Quality Assurance Manager (Food Manufacturing)

Tribute Baking Company is the strategic combination of five businesses with rich histories in the baking industry! Always Bagels, Original Bagel, Hometown Foods USA, Dutch Maid and Just Bagels, together, create a market leading producer of authentic New York style kettle-boiled, hearth-baked bagels and high-quality cake products sold into the in-store bakery, club store, foodservice, and convenience store channels.

Reporting to the Regulatory Compliance Manager, the Quality Assurance Manager will oversee the day-to-day food safety and quality assurance functions within the facility, ensuring compliance with all food safety standards and regulations. This role will involve supervising a team, conducting inspections, implementing quality control measures, and fostering a culture of food safety and quality throughout the manufacturing process. This is an on-site position at our Bohemia, NY location.

Job responsibilities:

• Lead and manage the quality assurance team to ensure adherence to food safety regulations and industry standards.
• Develop, implement, and maintain effective quality assurance protocols and procedures.
• Conduct routine inspections, audits, and assessments of production processes to identify and mitigate food safety risks.
• Review and analyze quality data, prepare reports with actionable insights and recommendations for continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to resolve quality issues and promote best practices in food safety.
• Train and mentor staff on quality assurance processes, food safety regulations, and compliance requirements.
• Monitor compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles.
• Maintain accurate documentation and records related to quality assurance and food safety activities.
• Makes timely decisions to support production as needed.
• Demonstrate strong leadership of the food safety and quality agenda at the plant, serve as a change supervisor to drive improvements in programs, processes, and culture.
• Participate in ongoing training to stay current with quality assurance programs.
• Prepare sampling plans for ingredients, finished products and other materials to gather samples, perform analyses, and take appropriate actions based upon the test results.
• Ensure sufficient quality/sanitation staffing and competence to execute the responsibilities of the quality/sanitation function.
• Lead and facilitate the plant customer complaint investigation and resolution process, institutionalize corrective actions.
• Establish a quality culture along with the leadership team to ensure quality is proactively built in, engage all employees in quality & food safety strategies and facilitate an audit-ready environment.
• Supervise all associates directly assigned to the quality department and work closely with associates in the production, packaging, logistics, maintenance, the Human Resource departments, and the regulatory compliance manager.
• Counsel and discipline the employees as needed following the handbook. When needed, documents notable items of associates, both positive and negative, and places in personnel file.

Safety Responsibilities:

• Work in a safe and responsible manner at all times, following all safety policies, procedures, and rules.
• Report unsafe observations or conditions to a supervisor or manager.
• Immediately report an injury or accident to a supervisor or manager.

Social Responsibilities:

• Uphold and enforce the Company's labor standards, health and safety, environmental programs and follow business ethics policies.
• Ensure the food safety crew is provided adequate training and understand policies and program.
• Meet all Company training requirements.
• Meet Company Social Responsibility established KPIs.

The Quality Assurance Manager will be required to stand, sit, walk, bend, stoop, kneel, reach and perform overhead reaching. The role also requires fine manipulation skills, the ability to move around the office continuously, and the ability to lift and/or carry up to 30 pounds. Tasks may involve pushing and pulling as necessary. The individual must be capable of performing these duties throughout the workday.

Requirements

• Sc. in food science or food safety with working knowledge is preferred
• Minimum of 2 years of Quality system management
• Minimum of 2 years of SQF or other GFSI standards implementation and certification
• HACCP Certified
• Certified SQF Auditor & Practitioner of current version and future updates
• PCQI certified, Food Defense Certified.
• Must be well organized, able to work on several projects at once and prioritize
• Demonstrate a high level of communication, cooperation and to maintain and troubleshoot plant issues
• Great working knowledge of FDA, State and USDA regulation or equivalent
• Working knowledge of SQF and/or other GFSI Standards, HACCP, GMPs and Sanitation standards
• Demonstrated interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal)
• Expert in writing detailed SOPs
• Expert in process control and process improvement
• Ability to train and mentor direct reports
• Proven ability to train teams
• Fluent in Spanish