Quality Manager

Job Title:   Manager, Quality                          Reports to:  Plant Manager                                            

Location:  Pittsfield                                          Shift:  Days                                                                                      

Prepared by: Human Resources                    Approved By: Plant Manager                                        

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry or related field

• 5 years quality experience in a manufacturing setting.  
• Minimum of 2 years of manufacturing experience with a beverage, food or liquid consumer products manufacturer
• HACCP Certified, or ability to become certified upon hiring
• SQF certified, or the ability to become certified upon hiring.
• Certified Plant Operator (CPO) or ability to become certified upon hiring
• Preventative Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) or ability to become certified upon hiring
• Must be experienced with GMP’s, sanitation standards and FDA/SQF requirements.
• Previous supervisory experience, strong facilitation, organizational, and communication skills (oral and written), strong computer skills.
• Effective negotiation skills with the ability to listen
• Excellent Verbal and Written Communication skills
• Strong MS Office Skills
• Positive Attitude with the ability to Multi-task
• Ability to work independently, self-starter, energetic

General Overview: 

The Manager, Quality position is responsible for managing Quality Assurance at the plant level for multi-state distribution. This position must ensure that the company produces safe products of the highest and most consistent quality by overseeing various branded and private label production. This position will aid in the assessment of operations and manage the implementation of corporate quality assurance policies and programs at the plant level. 

Essential Functions:  

• Lead implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act at plant
• Implement and ensure conformance to corporate quality assurance programs to prevent beverage quality or safety issues at manufacturing facilities, which may include an offsite storage and spring water facility.
• Monitor finished product quality results to ensure conformance to corporate and customer specifications
• Supervise the quality team
• Monitor spending within the department to operate within budget
• Develop skills of direct reports and plant employees.
• Ensure that plant is audit- and inspection- ready at all times.
• Provide support for all customer, regulatory and third party audits.
• Identify and lead Process Improvement initiatives. 
• Develop a rapport with Plant and QA managers at all company locations.
• Develop and document a complete HACCP and QACCP plan for plant. 
• Develop and maintain a specific QA/QC SOP manual for plant
• Troubleshoot problems associated with finished product production in assigned facilities; investigate root cause, develop and implement corrective actions, and prevent reoccurrence through the development of long-term solutions
• Implement appropriate controls, sample plans, hold/release system modifications, code rotation, batching and processing controls, and other production systems where problems might exist. Coordinate QA efforts with R&D and vice versa. 
• Monitor effectiveness of integrated pest management system
• Work with R&D to ensure that manufacturing and raw material specifications exist and are current and enforced. 
• Stay current with all key industry, regulatory and certifying agency guidelines. 
• Oversee management of change at plant 
• Manage regulatory components within assigned region to include process filings, water quality testing, unannounced inspections, requirements associated with label compliance and net weight, etc
• Participate in monthly financial calls

Essential Skills:

• Understand financial information so it can be communicated to all parts of the organization. 
• Ability to learn and use software programs such as Presage, Margin Miner and JDE to maintain and evaluate quality data. 
• Positive can do attitude person. Must be flexible to adapt to changes in workload.
• Meets deadlines and maintain a high level of accuracy and confidentiality in a fast-paced teamwork environment.

• Good interpersonal oral and written communication skills.
• Experience in sanitation with ability to develop cleaning procedures based on risk and data.
• Ability to analyze financial statements and company metrics as well as water capital projects and specifications. 
• Ability to work independently and simultaneously on multiple projects.
• Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedure and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
• Knowledge of the structure of the English language including reading, writing, and oral comprehension and oral and written expression.
• Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer service. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, evaluation of customer satisfaction, and actively looking for ways to help people.
• Knowledge of raw materials, production process, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Ability to consider the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Ability to use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solution, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Knowledge of HACCP, FSMA and GFSI
• Ability to remain current on changes to industry and regulatory standards.
• Ability to identify complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Key Deliverables:

• Impact: (Operation): Work achieves operational targets or service standards.   
• Communication: (Influence): Effect change without direct exercise of command where persuasion is required.    
• Innovation: (Modify) Adapt or enhance quality or value in existing methods; make better as a part of day-to-day activities. 
• Problem Solving: (Difficult): Problems and issues may be only vaguely defined and require understanding and consideration of other disciplines and job areas. 
• Team Leader: Coaches team members (at least three) in skills; leads, schedules, allocates and monitors work. 

GMP & PPE Required:

While on the production floor in the plant, you will be required to follow and help to enforce all GMP regulations in the plant. Anyone entering the production floor must follow the GMP rules in their employee handbook, which includes the required hairnets, beard nets, and earplugs. It is also required that all personnel wear safety glasses.  Follows standard operating procedures including quality checks and procedures for all operations.  Also follows HACCP and SQF requirements for food quality and safety.

Non-Essential Job Duties

Will perform other related work as required.