FSQA Superintendent (RTC Protein)

1. Position Summary

The FSQA Superintendent is responsible for leading the day-to-day execution of Food Safety and Quality Assurance programs within a ready-to-cook and frozen protein manufacturing facility. The role ensures that all products are manufactured in compliance with applicable USDA-FSIS and FDA requirements, customer specifications, company standards, and recognized food safety systems.

Operating within a high-volume, fast-paced protein processing environment, the FSQA Superintendent will provide operational leadership across raw material receiving, ingredient handling, preparation, marination, forming, breading, cooking where applicable, freezing, packaging, storage, and distribution.

The successful candidate will be a visible, hands-on food safety leader with strong technical expertise in HACCP, preventive controls where applicable, sanitation, microbiological risk management, environmental monitoring, allergen control, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement.

The role requires close collaboration with Operations, Sanitation, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and Corporate Quality to build a proactive food safety culture, protect consumers, ensure product integrity, and support operational performance.

2. Key Responsibilities

A. Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance

• Lead the implementation, maintenance, and verification of all applicable food safety programs in accordance with USDA-FSIS, FDA, and other relevant federal, state, and local requirements.

• Ensure compliance with applicable provisions of 9 CFR Parts 416 and 417, including Sanitation Performance Standards, Sanitation SOPs, and HACCP requirements for USDA-inspected operations.

• Maintain and verify HACCP plans, hazard analyses, prerequisite programs, and risk-based preventive controls, as applicable to the facility and product classification.

• Ensure effective control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards associated with raw and ready-to-cook protein products.

• Oversee regulatory inspections, third-party audits, customer audits, and internal compliance assessments.

• Manage regulatory non-compliances, inspection findings, corrective actions, and preventive measures through timely investigation and documented resolution.

• Maintain accurate, complete, and readily retrievable food safety records.

• Support product holds, disposition decisions, regulatory notifications, and product recalls in accordance with established procedures and delegated authority.

B. HACCP, Microbiology & Risk Management

• Verify HACCP monitoring, verification, validation, reassessment, and recordkeeping activities in accordance with applicable requirements.

• Ensure effective management of product-specific hazards, including Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes where relevant, Campylobacter in applicable poultry operations, and other pathogens identified through the facility's hazard analysis.

• Oversee microbiological testing programs for raw materials, finished products, food-contact surfaces, and the processing environment, as appropriate.

• Manage environmental monitoring programs, including risk-based sampling, trend analysis, investigations, and corrective actions.

• Ensure effective segregation and control of raw and cooked or post-lethality-exposed products where applicable.

• Investigate microbiological failures and emerging food safety risks, working with internal stakeholders and external laboratories as necessary.

• Ensure appropriate controls for temperature management, thawing, freezing, product handling, and cold-chain integrity.

• Verify that product safety controls remain effective during process changes, equipment modifications, new product introductions, and changes in raw material sourcing.

C. Quality Assurance & Product Integrity

• Lead routine product and process verification to ensure compliance with product specifications, customer requirements, and internal quality standards.

• Monitor key quality attributes, including weight control, dimensions, appearance, texture, color, coating or breading coverage, formulation, packaging integrity, and product consistency.

• Ensure accurate label approval and verification, including ingredient declarations, allergen statements, nutrition information where applicable, safe-handling statements, and applicable USDA or FDA labeling requirements.

• Oversee non-conforming product management, root cause analysis, corrective action, and disposition.

• Monitor customer complaints, product defects, foreign material incidents, and quality trends.

• Partner with Operations and R&D on product launches, process optimization, specification changes, and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Ensure product traceability and mass-balance capabilities are maintained and periodically tested.

D. Sanitation & Environmental Controls

• Work closely with the Sanitation Department to verify the effectiveness of pre-operational inspections, sanitation procedures, cleaning chemical controls, and post-cleaning verification.

• Ensure hygienic design and sanitary maintenance expectations are incorporated into equipment and facility improvement plans.

• Monitor sanitation performance, recurring deficiencies, and corrective action effectiveness.

• Support the management of allergen changeovers, cross-contact risks, and cleaning validation or verification programs, as appropriate.

• Ensure effective pest control, waste management, water quality, condensation control, and facility hygiene programs.

• Escalate and address conditions that may compromise product safety, regulatory compliance, or plant hygiene.

E. People Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach, and develop FSQA Supervisors, Technicians, and other quality personnel.

• Establish clear responsibilities, performance expectations, shift coverage, and escalation protocols.

• Ensure adequate FSQA coverage across all production shifts, including nights and weekends where required.

• Deliver training on HACCP, GMPs, sanitation, allergen control, foreign material prevention, documentation, and food safety culture.

• Build strong working relationships with Operations while maintaining the independence and authority necessary to protect food safety.

• Promote a culture of accountability, proactive reporting, continuous improvement, and immediate escalation of food safety concerns.

• Support recruitment, onboarding, performance reviews, succession planning, and technical capability development.

F. Audits, Documentation & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain site readiness for USDA-FSIS inspections, customer audits, and third-party certification audits such as BRCGS, SQF, or FSSC 22000, as applicable.

• Lead internal audits, compliance reviews, and verification activities.

• Analyze food safety and quality data to identify trends, recurring failures, and opportunities for improvement.

• Develop and implement corrective and preventive action plans using structured root cause analysis methodologies.

• Drive improvements in audit performance, environmental monitoring, customer complaints, non-conformance rates, and corrective action closure.

• Maintain controlled procedures, specifications, forms, training records, and other quality management documentation.

• Support management reviews and cross-functional food safety and quality improvement initiatives.

G. Operational Partnership

• Participate in daily production meetings, shift handovers, and operational performance reviews.

• Provide timely guidance on product release, process deviations, quality holds, and food safety escalations.

• Collaborate with Operations and Maintenance to minimize repeat deviations and improve process control.

• Ensure food safety risks are appropriately assessed before restarting production following significant equipment failures, sanitation deficiencies, or process deviations.

• Support new equipment commissioning, process changes, and product trials through appropriate food safety and quality assessments.

• Balance operational efficiency with strict adherence to food safety, regulatory, and customer requirements.

3. Required Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Safety, Microbiology, Animal Science, Meat Science, or a related discipline preferred.

• Typically 5+ years of experience in food safety and quality assurance within protein processing, meat, poultry, seafood, or other relevant food manufacturing environments.

• At least 2-3 years of supervisory or team leadership experience in a manufacturing facility.

• Demonstrated working knowledge of HACCP principles, GMPs, sanitation programs, microbiological risk management, and regulatory compliance.

• Experience supporting USDA-FSIS-regulated meat or poultry operations; direct experience in the relevant product category is strongly preferred.

• Experience with ready-to-cook, frozen, breaded, formed, marinated, or otherwise value-added protein products is highly desirable.

• Practical experience managing audits, corrective actions, product holds, traceability exercises, and customer or regulatory investigations.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with plant leadership, production employees, regulators, and customers.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and electronic quality management or manufacturing record systems.

Preferred certifications and technical credentials:

• HACCP training appropriate to the facility and applicable regulatory requirements.

• PCQI qualification where applicable to FDA-regulated activities.

• Internal auditor training for SQF, BRCGS, or another relevant GFSI-recognized certification program.

• Food safety, sanitation, microbiology, or quality management certifications from recognized industry organizations.