Our client is a multi-billion dollar dairy manufacturer located in the Northeast. They have a new opportunity for a Vice President of Quality Assurance/Regulatory Affairs.
Job Summary:
The VP of QA and Regulatory Affairs oversees the Quality Assurance staff, which serves the 15 operating plants and assorted co-packers, as well as the Regulatory Affairs staff, which is responsible for regulatory compliance, kosher, organic, halal, etc. certifications, and compliance with various customer quality programs.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Effectively manage and develop Quality/Regulatory team.
- Act as the subject matter expert on behalf of the Company, both internally and externally, for quality and regulatory compliance issues.
- Foster a collaborative relationship among other functional areas (operations, sales, marketing, R&D, etc.), while maintaining the status as the independent authority on quality assurance and regulatory affairs.
- Lead a staff that is results oriented and driven to serve their internal and external customers.
- Develop and implement regulatory strategy, and manage those systems and programs in order to meet corporate goals and objectives.
- Serve as a subject matter expert for all food safety and quality-assurance-related trends, regulations, and legislation, maintaining a high level of expertise on all food safety and quality-related subjects.
- Protect the brands through continuous improvement in the areas of compliance to food safety, quality, regulatory, sanitation, and corporate standards.
- Participate in the innovation process to ensure complete quality and food safety risk analysis; validate compliance documentation.
- Validate compliance of all products (composition, labeling and communication), every stage of product development projects to ensure product safety and product compliance with specifications.
- Review all product labeling and marketing materials to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
- Approval process of suppliers, material, integrating local regulations in the risk analysis. Ensure the traceability program is managed and measured all along the supply chain, from suppliers to final point of sale.
- Coordinate department planning to ensure that the regulatory and corporate quality department functions optimally and within a budget.
- Ensure Quality/Regulatory department interfaces with key functional groups (R&D, Operations, Sales, Marketing, and Procurement) to drive Company-wide or cross-departmental initiatives.
- Participate in the short and long-range planning of new product opportunities.
- Assure/maintain SQF certification.
- Assure compliance in Kosher, Organic, Halal certifications.
- Set challenging, reasonable performance expectations for microbiological performance, foreign material control, regulatory compliance, and HAACP programs.
- Manage the investigation and reporting of quality issues and implementation of internal audit control processes.
- Develop and maintain working relationships with appropriate regulatory agencies, working as a reputable senior liaison in regard to food safety and quality matters.
- Develop benchmarking and metrics for Company food safety and quality assurance performance through interaction with industry peers.
Education and Experience:
- Minimum 20 years’ experience in food manufacturing/dairy with at least 10 years in a senior role.
- Minimum MS or PHD degree in Food Science or related field.
- Excellent people management skills.
- Experience with UHT (ultra-high temperature processing), thermal processing, pasteurization, sterilization, aseptic processing, and packaging systems.
- Prefer low acid ESL or UHT experience with FDA and cooperating with Process Authorities.
- Experience in the management of quality systems and technical services functions.
- Solid understanding of Title 21 of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act including a good understanding of the new requirements coming from the Food Safety Modernization Act.
- Knowledge of crisis management processes, including the effective management of product recalls.
Skills and Competencies:
- Demonstrated efficiency in developing and leading people and teams. Thinking and acting strategically.
- Ability to influence others to deliver results.
- Effective trainer of QA staff and also plant personnel.
- Experience and working knowledge of continuous improvement processes such as Lean or Six-Sigma.
- Ability to effectively collaborate with the Company executive team and senior leadership at suppliers and customers.
- General management acumen and experience and knowledge of business models and corporate strategy.
- Experience with international exporting.
- Ability to travel as needed, +/- 40%
All applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. now and in the future without requiring sponsorship.
For additional information, please contact Moira McGrath, (954) 428-3888 or moira@foodscience.com.