Assistant Quality Assurance Manager

At Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) we are proud to be a farmer-owned milk marketing cooperative. Our Retort Solutions Division finds innovative ways to use milk components to work with world class customers to develop, manufacture and package their products. We offer a culture of inclusion and engagement that empowers our employees through training, business understanding and growth opportunities. It takes an incredible team to deliver the goodness of our products - come join us!

General Purpose:

Assist the Sr. Manager, Quality Assurance to ensure all Quality Assurance aspects related to the plant are met. This includes providing direction to ensure the facility has the proper systems, knowledge, capabilities, and practices to comply with all pertinent regulatory, certification programs, and customer requirements. Specifically, ensure compliance, promote quality, and have ongoing interactions and responsibility with personnel and processes in all departments. Work closely with plant management and plant employees and serve as a liaison with functional departments such as Quality Assurance and Compliance, Human Resources, Accounting, and New Product Development, Innovation, and EH&S.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Continuously drive the facility's culture toward a higher level of safety. Challenge status quo safety behaviors, engage in safety initiatives and ensure safety related training is attended by all employees.
• Assist with developing, implementing and maintaining Quality Systems.
• Coordinate preparation and corrective actions for regulatory, customer and internal audits and inspections.
• Coordinate process for timely issuance, distribution and compliance with plant procedures.
• Coordinate FDA Record Review process.
• Administer plant Good Manufacturing Practices program.
• Review quality trends, track root cause of quality failures, coordinate corrective action.
• Coordinate the sustainability and annual review of the Safe Quality Foods Program.
• Identify and implement developmental plans and training for supervisors and support staff reporting directly and indirectly.
• Perform food safety and regulatory responsibilities and be responsible for meeting the requirements of the SQF Food Safety Code for Manufacturing; report food safety problems to personnel with authority to initiate action.
• Ensure the department's activities remain in or exceed the standards and specifications established by Quality Assurance.
• Engage and interact with all personnel on a regular basis assisting them with their concerns and questions.
• Drive key performance indicators to all levels within the organization related to Quality Assurance and participate in making recommendations for necessary changes to enhance the business objectives.
• Initiate and drive continuous improvement activities in department, operations, and other areas of the facility as part of the team to ensure plant sustainability.
• Manage employee's performance through establishing expectations, holding people accountable and developing the understanding of the sense of urgency in addressing operational needs.
• Partner with other departments regarding the resolution of ongoing problems, the implementation of new procedures or process, the injection of new products or product lines, and the development of new plan and designs.
• Ensure good business communication practices are engaged at all levels to ensure key stakeholders are well informed, have the ability to appropriately respond.
• Ensure all process changes, equipment changes or product changes are understood by all employees in a timely fashion.
• Ensure a decisive understanding of budgeting, uptime, problem solving techniques, motivational techniques, long range planning, and Employee and Labor Relations are understood and implemented.
• The requirements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employee, but is not a complete list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required. Other duties may be assigned as required

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor of Science in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry or related
• 5 years of quality assurance or related experience coupled with managing people and related processes in a manufacturing environment
• Valid driver's License
• Computer skills (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, SPC Programs, SAP or ERP)
• Excellent communication and presentation skills with all levels of the organization
• Must be able to read, write and speak English

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in related field or MBA
• 1-3 years of experience in a unionized environment preferred
• Food, Beverage or Pharmaceutical Manufacturing experience
• CMQ, CQA, CQE not required but preferred
• Safe Quality Foods Practitioner Certification
• Better Process Control School
• PCQI

An Equal Opportunity Employer