Quality Assurance Manager
Houston, TX
The Quality Assurance Manager leads the food safety and quality function within a USDA-FSIS/FDA regulated manufacturing environment, ensuring products consistently meet regulatory, customer, and company standards. This role directly protects the organization's reputation, customer trust, and the safety of the products it produces. We're seeking a strategic, systems-thinking leader who can navigate regulatory inspections and customer audits with confidence while building and developing a high-performing quality team. The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise in food safety and quality management with strong business acumen, executive presence, and a data-driven approach to continuous improvement.
What You'll Own
- Lead and develop the site's Food Safety/Quality team, building bench strength for future leaders
- Own the Quality Management System, ensuring alignment with food safety regulations and company standards
- Lead USDA-FSIS/FDA inspections and customer audits from preparation through resolution
- Drive strategic quality initiatives using systems thinking and cross-functional collaboration
- Partner with operations leadership on business-critical decisions impacting food safety and quality
- Champion a data-driven continuous improvement culture across the plant
- Maintain and elevate HACCP, SQF, and related food safety program compliance
- Communicate quality performance and risk to executive leadership with clarity and influence
Requirements
- 7+ years of progressive Food Safety/Quality experience, including 3+ years leading Food Safety/Quality teams in a USDA-FSIS/FDA regulated food manufacturing environment
- Demonstrated leadership experience within a USDA-FSIS inspected, RTE manufacturing environment (required)
- Expert knowledge of food safety regulations and Quality Management Systems
- Proven experience leading USDA-FSIS/FDA inspections and customer audits
- HACCP Certification, Seafood HACCP Certification (or ability to obtain within 60 days), and PCQI Certification required
- SQF Practitioner certification, or ability to meet the site's SQF Practitioner qualifications within 6 months
- Internal Auditor certification required
- Nice to have: ServSafe, ASQ Certified Quality Manager (CMQ/OE), ASQ Certified Quality Auditor (CQA), or Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or above