FSQA Manager - RTE Protein

We are partnering with a leading protein manufacturer to identify an experienced Food Safety & Quality Assurance (FSQA) Manager to lead food safety, quality assurance and regulatory compliance within a ready-to-eat (RTE) manufacturing environment.

This is a key leadership position within a business where food safety, product integrity and operational excellence are critical priorities. The successful candidate will oversee FSQA programs, ensure compliance with USDA-FSIS and applicable regulatory requirements, and work closely with Operations, Sanitation, Maintenance and senior leadership to maintain the highest standards of food safety and product quality.

The business is seeking a proactive, hands-on FSQA leader who can drive continuous improvement, strengthen food safety culture and ensure robust systems are in place to support consistent production of safe, high-quality finished products.

Key Responsibilities

• FSQA Leadership: Lead all site-level food safety and quality assurance activities, ensuring compliance with company standards, regulatory requirements and customer expectations.

• Regulatory Compliance: Maintain compliance with applicable USDA-FSIS, FDA and other relevant federal and state regulations, depending on product classification and facility requirements.

• HACCP & Preventive Controls: Develop, implement and maintain HACCP plans, prerequisite programs and other applicable food safety systems.

• Ready-to-Eat Food Safety: Oversee food safety controls specific to RTE manufacturing, including post-lethality interventions, environmental monitoring, pathogen control and prevention of Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

• Environmental Monitoring: Lead environmental monitoring programs, ensuring appropriate sampling, trend analysis, investigation and corrective actions.

• Quality Assurance: Manage product quality programs, specifications, finished-product inspections, testing and non-conformance management.

• Sanitation Oversight: Partner with Sanitation leadership to ensure effective cleaning and sanitation programs, verification activities and corrective actions.

• Audit Management: Lead customer, regulatory and third-party audits, ensuring site readiness, successful outcomes and timely closure of findings.

• Continuous Improvement: Analyze quality trends, customer complaints, microbiological results and food safety incidents to identify root causes and implement sustainable improvements.

• Team Development: Lead, coach and develop the FSQA team, establishing clear expectations, accountability and technical competency.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Production, Operations, Maintenance, Sanitation and Engineering to embed food safety and quality into everyday manufacturing processes.

• Corrective & Preventive Actions: Oversee investigations, root-cause analysis and CAPA programs to prevent recurrence of food safety and quality issues.

• Documentation & Reporting: Maintain accurate food safety records, regulatory documentation, quality metrics and management reporting.

• Customer & Supplier Quality: Support customer requirements, supplier approval programs, raw material controls and the investigation of product or ingredient-related issues.

• Food Safety Culture: Promote a culture of accountability, compliance and continuous improvement across all levels of the facility.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will be an established FSQA professional with a strong background in food manufacturing and a thorough understanding of the technical and regulatory requirements associated with ready-to-eat protein production.

Key requirements include:

• Proven experience in FSQA leadership within a food manufacturing environment.

• Previous experience within ready-to-eat protein manufacturing, ideally involving cooked, smoked, sliced, further-processed or other post-lethality products.

• Strong knowledge of HACCP, GMPs, sanitation programs and food safety management systems.

• Experience with USDA-FSIS regulatory requirements and inspection processes in meat or poultry manufacturing.

• A strong understanding of Listeria control, environmental monitoring and post-lethality food safety interventions.

• Experience managing customer, regulatory and third-party audits, including corrective action and audit-readiness programs.

• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop FSQA teams while influencing operational stakeholders.

• Experience investigating food safety incidents, microbiological positives, customer complaints and quality deviations.

• A data-driven approach to identifying trends, reducing risk and improving plant performance.

• Strong communication skills and the confidence to challenge operational practices when food safety or product quality is at risk.

• Relevant qualifications in Food Science, Food Safety, Microbiology or a related discipline would be advantageous.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

Leadership & Visibility: Work closely with plant leadership and senior management, influencing food safety strategy and operational performance.

Technical Challenge: Take ownership of FSQA within a complex RTE manufacturing environment, with a particular focus on pathogen prevention, sanitation effectiveness and regulatory compliance.

Opportunity to Improve: Drive meaningful improvements across food safety systems, audit performance, quality metrics and manufacturing processes.

Team Development: Build and develop a capable FSQA function, strengthening technical expertise and accountability across the facility.

Business Impact: Play a critical role in protecting consumers, maintaining customer confidence and supporting the long-term success of an established protein manufacturer.