Quality Assurance Manager

Job Description: Seeking an experienced Quality Assurance Manager to lead food safety and quality operations at a high-volume, 24/7 cheese and cultured products manufacturing facility in Cabot, Vermont .Reporting directly to the Quality Assurance Director, the QA Manager will provide leadership for the plant's quality assurance team while ensuring products consistently meet customer specifications, regulatory requirements, and established food safety and quality standards. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced food manufacturing or dairy QA professional with strong knowledge of microbiology, HACCP, SQF, GMPs, sanitation, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement. Low physical effort. Requires the occasional lifting of objects weighing up to 45 lbs. Frequent sitting, standing, walking and some climbing, stooping, kneeling and crouching. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to walk; use hands to linger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee is occasionally required to sit and climb or balance. Work may involve exposure to unusual elements, such as fluctuating temperatures and noise levels.

Key Responsibilities: Lead the plant QA team in a 24/7 manufacturing environment. Directly manage the QA Supervisor and Plant Sanitarian, with indirect oversight of laboratory technicians. Oversee laboratory testing of raw milk, manufactured products, and plant samples. Manage laboratory staffing, scheduling, testing, supplies, equipment, and facilities. Maintain the facility's Certified State Lab for Producer Testing. Ensure compliance with food safety and quality programs, including PMO, GMP, Food Defense, Pest Control, HACCP, and SQF.Provide employee training related to food hygiene, sanitation, HACCP, SQF, GMPs, and other food safety requirements. Lead customer and regulatory audits and certifications, including SQF, FDA, USDA, State ratings, Kosher, and Halal. Develop and lead corrective action plans resulting from audits and other quality issues. Serve as the site's SQF Practitioner, with the QA Supervisor serving as backup. Promote and help lead the facility's Food Safety Culture. Manage Hold, Release, Rework, Reject, and final product disposition programs. Maintain QA policies, procedures, documentation, and the annual Plant Recall Manual. Conduct mock recalls and traceability exercises. Manage consumer and customer complaint programs, including root-cause investigations, trending, and corrective actions. Maintain the Pathogen Environmental Monitoring Program and oversee investigations and CAPAs for out-of-specification results. Manage in-process and finished-product testing and ensure accurate documentation and trending. Review production documentation for regulatory compliance. Conduct regular plant inspections and report findings. Partner with operations and cross-functional teams to improve KPIs, quality, and manufacturing performance. Provide technical QA support and lead continuous improvement initiatives.

Requirements: Bachelor's degree or equivalent in a scientific field.5+ years of experience in food manufacturing and/or a dairy environment.5+ years in management or senior supervisory leadership. Strong technical knowledge of cheese and cultured products. Excellent understanding of microbiology, food science, HACCP, and SQF or equivalent food safety systems. Working knowledge of sanitation operations and current sanitation practices. Strong understanding of regulatory requirements and the ability to interpret and implement regulatory rulings. Experience developing and administering QA metrics and key performance indicators. Strong analytical, deductive reasoning, and problem-solving skills. Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills. Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Word and Excel. Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. Ability to manage multiple priorities and work flexible hours when required. Strong leadership skills with the ability to build trust, motivate employees, and drive accountability. Demonstrated commitment to customer satisfaction, product quality, food safety, and operational excellence.