Director Food Safety And Quality Assurance

Job Title: Director of Food Safety and Quality Assurance

As the Director of Food Safety and Quality Assurance, you will serve as the site food safety leader, providing direction and technical leadership in the development and implementation of quality systems. You will ensure compliance with corporate policies, GFSI standards, regulatory requirements, and customer expectations, while identifying opportunities to improve quality programs and systems. You will also mentor and support team members to develop a high-performing FSQA team.

Responsibilities

• Oversee compliance of offsite warehouses to specifications and requirements, conducting audits and assessments as needed.
• Provide subject matter expertise on sanitation practices to drive effectiveness and operational efficiency.
• Ensure regulatory compliance through routine interaction with USDA inspectors and issue resolution.
• Direct in-process quality control activities, including testing of raw materials and finished goods.
• Monitor, track, and report FSQA performance through established Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and quality metrics.
• Provide functional QA leadership for facility initiatives and capital projects.
• Lead investigation and resolution of customer complaints, ensuring timely and accurate responses.
• Manage internal and external audits, ensuring compliance and timely closure of findings.
• Verify compliance with HACCP and food safety programs, including oversight of prerequisite programs.
• Review and make final disposition decisions on retained product and materials, ensuring procedures and documentation are properly executed.
• Monitor adherence to SOPs, manufacturing operating procedures, and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).
• Deliver training and development programs to ensure QA personnel meet technical and compliance standards.
• Participate in internal product evaluation panels and support continuous improvement through product reviews.
• Support broader employee training initiatives related to food safety and quality system topics.
• Establish and manage departmental costs and expenditures in line with budgetary expectations.
• Perform additional duties as assigned in support of company and department goals.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Microbiology, or a related field.
• 7-10 years of progressive experience in quality assurance and food processing, including prior management experience.
• In-depth knowledge of USDA/FDA regulations, GFSI standards, and industry best practices.
• HACCP and PCQI certification required.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience in quality assurance, FDA, and food industry, preferably with oils.

Work Environment

The work environment is predominantly a normal office setting, with occasional visits to the production floor, which accounts for about 5% of work time. The environment is climate-controlled, maintaining room temperature conditions.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Chicago, IL.

Pay And Benefits

The pay range for this position is $125000.00 - $160000.00/yr.

TBA....................................

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Chicago,IL.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Feb 28, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 30,000 consultants and more than 4,500 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing due to a disability, please email [email protected] for other accommodation options.