Salt & Straw - Director of Quality and Food Saftey

​POSITION TITLE: Director of Quality and Food Safety 

SUPERVISOR: VP of Manufacturing and Supply Chain 

FLSA STATUS: Exempt 

WAGE GRADE: Salary 

SUPERVISORY: Direct reports include Quality Assurance Technicians, Regulatory Compliance Manager, and  the Sanitation Supervisor 

S&S VALUES: 

1. Create The Unbelievable 

2. Show Up Generously 

3. Act With Thoughtful Curiosity 

4. Share Human Kindness 

5. Make It Count 

We started Salt & Straw because we wanted to build a strong community with our team, our guests, and our partners.  As the Director of Quality and Food Safety, you play an important role in taking care of our team and creating a  strong community throughout your interactions with our entire organization. 

Position Description:  

Our Director of Quality and Food Safety is directly responsible for continuous improvement of product and  processes for the manufacturing and retail operations. As the Director, you are responsible for managing product  quality and food safety systems across multiple manufacturing locations, as well as on-site teams. Creates growth  and career opportunities within your department. Takes ownership of all Third party, regulatory and customer audits  to ensure compliance and improvement strategies.  

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:  

The Director of Quality and Food Safety develops and implements all corporate level food safety programs at all  company manufacturing and retail chain locations to comply with corporate needs and to meet regulatory  requirements that lead to food safety of manufactured products.  

The key responsibility of this position is to coordinate and ensure the execution of strategic and tactical objectives  related to food safety and quality, regulatory and internal compliance, auditing, product recall, and microbiological  testing. The position will lead the comprehensive development and deployment of systems and programs, and the  effective use of risk assessment techniques, to drive continuous improvement related to food safety and quality  within the company’s manufacturing facilities. The Director will provide leadership and direction to the food safety  and quality function in designated manufacturing facilities to provide ongoing and consistent compliance to  corporate and regulatory expectations. 

Manage Company-Wide Food Safety Programs 

● Manages company-wide Food Safety Programs and policies across multiple manufacturing locations and  retail chains to ensure alignment with current regulatory requirements, industry standards and corporate  objectives. 

● Oversees corporate food safety audits; develops audit programs and reviews audit findings and corrective  actions findings with operations management.

● Leads the implementation of SQF. 

● Reviews and guides facility management in Root Cause Analysis; corrective actions and preventive measures  for effectiveness in addressing issues. Follows up on implementation and outcomes. 

● Functions as a technical expert regarding food safety and quality systems within the company, including  regulatory and company policy, FSMA final rules, SQF Food Standards and GMPs.  

● Leads the Food Safety effort in designated facilities, including developing strategies, objectives, and  priorities. 

● Publishes and delivers annual operating strategic plans related to food safety and quality. ● Leads laboratory operations across their designated facilities to assure performance excellence, new method  identification and implementation, standardization, and ongoing accreditations. 

● Prepares the organization for heightened regulatory expectations by developing enhanced quality and food  safety programs across the supply chain. 

● Identifies areas of opportunity or concern related to Food Safety and Quality and develops appropriate  solutions to address those concerns. 

● Leverages continuous improvement tools and industry best practices to improve quality and food safety  processes. 

● Represents the Food Safety and Quality function to all business teams and serves as a conduit for information.  Improves visibility to food safety and quality performance across the organization. 

● Transforms data into meaningful and actionable information by developing new metrics and defined activities  that will drive improvement. 

● Interacts effectively at all levels of the organization, influences key stakeholders, and constructively manages possible conflict. 

● Provides support to the Customer Service and Sales teams in support of customer concerns and technical  inquiries. 

● Provides facility, equipment, and personnel practice inspection services on a routine basis to identify and  correct potential hazards related to food safety, quality, and regulatory compliance. 

Lead for all Food Safety and Quality - Regulatory, Third-Party and Customer Audits 

● Takes the lead for regulatory, third-party and customer audits for food safety and quality ● Oversees all non-conformance corrective actions and evaluated effectiveness 

● Ensures an Inspection Response protocol is in place in case an audit takes place when not on Site. 

Manage Production and Facilities Sanitation 

● Works closely with Production Mangers to build out expectations and determine division of overall sanitation  responsibilities. 

● Maintains proper Sanitation team staffing levels and team member performance evaluations. ● Audits sanitation standards and maintains daily documentation for food safety. Reports any deviations. ● Develops action plans to sanitation or out of compliance issues. Co-leads the corrective action plan with  Production Managers. Ensures and records all corrective actions that must be taken. 

Lead Food Safety Initiatives for all New Products, Processes, and Flavors 

● Performs ingredient risk assessments and establishes process controls. 

● Develops and maintains the supplier approval process. 

● Oversees new product and process trials, collaborating with the R&D team. 

● Works with software to create nutritional content for Shop menu boards and product packaging.

● Reviews and approves all labels for ingredient and allergen requirements. 

● Review marketing materials and content as needed. 

Competencies: To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies: 

● Demonstrated knowledge of QA practices and processes in a food manufacturing environment ● Ability to exercise sound judgment, strong decision making and problem resolution skills ● Ability to identify and handle priority and/or sensitive issues with discretion and a commitment to  confidentiality 

● Demonstrated consulting skills and excellent verbal and written communication skills 

Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty  satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

Education and/or Experience 

● Bachelors' degree in technical or scientific field preferred or an equivalent combination of education and  experience. 

● Minimum 8 years’ experience in food safety, technical management, or quality management in a food  business. 

● Supervisory experience. 

● Proven organizational and project management skills. 

Language Skills  

Strong communication skills. Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and  maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals; ability to write routine reports and correspondence; ability to  speak effectively and kindly before groups of customers or employees of the Salt and Straw 

Computer Skills 

Basic understanding of computers, on-line employee training programs, computerized maintenance programs and  spreadsheets. Experience with Excel, Word or Google Sheets and Docs. 

Work Environment – The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an  employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be  made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. 

● Floor surfaces vary from hard tiled floor or concrete to carpet. 

● Ability to tolerate a high-level work pace that is typical for a retail food industry. 

● The noise level in the work environment can be loud. 

● Can handle extreme temperatures, cold refrigeration, and freezers.