Quality Performance Lead

Job Title: Quality Performance Lead

Job Description

We are seeking a dedicated Quality Performance Lead for a pivotal role within our food company, focusing on system-driven quality leadership. This position emphasizes driving consistency, audit readiness, and continuous improvement across the plant and the quality team. You will report to the Quality Manager and collaborate closely with quality supervisors to ensure compliance. This highly visible role requires ownership and enhancement of the site"s Quality Management System (QMS), audit readiness, and Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) program. Ideal candidates will have a deep understanding of food safety systems and a desire to influence and improve plant-wide quality performance.

Responsibilities

• Own and lead the site Quality Management System (QMS), ensuring it is effective, audit-ready, and continuously improving.
• Manage document control, change control (MOC), and system governance to maintain compliance and data integrity.
• Lead the internal audit program (SQF, GMP), including planning, execution, and follow-up.
• Support and coordinate external audits (customer, certification, regulatory), ensuring readiness and strong audit performance.
• Own the CAPA program, including root cause analysis, corrective actions, tracking, and effectiveness verification.
• Track and trend non-conformances, deviations, and complaints to drive systemic improvements.
• Maintain and improve food safety and quality plans, including hazard analysis, traceability, and verification activities.
• Partner cross-functionally (Quality, Ops, R&D, Supply Chain) to ensure quality and compliance in commercialization and production readiness.
• Review and approve product specifications, labeling, and regulatory/customer documentation.
• Establish and maintain inspection plans and system workflows (Optiva, etc.) aligned with quality requirements.
• Serve as a key quality resource, providing training and guidance to supervisors and site teams.

Essential Skills

• 4-5 years of experience in a food manufacturing quality environment.
• Strong experience with SQF / GFSI-based quality systems (SQF strongly preferred).
• Proven ownership of QMS systems and internal audit programs.
• Hands-on experience managing non-conformance systems, CAPA programs, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement.
• Ability to interpret and trend quality data to drive decisions.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience in food or beverage manufacturing.
• Strong systems thinker - understands how all parts of QMS connect.
• Ability to build structure and bring clarity to evolving or previously undefined roles.
• Comfortable working cross-functionally and influencing without direct authority.
• Strong communication skills (translating data to action for supervisors/teams).
• Proactive, team-oriented mindset with a willingness to step in where needed.
• Experience with certification programs (Organic, Kosher, etc.) is a plus.
• Exposure to PLM systems (Optiva or similar) is advantageous.
• Experience supporting commercialization/new product readiness is desirable.

Work Environment

This role involves reporting to the Quality Manager and working closely with quality supervisors. It is highly cross-functional, acting as the hub between supervisors, quality programs, and leadership. The work environment emphasizes frequent communication, with daily interactions with supervisors and weekly management meetings. The role requires agility and adaptability, as it has recently been redefined with clearer expectations. The position promotes a strong team mentality and ownership, with support expected when needed. While not a typical "clock in/clock out" role, it does not carry a heavy after-hours call burden, differing from traditional quality supervisory or management roles.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Affton, MO.

Pay and Benefits

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

This is a highly visible quality role where you'll own and strengthen the site's QMS, audit readiness, and CAPA program. It's ideal for someone who understands food safety systems deeply and wants to step into a role where they can drive structure, influence teams, and make a tangible impact on plant-wide quality performance.

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Affton,MO.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Jun 26, 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.