Quality Assurance Manager - Food

Quality Assurance Manager - Food

Charlotte, NC area. Local candidates ONLY

Privately held, further processor of poultry products, fresh and frozen supplying foodservice customers with a long-standing reputation for quality and reliability. This is a high-impact Quality/Food Safety leadership role reporting into the company President, with real influence on compliance, audits, sanitation, and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities:

Ensuring all regulatory, customer, and company quality and food safety requirements are consistently met at the manufacturing facility. Partner with plant leadership to uphold compliance, drive continuous improvement, and foster a strong culture of food safety and operational excellence.

Sanitation practices and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).

Establish internal audit patterns, develops corrective action plans, and monitors results reviews programs annually to ensure compliance with GFSI, BRC, AIB, and customer standards.

Prepares the facility for third-party and regulatory food safety audits, ensuring readiness at all times.

Integrates HACCP and FSMA principles into production processes, ensuring alignment with preventive controls and risk-based food safety programs.

Conducts root cause and preventive action analyses for customer complaints and production failures, driving continuous improvement.

Establishes and manages the Quality department budget and tracks performance metrics including MBOs and KPIs.

Ensures the accuracy, efficiency, and timeliness of all QA procedures, including microbiological, chemical, and organoleptic testing, facility inspections, and inventory management.

Leads the QA and Sanitation teams through coaching, performance management, and professional development to maintain high standards of performance and accountability.

Acts as the primary contact for USDA and FDA inspections, maintaining open communication and positive relationships with regulatory representatives.

Requirements

Qualifications:

BS/BA required.

5+ years of experience in the food industry in a quality management role.

Strong understanding of food safety regulations and compliance requirements (FDA, USDA, FSMA, HACCP, GFSI).

Any product experience in poultry, protein, Ready-to-eat (RTE), Produce, Seafood,

Dairy, Frozen foods / IQF or Bakery / refrigerated desserts.

Hands-on auditing experience.

Hiring, leading, and developing high-performing teams.

Excellent analytical, problem-solving, communication, and organizational skills.

Experience with document management systems and supplier quality programs preferred.

Benefits

Base Salary range: $95-125K + 20% Annual Bonus, 401K, Company healthcare program, 2 weeks’ vacation, + PTO and company Holidays.