Director of Food Safety

Salary: $150,000 - $200,000 per year Relocation assistance available! A bit about us We are committed to producing fresh, local dairy products while advancing sustainable practices, strengthening our teams, and enhancing the communities we serve. This role plays a vital part in elevating our food safety and quality programs and offers a tremendous opportunity to influence multi‑site operations, develop talent, and contribute directly to our continued growth and success.

Why join us? The ability to join a growing well known organization and make a big impact to our quality department Competitive Compensation with opportunity for advancements

Comprehensive Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance 401(k) with Employer Match Generous PTO & Paid Holidays Strong Mission & Culture: Work with a farmer-owned cooperative built on integrity and sustainability Impactful Leadership Role: Oversee FSQA across multiple consumer packaging plants Professional Growth: Lead, train, and develop site Quality Managers and teams Travel & Visibility: Multi-site leadership with significant cross-functional influence Stability: Join a century-old organization with a strong reputation

Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Biology, or related field or 15+ years of experience in food manufacturing/processing with Quality Assurance responsibilities. Minimum 10+ years in food safety, quality assurance, or regulatory compliance Experience with dairy manufacturing and lab procedures (must have)Strong background in regulatory compliance including USDA, FDA, CFR, PMO, FSMA.Experience managing or implementing GFSI, SQF, and 3rd‑party audit schemes.

Required Certifications: SQF Practitioner, HACCP, FSMA/PCQI.Experience developing and overseeing Quality Management Systems (QMS).Proven ability to lead multi-site quality teams and drive accountability. Ability to conduct detailed hazard evaluations, preventive controls, and verification procedures. Strong vendor management and supplier audit experience. Must be able to travel 50% or more

Key Responsibilities: Oversee overall quality and regulatory compliance for all consumer packaging plants. Directly supervise site Quality Managers through site leadership teams. Maintain, improve, and develop Food Safety Plans including hazard analysis, preventive controls, and FSMA compliance. Lead enforcement and oversight of GMP and cGMP requirements. Serve as division subject matter expert on FDA, USDA, PMO, CFR, and FSMA regulations. Ensure division is audit‑ready; co‑host regulatory inspections when needed. Serve as multi‑site SQF Practitioner, developing and validating SQF procedures and policies. Standardize and simplify audit processes across the division. Coordinate regulatory, customer, and third‑party audits. Maintain vendor management program including supplier audits and material quality review. Work with R&D and senior management on new product formulations and label compliance. Implement and maintain enterprise QMS using DSI/SAP.Develop FSQA training programs and manage annual requirements via HR/Alchemy platform. Conduct vendor performance monitoring and inspection readiness activities. Interface with corporate leaders to align quality and compliance objectives. Provide expert support to resolve complex food safety and quality issues. Track, investigate, and trend customer complaints with root cause analysis. Train, guide, and develop local Quality Teams and foster career growth. Maintain accurate and thorough documentation. Participate in monthly plant review meetings to assess performance metrics and drive continuous improvement.