Senior FSQA Manager (Poultry)

Senior FSQA Manager (Food Safety & Quality Assurance)

Industry: Poultry Processing & Further Processing
Reports To: VP/Director of Operations or Corporate Quality
Location: California

Position Summary

The Senior FSQA Manager is responsible for leading, developing, and continuously improving all Food Safety & Quality Assurance (FSQA) programs within a high-volume poultry processing operation. This role ensures full compliance with regulatory requirements, including the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), while driving a strong food safety culture, operational excellence, and customer satisfaction.

The Senior FSQA Manager provides strategic and hands-on leadership for food safety systems, regulatory compliance, product quality, customer standards, and continuous improvement initiatives across slaughter, debone, marination, further processing, and RTE operations (if applicable).

Key Responsibilities

1. Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance

• Lead and oversee HACCP, SSOP, and Preventive Controls programs in compliance with USDA/FSIS regulations (9 CFR).

• Serve as primary liaison with on-site USDA/FSIS inspectors and regulatory agencies.

• Ensure compliance with applicable regulations, including FSMA (as applicable to further processing).

• Lead responses to regulatory findings, NRs, audits, and enforcement actions.

• Maintain readiness for regulatory reviews and third-party inspections.

2. Quality Systems & Certifications

• Oversee implementation and maintenance of GFSI-benchmarked programs (e.g., Safe Quality Food Institute (SQF), British Retail Consortium (BRC), or FSSC 22000).

• Lead internal and external audits (regulatory, customer, third-party).

• Manage document control, validation, and verification activities.

• Oversee environmental monitoring programs (EMP), pathogen control, and shelf-life validation.

3. Operational Quality Management

• Drive continuous improvement in yield, defect reduction, foreign material prevention, and product consistency.

• Establish and monitor KPIs (microbiological results, customer complaints, rework, hold/release, etc.).

• Lead root cause analysis and corrective/preventive action (CAPA) programs.

• Partner cross-functionally with Operations, Maintenance, Live Production, Procurement, and R&D.

4. Team Leadership & Development

• Lead and mentor QA Managers, Supervisors, Lab Technicians, and QA Technicians.

• Build a strong food safety culture through training, coaching, and accountability.

• Develop succession plans and talent pipelines within FSQA.

• Conduct performance evaluations and establish measurable goals.

5. Customer & Supplier Quality

• Act as primary contact for customer audits and quality inquiries.

• Manage product specifications and label compliance.

• Oversee supplier approval and verification programs.

• Support traceability and recall readiness programs, including mock recalls.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Poultry Science, Microbiology, Animal Science, or related field (Master's preferred).

Experience

• 8-12+ years of progressive FSQA experience in poultry or meat processing.

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

• Extensive experience with HACCP validation, pathogen interventions, and regulatory interactions.

• Proven success managing audits under GFSI standards.

Certifications (Preferred)

• HACCP Certification (recognized body)

• PCQI (Preventive Controls Qualified Individual)

• SQF Practitioner or Lead Auditor certification