Senior Quality Assurance Leader

Ensure consistent production of safe, quality product by following corporate and government guidelines. Supervise Quality Assurance associates. Perform all jobs safely, efficiently and accurately to maintain and improve the performance of the entire plant in the areas of Safety, Quality, Reliability (SQR) and our Customer 1st strategy. Provide leadership that embodies our 7 Kroger Manufacturing High Performance Work System principles. Demonstrate the company's core values of respect, honesty, integrity, diversity, inclusion and safety.

Responsibilities for Candidates:

• Provide leadership to the plant in areas of food safety and product quality.
• Serve as liaison for governmental inspections.
• Participate in corporate regulatory compliance inspections and audits.
• Audit plant sanitation process through environmental testing, product testing and physical inspections..
• Assure that Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) are consistently and effectively followed and ensure pest control program compliance
• Support quality initiatives by participating in routine Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) walkthroughs and participating in or leading any food safety or quality initiatives.
• Monitor to ensure that Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), Hazard Analysis & Risk-based Preventive Controls (HARPC), Sanitation. Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs), allergen programs, formulations,& finished product consistently meet specifications.
• Assure that Quality Assurance staff is properly trained and resourced.
• Ensure thorough and effective annual training of Safe Quality Foods (SQF), Good Manufacturing Practices GMPs and Food Safety Programs.
• Assure that record keeping is accurate and meets Kroger, SQF and government regulations.
• Ensure receiving procedures for incoming and outgoing ingredients are in compliance with quality and safety standards.
• Investigate consumer comments, collaborate with production on resulting action plans.
• Assist Corporate Food Technology (CFT) with product development, product audits and calculation of raw materials.
• Provide support to production in continuous improvement effort.
• Provide feedback to suppliers to improve relationships and resolve quality issues.
• Assist the staff management team in all Safe Quality Food policies and requirements.
• Accountable to the Kroger Manufacturing Food Safety and Quality Principles.
• Supervise and coach direct reports in the performance of their duties; complete performance reviews and provide feedback to direct reports.
• Must be able to perform the essential job functions of this position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Must be able to work around ingredients and/or finished products known to contain food allergens.

Qualifications for Candidates:

Minimum:

• Bachelor's Degree food science or a related field.
• 5+ years quality assurance lab experience.
• Preventative Control Qualified Individual certification.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills; able to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions.
• Ability to apply statistical process control concepts.
• Ability to read, analyze and interpret scientific and technical journals, financial reports and legal documents.
• SQF practitioner certified.

Desired:

• Thorough working knowledge of food safety and microbiological concepts.
• Plant QA Assistant Manager.