Food Quality Engineer

The Quality Assurance Engineer is responsible for leading and managing all quality assurance and food safety programs within a high-volume protein manufacturing facility. This role ensures compliance with regulatory requirements, customer specifications, and company standards while driving continuous improvement in product quality, food safety, and operational excellence.

The ideal candidate brings strong leadership experience in protein processing (beef, pork, poultry, or further-processed meats), deep knowledge of food safety systems, and the ability to influence cross-functional teams in a fast-paced production environment.

Key Responsibilities

1. Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure full compliance with all applicable regulations, including:

  • United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

  • Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)

  • Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as applicable

• Oversee and maintain HACCP, SSOP, and Preventive Controls programs.

• Lead regulatory audits and serve as the primary contact for inspectors.

• Ensure compliance with customer, third-party, and export requirements.

2. Quality Management Systems

• Maintain and improve the facility's Quality Management System (QMS).

• Oversee documentation control, traceability, and record-keeping systems.

• Lead internal audits and manage corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).

• Ensure adherence to standards such as:

  • Safe Quality Food Institute (SQF)

  • British Retail Consortium (BRC), as applicable

3. Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, coach, and develop QA Supervisors, Leads, and Technicians.

• Build a strong food safety culture across all shifts.

• Provide training on GMPs, HACCP, sanitation, allergen control, and food defense.

• Establish performance goals and conduct evaluations.

4. Production & Operational Partnership

• Collaborate closely with Operations, Maintenance, Sanitation, and Supply Chain teams.

• Support production start-ups, product launches, and process validations.

• Monitor in-process controls, product testing, and environmental monitoring programs.

• Drive root cause analysis for quality deviations and customer complaints.

5. Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve yields, reduce rework, and minimize waste.

• Utilize data and KPIs to drive quality performance.

• Lead initiatives in statistical process control (SPC) and risk mitigation.

• Support automation and digital quality system implementations.

6. Customer & External Relations

• Manage customer audits and technical visits.

• Respond to customer inquiries and manage complaint investigations.

• Ensure compliance with retailer and foodservice customer specifications.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Animal Science, or related field required.

• Advanced degree preferred.

Experience

• 3 + years of progressive QA experience in protein manufacturing.

• Minimum 3-5 years in a leadership role within a USDA-inspected facility.

• Strong knowledge of raw and/or further-processed protein operations.

Technical Expertise

• HACCP certification required.

• Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) certification preferred.

• Strong understanding of microbiological testing, pathogen control (Salmonella, Listeria, E. coli), and environmental monitoring.

• Experience with third-party audit schemes (SQF, BRC, etc.).

• Familiarity with ERP and digital QMS platforms.