The Operations QA and Food Safety Director leads the development and improvement of our Quality and Food Safety programs, processes, and systems, including company-owned and contract locations. Expertise in Regulatory, Food Safety, and Quality, for example, GFSI, GMP, HACCP, Sanitation, Food Defense, Traceability, Recall, Document Management, Audit, Verification, Validation, RCA, Change Management, and Commercialization, etc.). This position will partner with other Innophos teams, such as procurement, planning, engineering, packaging, and warehousing, to build Quality and Food Safety expectations into all processes, including our ongoing Supply Chain Transformation.

This job can be located at our Cranbury, NJ Headquarters, one of our primary manufacturing sites or fully remote.

Key Responsibilities

• Manages experienced specialist employees who exercise significant latitude and independence
• Work collaboratively both vertically and horizontally with cross-functional teams to mature our Quality and Food Safety Systems by developing and improving processes and systems
• Establish tools, processes, and systems to support standardization across all production locations
• Lead our team of QA Managers in document management and process improvement
• Be a resource and servant leader to your team in Quality, Food Safety, document management, process improvement, and personal development
• Establish and lead a change management process and governance team, including a technical stage-gate process for trials and commercialization
• Manage and lead the site's document management process, including specifications, policies, CoAs, lab results, dispositions, recalcifications, grading of products, non-conforming material investigation and approval procedures etc.
• Lead the Quality escalation process for critical quality process or product issues
• Develop, collaborate, execute new policies, procedures, and standards
• Lead the internal food safety, quality, and process audit program
• Establish a Management Review Process for our Quality and Food Safety system
• Develop, mentor, and guide a team to develop technical and professional skills as they become our future leaders
• Improve, maintain the sites and corporate KPIs and establish a site management review process
• Assure compliance with Quality, Food Safety, applicable Regulatory Requirements, and FSMA for Food, Dietary Supplements, and Phosphate
• Policy and Strategy: Establishes operating policies and procedures that affect departments and subordinate sections, and work units. Interprets company-wide policies and procedures
• Freedom to Act: Assignments are objective-oriented. Work is reviewed in terms of meeting the organization s objectives and timelines.
• Impact: Decisions have an extended impact on work processes and outcomes. Erroneous decisions result in critical delays and modifications to projects or operations; cause substantial expenditure of additional time, human resources, and funds; and jeopardize future business activity.
• Liaison: Interacts frequently with internal and external management and senior-level customer representatives concerning projects, operational decisions, scheduling requirements, and/or contractual clarifications. Leads briefings and technical meetings for internal and external representatives.

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelors in a related field (i.e., Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, or Chemical Engineering)
• 10 or more years of supervisory experience in Quality and Food Safety for food, beverage, nutritional/supplemental manufacturing, is a must. Total professional experience between 15 to 20 years; Masters with 12 to 15 years experience preferred

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Experience and working knowledge of FDA regulations and FSMA
• Experience in the development and implementation of Food Safety Plans and Quality Systems
• Certified in PCQI, HACCP, and Food Defense minimum
• Experience managing Quality and Food Safety for multiple locations is a must
• Working knowledge of SPC and manufacturing applications
• Extensive experience in investigation and auditing
• Experience in leading or facilitating structured problems solving teams
• Ability to influence internal and external stakeholders
• Independent, self-motivated individual with experience leading a team
• Working knowledge of SPC and manufacturing applications
• Negotiation Skills: Must be a skilled negotiator to achieve favorable results from dealing with regulatory personnel, internal and external customers, and other industry players
• Technical Skills: Must possess a high degree of technical knowledge commonly garnered through experience in the fields described above. Must be PC literate and proficient in the use of systems to ensure efficient analytical tasks.
• Interpersonal and Communications Skills: Must possess excellent communication skills. The position will require constant interaction with regulatory bodies and transfer of knowledge to internal and external customers.
• A vertical and horizontal collaborator
• Ability to learn Innophos information systems that will be used to support regulatory activities
• Must possess a high degree of technical knowledge commonly garnered through experience in the fields described above

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Number of employees supervised:
  • Direct: 4
  • Indirect: 30

Environmental and/or Physical Requirements

• Travel to our manufacturing plants, up to 25%

About Innophos

Innophos is a leading international producer of specialty ingredient solutions that deliver far-reaching, versatile benefits for the food, health, nutrition and industrial markets. We leverage our expertise in the science and technology of blending and formulating phosphate, mineral and botanical based ingredients for our customers.

Our people are the heart of our organization and the foundation of our success. We are driven by our core values of safety, diversity, integrity and collaboration.

Headquartered in Cranbury, New Jersey, Innophos has manufacturing operations across the United States, in Canada, Mexico and China and sells into over 70 countries.