Sr. Director, Manufacturing Food Safety
On-sitePleasanton, California, United States
Job Summary
Define and execute the enterprise Manufacturing FSQA strategy, establishing standards and operating models across all 18 plants. Serve as the authority for food safety and quality risk, proactively identifying vulnerabilities and implementing mitigation strategies. Lead a multi-level FSQA organization of over 100 associates, developing leadership capability and succession pipelines. Own the regulatory compliance framework, ensuring alignment with FDA, USDA, and state requirements while overseeing audit readiness and agency interactions. Drive business impact by reducing cost of quality, minimizing waste, and integrating FSQA into core operations. Represent the organization in regulatory inspections and lead crisis management, including recalls and root cause analysis. Provide leadership for capital projects and digital transformation initiatives to modernize FSQA capabilities. Partner with Supply Chain, Engineering, and Operations to align FSQA priorities with business objectives.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in food science/technology, Microbiology, or related field
- 20+ years of food safety & quality experience in manufacturing
- 8–10+ years leadership experience managing multi-site FSQA teams
- Extensive experience supporting complex, multi-plant operations, including standardized processes across diverse facilities
- Demonstrated experience with both FDA and USDA regulatory environments, including inspection readiness, compliance programs, and regulatory interactions
- Proficiency in FSQA systems and data tools, as well as MS Office suite
Desired Qualifications
- Master's degree
- Strong preference for dairy or high-risk refrigerated/perishable product environments
- Deep experience in dairy production (e.g., fluid milk, cultured products, cheese, frozen dairy)
- Deep expertise in HACCP, Preventive Controls, environmental monitoring, sanitation, and quality systems
- Strong knowledge of FDA, USDA, GFSI standards, and regulatory compliance requirements
- Proven experience leading multi-site FSQA organizations and driving standardization across plants
- Experience implementing and scaling digital FSQA systems and data platforms
- Strong analytical capability with experience leveraging data to drive decisions and continuous improvement
- Demonstrated success managing recalls, crisis events, and regulatory interactions
- Excellent project management and process improvement skills
- Strategic Thinking – ability to translate complex data and operational realities into enterprise strategy
- Cross-Functional Leadership – ability to influence Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, and leadership teams
- Communication – strong executive presence with ability to clearly communicate risks, priorities, and strategies
- Interpersonal Skills – highly collaborative, with strong influencing and relationship-building capabilities
- Motivating/Developing Others – proven ability to lead through layers, develop leaders, and build high-performing teams
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