Job Description

Job Title: Quality Standards and Improvement Manager Reports to: VP, Quality & Regulatory Affairs Number of Direct Reports: 0 Number of Indirect Reports: 0 Key Internal Partners: Plant Operations, Quality, Continuous Improvement, Eng/Technical Services Key External Partners: Project Management: Yes Location: Nampa, ID or Traverse City, MI
Job Summary: As the Quality Standards and Improvement Manager, your role is to lead the MNA Plant Quality Process and Standards. In this role you will partner closely with Plant Operations, Quality, Continuous Improvement, Engineering, and all other applicable departments to optimize the effectiveness of our quality systems, programs and standards with the driving force to harmonize and continuously improve our \xe2\x80\x9cgood\xe2\x80\x9d practices. The focus is to optimize our existing standards and capabilities, further develop our QC/QA plant programs, and explore new technologies/equipment and provide recommendations for their usage to improve overall plant QA/QC effectiveness and efficiency.
Job Responsibilities & Tasks:

• MNA Plant Quality Process and Standards Owner.
  • Establish and execute the current MOM and MNA quality standards and procedures. Assure they are reviewed, validated, maintained and updated regularly. Assure continuous compliance, auditing and meeting or exceeding all standards to assure food safety and quality. The program includes but is not limited to QA/QC activities, SOP systems, operation and sanitation activities, production equipment, records, SOPs, etc.
  • Oversee key Quality programs and Standards activities and support/help (i.e. do the needed work), audit and guide the plant needs on these activities
  • Assure that both sites are maintaining all Quality Standards and help coordinate and develop improvements and enhancements to the program
  • Review and work/lead/coordinate the program closely with all Plant personnel, (Production, Maintenance, Supply Chain, etc.) to ensure that all Standards conforms to appropriate regulations and company policies and procedures to to assure standards are understood and comply.
  • Educate, develop, supervise and help coach all plant personnel on Quality Standards and their importance
  • Optimize, improve and enhance our existing Quality programs/standards and focus on continuous improvement initiatives
  • Develop, create, and implement new \xe2\x80\x9cgood\xe2\x80\x9d Standards to the plants with a high degree of focus on new processes, equipment and plant expansion projects
  • Explore new technologies/equipment, good practices and provide/implement/ validate recommendations (work closely with Tech Services/Eng/Operations)
  • Lead and Manage projects related to Quality Standards
• Lead projects that focus on opportunities to lower food safety/quality risks
• Lead projects that focus on opportunities to lower our key defect areas (e.g. leaks) and develop good practices and systems to minimize and lower defects (working closely with Engineering, Operations, Quality and Technical Service)
• Develop and help support/implement validation programs for the overall Quality validation programs (e.g. \xe2\x80\x9cOlympic\xe2\x80\x9d Qualification, annual validations, etc.)

• Develop, implement, and execute MNA Corporate Quality programs and initiatives (e.g. to lower consumer complaints, improve plant equipment/practices, new Standards, etc)
• Expert in Sanitary/Hygienic and FDA regulatory equipment design (working closely with Engineering, Operations, Quality and Technical Service)
• All other duties as assigned

• Consumer Complaints
• Cost of Non-Quality
• Right Frist Time

• Bachelor\xe2\x80\x99s Degree in Engineering, or related field

• 10 years of Quality experience
• 5 years of Quality management experience in a food manufacturing environment
• GFSI/HACCP experience required
• Audit experience/management required
• 6 sigma/Lean preferred

• Strategic Influencing (need to direct and implement change in both plants and assure adherence and compliance to Quality systems without any direct reports)
• Leadership and Organizational Skills
• Strong presentation abilities
• Ability to work independently and maintain a high standard of performance
• Advanced computer skills in Microsoft Access, Excel, and Word
• Must be able to understand both written and verbal instructions in English

• Must be able lift up to 40 lbs.
• Must be able to work 8\xe2\x80\x9312 hours/ day and be on your feet for extended periods of time
• Must have the ability to move about on wet/slippery floors, full range of motion to position oneself to properly complete all tasks (may involve turning all or parts of body, bending, stretching, etc.)
• Must be able to wear appropriate personal protective equipment, including safety shoes and hearing protection
• 30-50% Travel