Supervisor, Food Safety and Quality Assurance

Job Details: Level: Experienced, Job Location: Denison IA - Denison, IA, Position Type: Full Time, Salary Range: Undisclosed, The Food Safety & Quality Assurance (FSQA) Supervisor is responsible for leading daily food safety, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance activities within the manufacturing facility. This position provides direct supervision of FSQA Technicians and Quality Leads while ensuring products are manufactured in compliance with company standards, regulatory requirements, customer specifications, and food safety programs. The FSQA Supervisor partners closely with Operations, Sanitation, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and Corporate FSQA teams to drive continuous improvement, strengthen food safety culture, reduce risks, and ensure consistent execution of quality systems. Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance  Ensure compliance with USDA, FSIS, state, local, and customer requirements, as applicable.  Maintain HACCP, Food Safety Plan, SSOP, GMP, allergen, and preventive control programs.  Conduct food safety verifications and ensure required monitoring activities are completed accurately and timely.  Support regulatory inspections, customer audits, third-party audits, and internal assessments.  Escalate food safety concerns immediately and support risk assessments and corrective actions.  Drive compliance with environmental monitoring and pathogen control programs where applicable. Quality Systems Management  Supervise daily quality assurance activities across production operations.  Verify adherence to product specifications, process controls, and quality standards.  Review quality records and ensure documentation accuracy and completeness.  Lead disposition of non-conforming materials and products.  Support product holds, investigations, and release decisions according to company requirements.  Monitor and trend quality performance metrics and identify improvement opportunities. Team Leadership  Provide leadership, coaching, and development to FSQA Technicians and Quality Leads.  Establish clear performance expectations and accountability for leads and technicians.  Conduct employee training and competency verification.  Support hiring, onboarding, performance evaluations, and employee development activities.  Foster a positive food safety and quality culture throughout the facility. Continuous Improvement & Root Cause Analysis  Lead investigations related to customer complaints, internal defects, audit findings, and food safety incidents.  Utilize root cause analysis methodologies to identify corrective and preventive actions.  Partner with Operations to improve process capability and reduce quality losses.  Drive implementation and sustainability of corrective action plans.  Support plant and corporate continuous improvement initiatives. Process Controls & Verification  Verify critical process parameters and operational controls are consistently followed.  Monitor CCPs, preventive controls, quality checkpoints, and process verification activities. Ensure deviations are properly documented, investigated, and corrected.  Collaborate with Operations to identify process improvements that enhance product quality and food safety.  Sanitation & Environmental Programs  Verify effectiveness of sanitation programs through inspections and pre-operational evaluations.  Support environmental monitoring activities and response actions.  Ensure sanitation deficiencies are documented and corrected in a timely manner.  Partner with Sanitation leadership to continuously improve hygienic conditions and practices.  Customer & Audit Readiness  Assist in managing customer specifications and requirements.  Participate in customer visits and audits.  Ensure the facility maintains audit readiness at all times.  Support responses to audit observations, customer concerns, and regulatory findings. Qualifications: Education  Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Biology, Chemistry, Animal Science, Quality Assurance, or related field preferred.  Equivalent combination of education and industry experience may be considered. Experience  3-5 years of experience in food manufacturing, food safety, quality assurance, or regulatory compliance.  Minimum 1-2 years of supervisory or leadership experience preferred.  Experience in USDA regulated food manufacturing environments preferred.  Experience with HACCP, food safety systems, and audit programs.  Strong knowledge of HACCP, GMPs, SSOPs, allergen management, and food safety regulations.  Understanding of USDA, FSIS, FDA,  BRCGS, or equivalent standards.  Strong problem-solving and root cause analysis skills.  Ability to analyze trends and data to identify risks and improvement opportunities.  Effective leadership, communication, and conflict-resolution skills.  Proficiency in Microsoft Office and quality management systems.  Ability to work effectively across departments and influence operational teams.  Must be 18 years or older.