Quality Systems Manager

Company Overview:

Vital Proteins is an emerging, dynamic brand consisting of a team of passionate individuals who believe whole food-based nutrition is essential for overall health, fitness and wellbeing. Our team, where job titles and hierarchy are meaningless, is comprised of intelligent and innovative talent who work collaboratively to ensure creativity, success, and global growth. Vital Proteins seeks to develop and support the right people, with the right chemistry, who continually ask questions, and in turn will develop and tactically execute good ideas. We are looking for individuals to help us think smarter and put a lot of ideas on the table in a short amount of time. Building a great company is our goal. Quality individuals and getting the team right is our business plan. 

Role:

The primary responsibility of this position is to lead the Quality Management Systems for both in house manufacturing and co-manufacturing locations. This position will have three direct reports with accountability in Document Control, Incident Management, CAPA, Hold/Expiry Management, Food Safety and Compliance (KPIs, Metrics and Reporting). In additional to managing direct reports, this role is accountable for qualifying co-manufacturing locations, supporting externally produced product (compliance and release) and managing any corrective actions and non-compliances.

Responsibilities:

• Assists the Sr. Q&FS Manager in supporting the company’s quality and food safety department goals and policies by leading and supervising and developing quality team members accountable for Document Control, Incident Management, CAPA, Hold/Expiry Management, Food Safety and Compliance (KPIs, Metrics and Reporting).
• Manages four direct reports: Sensory and Co-Man Quality, Hold Coordinator, Food Safety Lead and Quality Compliance Specialist who are responsible for the foundational Quality Management Systems.
• Leads and manages the Food Safety Team Lead to ensure compliance for Q&FS requirements through HACCP and Food Safety Plans, determines preventive controls and implements changes where necessary through tracking and trending data.
• Leads and manages the Compliance Specialist, owner of Document Control, Internal Audit, 3rd party audit compliance, CAPA and training to ensure programs are compliance with NSF, SQF and Dietary Supplement regulatory compliance.
• Leads and manages the Incident Management/CAPA programs owner ensuring incidents are properly escalated, root causes are determined, and corrective actions are implemented in a timely manner. Ensures CAPA/Non-Conformances follow company policies and issues/incidents are tracked and trended to eliminate repeat issues. 
• Leads and manages the Hold/Expiry program owner ensuring the process for QA Holds and Expired Product processes are followed, expired product and holds are properly escalated, root causes are determined, and corrective actions are implemented in a timely manner.
• Leads and manages the Sensory/Co-Man Quality Manager to ensure the Sensory Program is fit for purpose and that the Co-Man produced product is effectively inspected and released. 

Requirements:

• BS degree in Chemistry, Food Science, Food Safety, Engineering, Microbiology or related technical field
• Advanced Degree in Chemistry, Food Science or related technical field preferred

• 4+ years’ experience in Food or Pharmaceutical Industry experience required.
• 3+ years demonstrated success in relevant manufacturing/quality experience
• 3+ years of proven leadership with line management experience
• Must have strong knowledge of food safety, dietary supplement, and quality managements systems (NSF Certified Ingredient, SQF, FSMA, GFSI, etc.), statistical process. control, structured problem solving and continuous improvement concepts and practices.
• Must have demonstrated experience with driving change and motivating others and leading teams that are not direct reports.
• Experience in quality policy and program creation and implementation strongly desired.
• HACCP certification is required.
• FSMA PCQI certification preferred, must be obtained within 6 months of hire.
• Must be able to draw on personal experience and apply your own judgment to reach firm decisions
• A proven track record in thriving in a high pace and high change environment
• Prior knowledge and experience with HACCP, GMPs, SQF, NSF/NSF Sport quality and food safety management systems
• Manufacturing environment with experience in line management
• Certified auditor
• Statistics, Problem solving and Lean Six Sigma methods
• High stress resistance
• Ability to travel up to 15% of the time
• Must be able to read, write, and understand English

****Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

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