QA Manager

Job Title: Quality Assurance Manager

Job Description

The Quality Assurance Manager is a hands-on leadership role responsible for developing, implementing, and overseeing all food safety and quality system programs. This position ensures that all food products are safe, compliant, and meet or exceed internal standards, regulatory requirements, and customer expectations. The manager leads the site's QA team, drives continuous improvement, and plays a pivotal role in maintaining and enhancing food safety regulations and standards across the facility.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement comprehensive food safety programs that ensure products consistently meet safety and quality standards.
• Maintain and manage documentation related to HACCP, GMP, SOPs, and employee training to ensure compliance and audit readiness.
• Investigate and complete customer complaints for the site in a timely, thorough, and accurate manner, including root cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Provide leadership, support, and guidance to ensure food quality standards, food safety guidelines, legal requirements, and customer expectations are consistently met.
• Support and comply with all quality management systems, continuous improvement programs, food safety initiatives, employee safety programs, preventative maintenance programs, and product legality requirements.
• Oversee and manage lab equipment, including calibration and verification, to ensure accurate and reliable testing results.
• Inspect, test, and measure products for conformance to specifications, including testing of physical and chemical properties of products.
• Ensure that all quality control and quality assurance procedures are followed and updated as needed to align with regulatory and customer requirements.
• Provide direct oversight of sanitation operations and site FSQA team members, including supervisors and leads, to maintain a hygienic and compliant production environment.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of approximately 22 FSQA and sanitation personnel, fostering a culture of accountability, safety, and continuous improvement.
• Coordinate and support internal and external audits, including USDA, FDA, and other regulatory or customer audits, ensuring successful outcomes and prompt resolution of findings.
• Collaborate with operations and other departments to address quality and food safety issues, implement corrective and preventive actions, and drive process improvements.
• Monitor and analyze quality and food safety data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement, and report findings to site and corporate leadership.
• Ensure employee training on food safety, quality standards, GMPs, and relevant procedures is conducted, documented, and regularly refreshed.

Essential Skills

• 2+ years of quality leadership experience in a food manufacturing or food processing environment.
• Proven experience with SQF systems and certification requirements.
• Hands-on HACCP experience, including development, implementation, and maintenance of HACCP plans.
• Strong knowledge of food safety principles, food quality standards, and regulatory requirements, including USDA and FDA.
• Demonstrated experience in quality assurance and quality control within the food industry.
• Proficiency in implementing and maintaining Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Experience with lab equipment operation, calibration, and verification for physical and chemical testing of products.
• Strong management and leadership skills with experience leading and developing teams.
• Ability to investigate and resolve customer complaints, including conducting thorough root cause analyses and implementing corrective actions.
• Solid understanding of quality management systems and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Effective communication and collaboration skills to work across departments and with various stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic, production-focused environment.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Degree in a science-related field is preferred, such as Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, or a related discipline.
• Candidates without a degree may qualify with 5+ years of food quality leadership experience.
• Experience managing or supporting SQF certification at a facility level.
• Familiarity with audit processes and requirements for USDA, FDA, and third-party certifications.
• Experience overseeing sanitation programs and teams in a food production environment.
• Experience in continuous improvement initiatives related to food safety, quality, and operational efficiency.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to make data-driven decisions.
• Comfort working in a leadership role that serves as the top quality authority at a facility, overseeing supervisors, leads, and a larger team.
• Interest in career growth and advancement opportunities within a broader corporate quality or food safety organization.

Work Environment

This role is based at a food production facility where the Quality Assurance Manager serves as the top quality leader for the site. The manager oversees approximately 22 QA and sanitation team members, including supervisors and leads, and supports a 24/7 operation. The standard schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with the expectation of spending time with crews on nights and weekends as needed to support operations and ensure consistent food safety and quality oversight across all shifts. The environment involves working in production and laboratory areas, using lab equipment for physical and chemical testing, and operating within USDA, FDA, SQF, HACCP, GMP, and other regulatory and certification frameworks. The role requires regular interaction with operations, sanitation, and maintenance teams to maintain a clean, safe, and compliant facility.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Waupaca, WI.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $90000.00 - $110000.00/yr.

401K, Medical Benefits, Dental Benefits, PTO & holiday pay, Vision, Disability and life insurance provided by the organization.

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Waupaca,WI.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 17, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.