Vice President, Quality Assurance

The base pay range for this position is $200,675.00 - $321,425.00/annually.

At FreshRealm we aspire to be the fresh meal company. Fresh meals are our focus, and we are passionate about revolutionizing this rapidly growing category. 

FreshRealm develops, sources, commercializes and assembles fresh meals. Fresh meals, including meal kits, ready-to-heat and ready-to-cook offerings are 100% our focus. We partner with leading Grocery, Convenience and Omni channel retailers to deliver the very best meals to their customers. Our success is measured by the success of our retail partners. Service, quality and consistency are our obsession, and we take pride in every meal that our customers place on their shelves.

At FreshRealm meals are more than a source of nutrition, they are our passion. Meals are the heart of a timeless ritual of sitting down to connect with family, friends, and ourselves. We are proud to play a small part in the ritual of “connecting through meals”.

If you are a leader looking to build the future of fresh meals, you are growth minded and thrive in an entrepreneurial environment, or you are excited to work with the country’s largest retailers, go to market with the best in product quality and work with industry leaders that care for each other and their communities, FreshRealm is the perfect fit for you.

Position Summary:

As the Vice President, Quality Assurance you will provide leadership and expertise to ensure the company’s food products at FreshRealm, meet the highest standards for quality. You will work closely with manufacturing, fulfillment, development, sales, purchasing, and regulatory departments to ensure FreshRealm has a world class culture of quality. Managing, mentoring, and developing our quality assurance & sanitation teams in all sites, this position champions a culture of top-tier focus on quality aligning our operations with industry best practices. The candidate will act as the subject matter expert on behalf of the organization and will play a pivotal role in upholding our commitment to excellence in food quality standards.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the strategic development and implementation of quality assurance programs, ensuring alignment with industry benchmarks and regulatory requirements.

• Direct and mentor the Quality Assurance team, Regional QA Managers, manufacturing plant QA Managers, promoting a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.

• Oversee key quality assurance customer relationships, enhancing confidence in our food quality practices

• Engage with all organizational levels to advocate for and implement positive changes in our food quality systems, maintaining transparency and communication across functions.

• Lead all activities related to quality assurance processes. This includes but is not limited to the HACCP system, Master Sanitation Schedule (MSS), regulatory audits, quality systems review process (QSR), Standard Operating Procedures (SOP's), incoming Raw material inspections, product scoring, and GMP audits, Pest Control programs, customer and consumer complaint resolution, standardized work instructions.

• Monitoring all verification, and validation activities to ensure that all products leaving the facility meet the facility’s Food Safety and Quality Food Safe Standards.

• Manage finished product tasting & evaluation process and records.

• Provide guidance and oversight in situations where deviations have occurred or a potential risk has been identified related to food safety and/or quality attributes.

• Align, develop and maintain systems to assure the facilities meet all food safety and quality system requirements.

• Manage document control and records, equipment and environment specifications, maintaining food safety, verification, product identification, trace and recall, incident management, and food safety fundamentals.

• Drive proper pre-operational procedures and environmental testing as required.

• Manage coordination and cooperation with on-site third-party audits performed, such as FDA, GFSI and/or other regulatory agencies or approved inspectors.

• Oversee all product recalls and the associated SOPs, tracking and documentation

• Responsible for monitoring quality control testing for raw materials, packaging materials, and/or finished product quality at the plant level.

• Quality audit program for the production facility to ensure company and regulatory standards of product quality, sanitation, and process controls are met.

• Work with and support sales and customer communications regarding quality measures and metrics, compliance issues, specifications, and quality issues.

• Drive departmental focus on continuous process improvement.

• Champion quality to drive improvements in key customer/consumer quality attributes.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE JOB

Skills and Requirements

• Excellent leadership, communications and team-building skills to build high morale and group commitment to goals and objectives

• Knowledge of HACCP, GMP, Sanitation, and quality and food safety programs required.

• Understanding of food facility operations, cooking processes and packaging environments.

• Ability to provide training, coaching, and feedback to provide sustainable productivity and quality from the plant

• Ability to communicate and collaborate, effectively, with diplomacy and tact to all levels of personnel across the facilities

• Expertise in GFSI, HACCP, PCQI, and FDA regulations, with knowledge of USDA regulations being an advantage.

• Experience with Lean processes/culture, change management, and the ability to drive continuous improvement in food safety and quality

• Capable of strategic thinking and hands-on problem-solving, with the ability to make informed decisions quickly.

• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, and the ability to engage effectively with stakeholders at all levels

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, experience with Deacom or other ERP systems is preferred.

• Primarily office-based, with significant time spent in manufacturing settings, up to 50% travel required.  This position is not just a job, but a mission to ensure the highest quality of our food products, making a tangible impact on the company and our customers nationally.

Experience / Education

• 15+ years of progressive experience in Food Safety, Quality Assurance, or Regulatory Affairs.

• Bachelor’s degree required (Master’s preferred) in Food Science, Microbiology, Engineering, or a related field GFSI Practitioner

• Increasingly responsible experience in Quality Assurance/Quality Control. Previous experience in a QA/QC Management role required.

What We Offer:

• Comprehensive benefits package for full-time employees including medical, dental, vision, pet insurance and legal insurance
• 401(k) with company match that is immediately vested
• Life and ADD insurance
• Opportunities for career growth with a dynamic company that is changing the landscape of fresh meals.
• Unlimited paid time off (PTO)

Our Values at Work

We believe that ACTIONS speak louder than words and our company values align to those ACTIONS.

In Our Daily Work, This Looks Like:

• ACCOUNTABILITY: Set clear objectives and prioritize your tasks Hold yourself and your teams accountable for meeting deadlines Learn from your mistakes and use it as a learning opportunity to improve next time.
• CHALLENGE WITH CURIOSITY: We challenge and engage with each other through curiosity and a drive to innovate and transform. This encourages us to learn from one another, be open-minded to other perspectives and possibilities, and continuously improve and problem-solve with intensity. We persevere through challenges, observe patterns, and pay attention to the details to make connections others may overlook, allowing us to exceed expectations.
• TRANSPARENCY & HONESTY: Maintain open and consistent communication. Admit mistakes and take ownership Document decisions to help avoid misunderstandings.
• INNOVATION: Work with the end-user in mind and create solutions that will add value Question existing norms, assumptions, and best practices Experiment and take calculated, data-driven risks.
• OBJECTIVITY: Utilize data and make data-driven decisions at every opportunity
• NIMBLENESS: Utilize time management to help stay focused and on task with urgency and adjust accordingly. Delegate and trust others to handle specific responsibilities with resources and support.
• SUCCESS THROUGH OUR CUSTOMERS: Know your audience and the type of work they expect to receive as the end-result of a project, initiative, or task Seek feedback at different stages to ensure you’re on the right track foster collaboration among cross-functional teams to ensure you’re providing the best experience and service to our consumers.

Employee pay will vary based on factors such as qualifications, experience, skill level, competencies and work location.  We will meet minimum wage or minimum of the pay range (whichever is higher) based on city, county and state requirements.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer

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