Food Safety Manager
6 - 10 years
Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex
$85k - $160k/year
Full-time
Onsite
1 month ago
About the role
Summary
The Food Safety Manager owns and leads the food safety and quality assurance program across our production facility, central kitchen, and supporting supply chain. This role is responsible for designing, implementing, maintaining, and continuously improving HACCP and food safety management systems in full compliance with USDA, FDA, and applicable state and local regulations.
About the Role
Reporting into Operations leadership, the Food Safety Manager is the company's primary point of contact for regulatory inspections, third-party audits, and customer audits. The role leads a team of QA coordinators and technicians, partners closely with Production, Procurement, R&D, and Store Operations, and drives a culture of food safety throughout the organization.
Responsibilities
Qualifications
Required Skills
The Food Safety Manager owns and leads the food safety and quality assurance program across our production facility, central kitchen, and supporting supply chain. This role is responsible for designing, implementing, maintaining, and continuously improving HACCP and food safety management systems in full compliance with USDA, FDA, and applicable state and local regulations.
About the Role
Reporting into Operations leadership, the Food Safety Manager is the company's primary point of contact for regulatory inspections, third-party audits, and customer audits. The role leads a team of QA coordinators and technicians, partners closely with Production, Procurement, R&D, and Store Operations, and drives a culture of food safety throughout the organization.
Responsibilities
- Program Ownership & Strategy
- Own, develop, and continuously improve the company's Food Safety Plan, HACCP plan, Preventive Controls program, sanitation SOPs (SSOPs), and GMP standards.
- Set annual food safety and quality objectives, KPIs, and risk-based priorities; report performance to executive leadership on a regular cadence.
- Lead change management for new products, new equipment, new suppliers, and process changes — including risk assessments, validation studies, and documentation updates.
- Compliance & Audit Leadership
- Serve as the company's primary liaison with regulatory authorities (USDA, FDA, state Department of Health, local health departments) and lead all on-site inspections.
- Lead third-party and customer audits against GFSI-recognized schemes (SQF, BRC, FSSC 22000) and customer-specific requirements; manage corrective and preventive action (CAPA) processes through closure.
- Maintain the company's audit readiness at all times; own the master food safety documentation system and records retention program.
- Operations & Daily Oversight
- Oversee incoming material inspection, in-process verification, finished-product release, environmental monitoring, allergen control, foreign-material control, and sanitation verification.
- Manage non-conforming product procedures, hold/release decisions, complaint investigations, root cause analyses, and recall/withdrawal readiness.
- Approve supplier food safety programs and Certificates of Analysis (COAs); manage approved supplier list and supplier audits.
- Oversee laboratory testing partnerships (micro, chemistry, allergen) and interpret results to drive corrective action.
- Cross-Functional Partnership
- Partner with Production and Maintenance on sanitary design, equipment changes, and preventive maintenance from a food safety lens.
- Partner with R&D on new product launches, recipe changes, label and allergen reviews, and shelf-life validation.
- Partner with Procurement on supplier qualification, ingredient specifications, and quality issues.
- Partner with Store Operations and Construction on food safety design for new restaurant builds, kitchen layouts, and operational SOPs.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree or higher in Food Science, Food Technology, Microbiology, Food & Nutrition, or a closely related discipline.
- 5+ years of progressive food safety / QA experience in food manufacturing, central commissary, or multi-unit restaurant operations, including 2+ years in a supervisory or management role.
- Deep working knowledge of HACCP, FSMA Preventive Controls, GMPs, sanitation, allergen control, and environmental monitoring.
- Hands-on experience leading USDA, FDA, state, and/or local regulatory inspections.
- PCQI (Preventive Controls Qualified Individual) certification required.
- HACCP Certification from a recognized institution (e.g., NEHA, AIB, NSF, IHA) required.
- Proficient in English — professional reading, writing, and verbal communication.
- Strong leadership, organizational, documentation, and stakeholder-management skills.
Required Skills
- Degree in Food Science, Food Safety, or a related field.
- Lead Auditor certification for a GFSI scheme (SQF, BRC, or FSSC 22000).
- Hands-on experience implementing or maintaining a GFSI-recognized program.
- Experience in Asian-cuisine, dumpling/frozen food, or multi-unit restaurant operations.
- Experience supporting a brand through rapid multi-site expansion.
Skills
Quality AssuranceFood and Beverage Manufacturing