Quality Assurance & R&D Manager

Key Responsibilities: Establish and manage the facility’s in-house quality-control laboratory. Develop testing procedures, sampling plans, product specifications, and recordkeeping systems. Conduct or oversee routine testing of raw materials, in-process products, and finished products. Manage testing for pH, acidity, milkfat, protein, total solids, viscosity, sensory quality, coliform, yeast, mold, and other applicable measurements. Coordinate pathogen, nutritional, shelf-life, and specialized testing with qualified outside laboratories when required. Review production records and laboratory results before releasing finished products. Prepare, approve, and issue a Certificate of Analysis for each production run. Establish and manage product hold-and-release procedures. Maintain retained samples and complete testing and traceability records. Review weekly production records, samples, laboratory results, and COAs for products manufactured by outside co-packers. Investigate out-of-specification results, quality issues, consumer complaints, and co-packer deviations. Lead root-cause investigations and corrective and preventive actions. Develop and maintain the facility’s food-safety plan, HACCP program, preventive controls, GMPs, sanitation procedures, allergen controls, environmental-monitoring program, supplier-approval program, and recall plan. Serve as the primary contact for FDA, New York State, customer, retailer, and third-party inspections and audits. Maintain the facility in audit-ready condition and manage responses to all audit findings. Ensure compliance with applicable FDA requirements, New York dairy regulations, the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance, and customer requirements. Oversee applicable product certifications and claims, including organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, kosher, halal, and A2.Review and approve product formulas, specifications, ingredient statements, allergen declarations, lot coding, and labels. Lead R&D projects for Greek yogurt, cultured dairy products, dips, frozen-yogurt mixes, and other new products. Conduct plant trials, sensory evaluations, shelf-life studies, and commercial scale-ups. Troubleshoot product and process issues involving fermentation, texture, viscosity, separation, flavor, shelf life, filling, sealing, and packaging. Train production employees on food safety, sanitation, GMPs, quality standards, sampling, and documentation.

Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, Biology, or a related field preferred. Minimum of five years of experience in dairy, refrigerated-food, or food-manufacturing quality assurance, food safety, laboratory operations, or product development. Experience establishing or managing a food-manufacturing quality-control laboratory strongly preferred. Knowledge of dairy processing, pasteurization, sanitation, microbiological testing, environmental monitoring, and product-release procedures. Experience preparing and reviewing Certificates of Analysis. Knowledge of FDA preventive controls, HACCP, GMPs, allergen management, traceability, and the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance. PCQI and HACCP certification preferred or willingness to obtain promptly. Experience with SQF or another GFSI-recognized food-safety certification preferred. Experience leading regulatory, customer, or third-party audits. Experience overseeing co-packers and reviewing outside production records and testing results preferred. Strong problem-solving, technical writing, organizational, training, and communication skills. Ability to work independently and make appropriate product-hold and release decisions. Willingness to work hands-on in the laboratory and on the production floor.