Senior Food Safety Lead

SUMMARY The Senior Food Safety Lead plays a key strategic role within the Quality Assurance leadership team, providing essential oversight and operational support across all facilities. This position acts as a critical backup to Quality Management and serves as support for facility-level Food Safety Leads. The role is vital in ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, third-party standards, certifications, and customer expectations, while fostering continuous improvement through data-driven decision-making. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITES Assist with the development, design, implementation, and maintenance of quality systems and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) across all sites, ensuring optimized operational compliance. Plays a critical role in assuring consistent food safety, quality and continuous improvement projects across all sites. Assist in the development, implementation, review and maintenance of the SQF system. Solve complex problems and be able to evaluate and make recommendations on business vs non food safety challenges. Maintain current knowledge base of existing and emerging regulations, standards or guidance documents, including compliance with FDA, CTFA, NSF, organic and kosher regulations. Understand in detail the requirements of cGMPs and HACCP as well as other customer, governmental and trade requirements. Work within systems to evaluate products against business needs ensuring team’s release, hold or rework directions are consistent for all products being released from operations ensuring food safety, quality and regulatory compliance. Work on projects relating to organizational process optimization, develop plans of actions and initiate changes for improving process standards throughout the facility. Develop, write and update SOPs for current and new manufacturing operations and quality processes. Develop training programs based on auditor standards and regulations. Proactively contribute to the delivery of programs and support other sites as directed by leadership. Ensure that training is done on a timely basis and maintain training records that can be retrieved and presented in a professional manner. Lead, attend, and/or assist third party audits. Perform internal audits on effectiveness and adherence to compliance policies. Ensure any non-conformities are addressed. Work cooperatively and efficiently with other departments to meet the overall objectives of the company. Represent quality assurance on cross-functional teams. Provide information and support to quality control, purchasing, operations, and other groups as needed. Answer operational questions and provide intra-departmental support. Demonstrate excellent judgement and decision-making across the organization. Strong project management and task management abilities. Prioritize multiple projects and tasks to meet project and decision deadlines. Assist manager in resolving day-to-day issues and remain flexible. Be the escalation point for any disputes or disagreements between facility leads and operations. Has own transportation and ability to move between facilities when required. OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILTIES May provide leadership and assign tasks to department workers as directed. Follow and ensure employee compliance with all company policies and procedures, including standard procedures for safety, quality, efficiency, as well as financial and customer business expectations. Lead by example in work style and performance, as well as maintaining a positive and professional attitude. Communicate respectfully and honestly with others. Strive to reduce waste, recycle products whenever possible, and re-use resources when practical. Work safely at all times, follow safety rules and policies, and participate in scheduled training. Report injuries and near misses promptly and in required detailed format; propose corrective action. Other duties as assigned. SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES Evaluate processes and practices against SOPs and direct operations on corrective actions or rework to ensure released product meets requirements. Provide functional supervision by directing the work activity of other employees. Is part of the team for hiring, termination, evaluation, pay decisions, or corrective action of team members. Hold employees accountable, including corrective action when warranted. Take responsibility for departmental safety, actively assess hazards, and find solutions to those hazards. Reinforce a safety culture: lead by example, remind employees to work safely, praise good behavior and safe practices, encourage suggestions, and communicate consequences for unsafe acts. QUALIFICATIONS To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE Bachelor's degree (B.S.) from four-year college or university; and 5 to 8 years related experience in quality or operations; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Preferred 3 years of people management experience and/or cross functional team work. SQF Practitioner and/or PCQI required or willingness to get certified. LANGUAGE SKILLS Ability to read and comprehend detailed instructions, correspondence, reports and memos. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively with a variety of people and respond to basic questions in situations where common courtesy and tact are needed. QUANTITATIVE SKILLS Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as proportions, percentages, area, and volume. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations. Ability to use a computer to create spreadsheets and charts, and run reports. OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to effectively convey complex information across all levels of the organization. Proven leadership abilities, with experience in supervising teams, providing clear direction, and mentoring staff to ensure consistent adherence to food safety protocols and quality standards. Ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects in a fast-paced environment, working both independently and collaboratively within a team. Strong organizational skills and keen attention to detail, ensuring accuracy in documentation, reporting, and compliance initiatives. Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and database software, with the ability to analyze data for decision-making and continuous improvement. Demonstrates a positive and supportive leadership approach when addressing team performance, encouraging accountability, and fostering a collaborative work environment. Inquisitive mindset with a natural inclination to ask questions and seek solutions, driving innovation and process improvements. Exercises emotional intelligence, remaining respectful, observant, and considerate of others’ perspectives and feelings. Objective and fact-driven, making decisions based on data and evidence rather than personal opinion or bias. Confident and assertive in a leadership role, able to lead by example while remaining calm under pressure and persistent in overcoming challenges. Patient, resilient, and able to maintain a steady approach in the face of difficulties or opposition. Excellent listening skills, with the ability to engage in active dialogue, providing constructive feedback while fostering open communication with team members and stakeholders. PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands and/or fingers to type, handle, or feel and taste or smell. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, sit, and view a computer monitor or video display. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and talk or hear. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and color vision, necessary to evaluate products effectively. WORK ENVIRONMENT The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts, fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, outside weather conditions, and vibration. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.