Director of Quality Assurance

at  SkjodtBarrett Foods

WHO WE ARE

Skjodt–Barrett Foods is a rapidly growing leader in the North American food industry, specializing in custom-developed food solutions for top retail and food service providers worldwide. Our products, known for their essential nutrition and delightful flavours, are enjoyed in homes and restaurants, supporting many of the daily brands consumers trust.
As a dynamic, fast-paced, and internationally oriented company, we embrace continual challenges and opportunities for innovation. We are looking for smart, versatile individuals to join our team and contribute to our ongoing growth and success.

APPLY NOW.

At Skjodt-Barrett, we aim for diversity, equality, accessibility and inclusion in our operations and interactions. We welcome and appreciate candidates with a range of backgrounds and experiences. If you have 70% of the qualifications we are looking for, please consider applying.

WHAT YOU WILL DO:

• Drive a quality culture. You will promote the belief that everyone owns quality. You will take accountability for the overall success of QA standards and practices while guiding the team to take ownership of their actions. You will oversee the implementation of training and education for all plant employees. In addition, you will stay abreast of emerging technologies, industry best practices, and quality assurance trends to drive innovation and maintain a competitive edge.
• Optimize and implement QA solutions. You will develop and implement quality assurance strategies, policies, and procedures to assess and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and industry standards. You will evaluate, optimize, and maintain quality control processes and systems to monitor product quality throughout manufacturing, from raw material sourcing to finished product distribution. You will develop quality assurance and food safety key performance indicators to monitor performance and identify areas of improvement. You will implement change management strategies and plans that drive faster adoption of improvements and best practices that increase quality and efficiency.
• Collaborate. You will work closely with cross-functional teams, including Operations, Production, Product Development, and Procurement, to drive continuous improvement initiatives and enhance product quality and safety. You will collaborate with the Quality and Leadership teams to roll out changes and initiatives and achieve high engagement and adoption from the plant teams. You will develop and maintain relationships with regulatory agencies and industry stakeholders to stay informed of regulatory changes and industry trends. You will prepare and present reports on quality performance, trends, and initiatives to senior management and stakeholders.

WHAT YOU BRING TO THE ROLE:

• The education. You have a degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Industrial Engineering or a related discipline.
• The experience. You bring a holistic view of Quality and its cascading impact on the internal and external success of a business. You have extensive quality assurance experience in food and beverage manufacturing. You have successfully built and implemented a QMS. You have a demonstrated ability to drive continuous improvement initiatives and implement best practices to enhance product quality and safety in a multi-site organization. You have experience managing crises, including product recalls and quality-related incidents. You have deep knowledge of FDA, HACCP and GFSI requirements.
• The technical knowledge. You have experience in thermal processing techniques, including hot fill, sterilization or aseptic processing within the food manufacturing industry. You have a deep understanding of sanitation systems, techniques and procedures and pasteurization/post-pasteurization processes.
• The leadership. You have a results-oriented mindset with a focus on achieving quality objectives and driving business success. You operate with high integrity, attention to detail, professionalism, and a commitment to upholding ethical and regulatory standards. You have been directly involved in strategic conversations leading to impactful, organization-wide decisions. You have the confidence to take new ideas forward and productively challenge the status quo. You think logically and execute tactically when managing complex and ambiguous problems.
• The team management. You have managed a QA team, inspiring high performance, quality, and efficiency. You take cost control, safety, and quality incredibly seriously and can manage conflict, coordinate schedules, and identify gaps in skills or resources. As a mentor, you can offer insight into how they can improve the quality of their work.
• The change management skills. You have proven success leading complex projects from end to end. You can seamlessly adapt to changes in priorities and shift your focus when necessary. You have a proven ability to lead cultural shifts, resulting in a best-in-class Quality environment. You have the knowledge and ability to articulate the motivation behind changes and provide advocacy and involved leadership that inspires teams to embrace new practices.
• The interpersonal skills. You have outstanding professional written and verbal skills. You can explain complex technical concepts to a non-technical audience, demonstrating business value and impact. You excel at gaining trust and building relationships with internal teams, regulatory agencies, industry stakeholders, and external partners. You have finely tuned collaboration and negotiation skills. You genuinely appreciate diverse experiences and backgrounds and are interested in understanding others, hearing their perspectives, and addressing their concerns.