Director of Quality Assurance, Manufacturing

Who we are

Skjodt-Barrett is a world-class manufacturer of food solutions and custom ingredients for North America's most beloved and trusted brands. We take pride in working closely with our customers to understand their unique needs and create innovative, individualized solutions that deliver joy to their customers.

A family-founded company started over 35 years ago, we are backed by the investment company Axel Johnson Inc (AJI). With their investment and support, we are well-positioned to foster growth and explore new opportunities.

Our customers, blue-chip international brands and mid-sized producers alike, are why we exist. Our teams of innovators, communicators, and managers are the people who meet their needs, build trust, and exceed their expectations.

Who we need

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, we have an opportunity for a Director of Quality Assurance, Manufacturing at our Ontario plant. This is a leadership role, and you will take ownership of end-to-end food safety and product quality, ensuring that our food manufacturing facilities maintain the highest standards. You will oversee all aspects of quality assurance, at our plants in Ontario and Indiana, including product testing, quality control processes, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement initiatives. From training and education to system and process deployment, you will foster a culture of accountability for quality within all teams at the plant, working towards our cohesive “One Plant” approach.

What you will do:

• Drive a quality culture. You will promote the belief that everyone owns quality. You will take accountability for the overall success of QA standards and practices while guiding the team to take ownership of their actions. You will oversee the implementation of training and education for all plant employees. In addition, you will stay abreast of emerging technologies, industry best practices, and quality assurance trends to drive innovation and maintain a competitive edge.
• Optimize and implement QA solutions. You will develop and implement quality assurance strategies, policies, and procedures to assess and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and industry standards. You will evaluate, optimize, and maintain quality control processes and systems to monitor product quality throughout manufacturing, from raw material sourcing to finished product distribution. You will develop quality assurance and food safety key performance indicators to monitor performance and identify areas of improvement. You will implement change management strategies and plans that drive faster adoption of improvements and best practices that increase quality and efficiency.
• Collaborate. You will work closely with cross-functional teams, including Operations, Production, Product Development, and Procurement, to drive continuous improvement initiatives and enhance product quality and safety. You will collaborate with the Quality and Leadership teams to roll out changes and initiatives and achieve high engagement and adoption from the plant teams. You will develop and maintain relationships with regulatory agencies and industry stakeholders to stay informed of regulatory changes and industry trends. You will prepare and present reports on quality performance, trends, and initiatives to senior management and stakeholders.

What you bring to the role:

• The education. You have a degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Industrial Engineering or a related discipline.
• The experience. You bring a holistic view of Quality and its cascading impact on the internal and external success of a business. You have extensive quality assurance experience in food and beverage manufacturing. You have successfully built and implemented a QMS. You have a demonstrated ability to drive continuous improvement initiatives and implement best practices to enhance product quality and safety in a multi-site organization. You have experience managing crises, including product recalls and quality-related incidents. You have deep knowledge of FDA, HACCP and GFSI requirements.
• The technical knowledge. You have experience in thermal processing techniques, including hot fill, sterilization or aseptic processing within the food manufacturing industry. You have a deep understanding of sanitation systems, techniques and procedures and pasteurization/post-pasteurization processes.
• The leadership. You have a results-oriented mindset with a focus on achieving quality objectives and driving business success. You operate with high integrity, attention to detail, professionalism, and a commitment to upholding ethical and regulatory standards. You have been directly involved in strategic conversations leading to impactful, organization-wide decisions. You have the confidence to take new ideas forward and productively challenge the status quo. You think logically and execute tactically when managing complex and ambiguous problems.
• The team management. You have managed a QA team, inspiring high performance, quality, and efficiency. You take cost control, safety, and quality incredibly seriously and can manage conflict, coordinate schedules, and identify gaps in skills or resources. As a mentor, you can offer insight into how they can improve the quality of their work.
• The change management skills. You have proven success leading complex projects from end to end. You can seamlessly adapt to changes in priorities and shift your focus when necessary. You have a proven ability to lead cultural shifts, resulting in a best-in-class Quality environment. You have the knowledge and ability to articulate the motivation behind changes and provide advocacy and involved leadership that inspires teams to embrace new practices.
• The interpersonal skills. You have outstanding professional written and verbal skills. You can explain complex technical concepts to a non-technical audience, demonstrating business value and impact. You excel at gaining trust and building relationships with internal teams, regulatory agencies, industry stakeholders, and external partners. You have finely tuned collaboration and negotiation skills. You genuinely appreciate diverse experiences and backgrounds and are interested in understanding others, hearing their perspectives, and addressing their concerns.

Why join?

We've got great taste. We care deeply about fostering a culture of transparency, responsibility, and integrity. It's what drives us to make great-tasting, convenient, and healthy ingredients and finished products that our customers depend on. With a focus on nurturing and growing our employees' careers and professional satisfaction, we believe in open communication, idea sharing, and knowledge building. Skjodt-Barrett is committed to building an inclusive culture that helps to create longevity, growth, and innovation in the food industry.

We are working towards a sustainable future. We believe that what's good for people and the planet is good for profit. It is everyone's responsibility to do their part. We recognize the growing need to prioritize sustainability in manufacturing, and we continue to take steps to evolve. We strive to accelerate the adoption of sustainable packaging and food products to be a responsible partner for our customers and for the greater good. We take our role as a supply chain partner to heart and adhere to a strict Supplier Code of Conduct to ensure that our vendors uphold the integrity and values we live by.

We believe actions speak louder than words. Every day, we come together to exceed the expectations of our customers, each other and ourselves, inspired by our values:

• We care. About family, honesty, and respect.
• We communicate. Across every level, often, effectively, and clearly.
• We Empower. With trust, integrity, and accountability.
• We Deliver. Every time, through teamwork, innovation, and results.

We support and care for our employees and their families.

Benefits and perks we offer include comprehensive health, dental, paramedical and long term disability.

With paid vacation time starting at 15 days per year, paid sick time, and more, we want to ensure our employees feel supported and appreciated.

Apply now.

At Skjodt-Barrett, we aim for diversity, equality, accessibility and inclusion in all of our operations and interactions. We welcome and appreciate candidates with a range of backgrounds and experiences. If you have 70% of the qualifications we are looking for and want to play an integral role in delivering innovative food product solutions, apply to express your interest.

What you can expect from our interview process:

1. A virtual interview with a Talent Advisor discussing your interest in the role and your experience.
2. An interview with the COO to discuss how your Quality Assurance, Continuous Improvement, and leadership experience lines up with the needs of the role and the organization.
3. An on-site plant tour and a panel interview with the COO, local Plant Manager and another leadership team member. This will be a chance to see firsthand the plant setup, understand current standards and discuss future plans.

Skjodt-Barrett welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Please let us know what accommodations you require across the selection process.