Senior Quality Improvement Specialist/Manager

Senior Quality Improvement Specialist:

- Relocation Assistance Will Be Provided.

Summary

In this role, you will support the implementation of the company's Quality standards through technical guidance, analysis, and leadership to continuously improve quality performance. The Senior Quality Improvement Specialist is accountable for capability assessment and improvement in the areas of food safety controls, product specification performance, process analysis for efficiency as well as cleaning and sanitation validation.

Upward Career Mobility:

The Director of Quality envisions this Senior Quality Improvement Specialist progressing into one of two pathways, based on performance, initiative, and experience gained in the role:

• A Continuous Improvement–focused quality leadership track, or
• A Quality Manager role overseeing the aseptic line.

Must Haves:

• Dairy aseptic process and filling validation and start up experience
• Dairy aseptic process knowledge
• Dairy Aseptic “ Process Authority” knowledge/experience/Class/Course
• Minimum 4-7 years of experience with a single employer in Quality in Dairy Manufacturing.
• This person will work with our FDA process authority to handle our aseptic product deviation process and release process

Essential Responsibilities

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Provide Quality and Food Safety technical guidance, analysis, and leadership driving improvements in manufacturing processes, sanitation processes/systems, and quality systems.
• Participate as a member of the Food Safety Team and assist in the development, revisions, and implementation of the Food Safety Plan.
• Support the Quality Management System and participate in development & review of quality and sanitation SOPs. Assist & potentially lead implementation of QFS programs.
• Develop, design, and conduct training and mentoring about food safety and quality topics to develop a strong quality culture.
• Assess and work to improve process capability across the company's mission statement portfolio.
• Compile and analyze KPIs indicative of production line health (quality performance, microbiological quality, preventive maintenance, sanitation effectiveness, etc.) and drive improvement actions.
• Develop, train, and launch the process to engage the entire manufacturing team on the process to investigate and improve processes that impact quality and efficiency. Ensure product non-conformances and process non-conformances are tracked and logged for corrective action into the Quality system.
• Support the analysis of customer and consumer feedback to identify improvement opportunities. Drive improvement by implementing corrective actions.
• Provide training and mentoring to operations teams on food safety and quality related topics to develop a strong quality culture.
• Support the validation of cleaning effectiveness via CIP system verifications.
• Support the development of quality and sanitation SOPs.
• Manage and troubleshoot non-conformances (raw materials, packaging, product, environmental monitoring, etc.) and drive root cause analysis. Assign corrective action, collaborate with supply-quality and other functions, and follow-up on completion.
• Support change management processes related to new products, packaging, equipment, and processes.

Education and Experience (Requirements)

• Bachelor’s Degree in a science or engineering related field (Microbiology, Food Safety, Chemical Engineering, Food Engineering, or similar) or other technical discipline.
• 5+ years of experience in the dairy/food/beverage manufacturing industry, including supervisory experience.
• Knowledge in aseptic processing and process controls within Aseptic Manufacturing
• Experience in root cause analysis and corrective action identification within Aseptic Processing.

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

• Proven ability to establish, optimize and maintain world-class quality system and team.
• Prior experience using structured and data driven problem-solving techniques (RCPS, DMAIC, Six-sigma, etc.)
• The ability to influence others and be a team player.
• The ability to develop/implement core work practices and standards that ensure excellence in quality.
• The ability to rapidly assess, analyze, and quickly resolve complicated quality problems with little initial information or direction and with varying degrees of ambiguity.
• The ability to multitask and manage priorities while allocating time to long-term, quality continuous improvement projects.
• Strong “self-management” skills and be comfortable working with minimal supervision.
• Established project management skills.
• Must bring leadership, interpersonal and communication skills required to interact with various levels of plant and corporate personnel and influence others.
• Ensure the plant is running to target, and that all product and equipment critical factors baselines are defined.
• Provide technical expertise to all departments in the areas of continuous process improvement, statistical process control, regulatory compliance, and process/product specification development.
• Lead and support CIP and Allergen validation work on various pieces of equipment. Responsible for reviewing CIP performance and providing recommendations to optimize while ensuring proper cleans.
• Lead execution of R&D concepts/design through successful plant start-up
• For new products, lead the Post Launch Review process to reconcile manufacturing capability against design.
• Completion of proper change management protocol for new equipment , processes and/or materials.
• Support Installation Qualification (IQ) / Operational Qualification (OQ) / Product Qualification (PQ) activities onsite.
• Identify, champion, and lead to execution plant network-wide CI initiatives and projects including, but not limited to:
• Cost savings/productivity (ex. weight control).
• Run efficiencies (ex. extended runs, CIP/sanitation optimization).
• Improved design for food safety/quality (ex. bulk sweeteners vs. pre-weigh).
• Leading and facilitating Root Cause Investigation events using a systematic approach.
• Acts as the plant liaison for production trials (on-site Plant Trial Coordinator).
• Other duties and special projects, as assigned.
• Willingness to work flexible schedules as needed to support 7-day per week, 24-hour per day production facilities. Work schedules could include off-shift or weekend work.

Contingency/Backup

• In the event the Senior Quality Improvement Specialist is not available the Quality Systems Manager or Director of Quality Systems shall take on responsibilities pertaining to this role at the facility.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $120,000.00 - $130,000.00 per year