies).
• Comfortable working on the plant floor and engaging directly with operators and supervisors.
• Flexibility to support multiple shifts or site needs during audits, issues, or investigations.

BEHAVIORS AND CORE VALUES:

Must consistently showcase the desired behaviors that represent our Core Values.

We Take Ownership

• Stay committed to responsibilities from start to finish
• Make sound decisions and get into the right level of detail
• Apply resources to initiatives that add growth, improve efficiencies, or reduce waste

We Do What Is Right

• Choose transparency over convenience, even if it means difficult conversations
• Set clear roles and responsibilities, enabling everyone to exercise appropriate initiative and judgment
• Speak up when you see something that does not align to our values and policies

We Seek to Improve

• Strive to continuously improve and innovate to exceed expectations
• Value feedback from others and encourage open dialogue to understand how we can improve
• Learn from both successes and failures

We Are Better Together

• Ensure decisions are based on what's best for the whole business
• Practice inclusion by seeking diverse perspectives
• Treat everyone with fairness and respect

WORK ENVIRONENEMT

The position involves frequent exposure to nuts and other potential allergens.

The pay scale for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. At Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. The pay range for prospective employees in this role is $120,000.00 - $145,000.00.

Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Inc. provides equal employment opportunities for all applicants, regardless of race, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.