Director FSQS, North America

Location: Proximity to Work in Alsip IL US, Scarborough, CAN or Monterrey MX

Summary: Provide strategic direction and leadership to Griffith Foods North American Food Safety and Quality Systems teams across the United States, Mexican and Canadian sites, and businesses, including various contract manufacturer locations, warehouses and FSVP (US). Leads one management group to closely align efforts and measure performance in the areas of quality, GPE and manufacturing. Enabler for our sites to use their local quality group in efforts of GPE and transforms our operations group to better understand customer requirements. Creates alignment and commitment with our global quality initiatives, which is set to deliver improved performance consistency, standards consistency, customer satisfaction, and business enablement.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

FS & QS Programs

• Overall responsibility for the Griffith Foods North American business food safety and quality systems programs design and compliance, as well as regional policy setting.
• Leads and develops plans to standardize quality systems and food safety personnel and programs across all manufacturing facilities, including best practice utilization.
• A member of the North American Supply Chain Leadership Team and ensures alignment of FSQS expectations across functions and fellow members. The position provides regular updates to the team regarding the FSQS function.
• Represents the North American business as a member of the Global Food Safety Council and key integration contact for Griffith Global FSQS and GF NA practice who continuously strives toward standardization of practices and methodology.
• Oversee, tracks, and compares performance of manufacturing sites in terms of raw material violations, complaints, errors, audits and provides direction for improvement via weekly score carding.
• Assures compliance to all NA regulations and regulations related to countries of export.
• Provides guidance and leadership to comply with the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Food Safety and Quality framework.
• Collaborates with customers regarding required information, audits, and any issues (complaints and nonconformances).
• Aligns with Sales, Operations and Product Development to ensure the commercial process is efficient and effective for new products.
• Leads the development of training materials used for food safety, GMP, and allergen control.
• Assures new manufacturing equipment design/installations to meet sanitary design.
• Assures new manufacturing sites, such as co-mans comply for production.
• Reviews industry journals, websites, etc. to stay current on food safety and quality news.
• Provides leadership to FSQS Team that conducts supplier audits as well as supplier/raw material approvals.

Technical Representation, Customer Relations & Crisis Management

• This role provides leadership in all Food Safety and Quality areas across North American facilities including plant program coordination/decision making, common customer communication, and management updates.
• Acts as the technical lead person for Food Safety and Quality Systems department.
• Primary technical liaison between Commercial and Supply Chain teams.
• Determines ways and promote initiative-taking than reactive relation with key customers to improve internal and external client satisfaction.
• Represents the company FSQS elements during major complaints negotiations.
• Leads the Product Issues North American Crisis team and Acts as the product recall coordinator for Product Issues crisis. Provides appropriate updates to the organization as needed.
• Key member of various North American Crisis teams (i.e.: Facility, Reputation, Safety, Cyber Security) to provide leadership on the FSQS element.
• Lead role for customer communication at times of food safety crisis and is the technical resource for suppliers and for customers for projects and for requirement negotiations.
• Is the spokesperson for the function on food safety technological developments.

General Administration

• Provides QS updates to operations management, QS, North American Leadership, and all other support departments on FSQS key initiatives, challenges, failures, and improvements.
• Promotes continuous improvement of FSQS processes to achieve stronger linkages between departments and the company overall process.
• Works with other departmental heads to achieve company success on initiatives.
• Visits North American plants on a regular basis or as required.
• Audits suppliers, co-manufacturers on food safety and quality systems compliance. Reviews and provides direction for corrective action requirements.
• Defines and approves budgets for expenses or capital investments for own department and influences other when connected to food safety programs improvement.

Supervisory & People Management

• Is responsible of organizational design visible as appropriate structure and job roles to support business needs and capitalizes global best practices.
• Is responsible for interviewing, selecting, and hiring new team members as well as directing an effective onboarding for new employees training.
• Responsible for defining smart goals for department members, managing workloads and performance reviews.
• Responsible for the Talent Development Process for staff including performance reviews, training, and couching as well as succession planning design.
• Is responsible for addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science or equivalent degree. Master’s degree is preferred.
• 10 years related experience in the food industry and the food safety and quality function.
• 5 years of progressive management experience.
• North American Regulation, ISO 9000, Pathogen Control, Allergen Control, third party audit and GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) knowledge.
• Experience with ERP and LIMS systems activities aligned with FSQS (Traceability, product management, and more).
• Individual must have professional and effective communication skills, oral and written, technical writing skills are imperative.
• People/Team development and building skills.
• Proficient in MS Office Skills, such as Word and Excel.
• Possess the analytical skills to evaluate data and make sound judgments regarding the business.
• Bilingual is a plus.
• Must be able to travel 35%.

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