Food Safety Manager

About the role

The Food Safety Manager leads the food safety and quality assurance program across our production facility, central kitchen, and supply chain. Reporting to Operations leadership, this role is the primary point of contact for regulatory inspections, third‑party audits, and customer audits, and drives a culture of food safety throughout the organization.

Key responsibilities

• Own, develop and continuously improve the company’s Food Safety Plan, HACCP plan, preventive controls, sanitation SOPs (SSOPs) and GMP standards.
• Set annual food safety and quality objectives, KPIs and risk‑based priorities; report performance to executive leadership.
• Lead change management for new products, equipment, suppliers and process changes, including risk assessments, validation studies and documentation updates.
• Serve as liaison with USDA, FDA, state and local health authorities; lead all on‑site regulatory inspections.
• Manage third‑party and customer audits against GFSI‑recognized schemes (SQF, BRC, FSSC 22000) and oversee CAPA processes.
• Oversee incoming material inspection, in‑process verification, finished‑product release, environmental monitoring, allergen and foreign‑material control, and sanitation verification.
• Handle non‑conforming product procedures, hold/release decisions, complaint investigations, root‑cause analyses and recall readiness.
• Approve supplier food safety programs, COAs and manage the approved supplier list and audits.
• Partner with Production, R&D, Procurement and Store Operations on sanitary design, new product launches, supplier qualification and food‑safe restaurant builds.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Food Science, Food Technology, Microbiology or a related field.
• Extensive experience in food safety management within a production or manufacturing environment.
• Proven track record leading regulatory inspections, third‑party audits and CAPA processes.
• Strong knowledge of USDA, FDA, state and local food regulations.

Required skills

• HACCP program development and maintenance
• GFSI schemes: SQF, BRC, FSSC 22000
• USDA and FDA regulatory compliance
• Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Sanitation SOPs (SSOP)
• Risk assessment and validation studies
• Audit management and corrective‑preventive action (CAPA)
• Environmental monitoring, allergen control and foreign‑material control
• Laboratory testing interpretation (microbiology, chemistry, allergens)
• Supplier qualification, COA review and supplier audit management