VP of Food Safety and Quality Assurance

Reports to: Chief Production Officer

Job Summary: 

The VP of FSQA is responsible for oversight of the Bell & Evans plant quality assurance, sanitation, and food safety & regulatory systems teams. This position will provide technical expertise and talent management to the functional area teams.

Essential Responsibilities: 

• Establish the organization’s short- and long-term strategies and initiatives for food safety and quality.
• Ensure organizational processes, procedures, and structure are aligned to meet compliance and regulatory requirements.
• Champion a collaborative culture around Food Safety, Quality and Continuous Improvement.
• Align FSQA leaders on business and departmental strategy and key initiatives; ensure all resources are available, implemented, and effective to achieve success. 
• Collaborate with key stakeholders to ensure Food Safety, Quality, Regulatory and Sanitation programs are implemented and effective. Ensure staffing structures are in place to support program implementation and effectiveness. Develop and manage metrics to measure performance and success for the organization. 
• Develop proactive relationships with Sales, Customer Service and Strategic Customers to ensure customer expectations are accurately reflected in KPIs, Specifications and key process requirements. 
• Foster a culture of Continuous Improvement and deliberate problem solving.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree desired in Food Science, Poultry Science, or related field; Relevant combination of education and experience will be considered. 
• 10+ Years progressive leadership experience in a Food Safety/Quality Management role. 
• Ability to read, analyze and interpret complex documents including professional and technical procedures, and government regulations. 
• Demonstrated analytical, risk management, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficient in use of MS Office applications; and/or relevant industry software solutions.

Key Competencies:

• Proven ability to develop and execute strategic food safety, quality assurance, and sanitation initiatives aligned with business objectives.
• Strong leadership and talent development skills with a demonstrated ability to build, coach, and develop high-performing teams.
• Exceptional communication and relationship-building skills with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through change, drive accountability, and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to balance operational, regulatory, customer, and financial considerations.
• Expertise in regulatory compliance, risk assessment, audit readiness, and corrective/preventive action management.
• Data-driven decision-making skills with the ability to establish, analyze, and leverage performance metrics to drive results.
• Proven ability to manage cross-functional partnerships and collaborate effectively with Operations, Sales, Customer Service, Regulatory, and Strategic Customer stakeholders.
• Excellent project management and organizational skills with the ability to prioritize multiple initiatives in a fast-paced environment.
• Results-oriented leadership style with a commitment to operational excellence, food safety, quality, and employee engagement