Operations Quality Manager for Butter and Milk Powder

Operations Quality Manager for Butter and Milk Powder This position will work with butter and milk powder dairy manufacturing sites to e nsure compliance with Land O’Lakes QMS, food regulatory requirements, and customer quality/food safety requirements at Land O’Lakes . This role g uides plant quality teams in creating , implementing, and maintain ing quality and food safety programs for new and existing products and manufacturing processes , p artners with cross-functional teams (R&D, Sales & Marketing, Regulatory, Legal, Distribution, Operations, and others) to ensure a culture of quality and food safety throughout the organization . This position requires about 50% to 75% travel . Position can be based out of Arden Hills, MN, Tulare, CA, or Carlisle, PA (preferred) or virtual.

Responsibilities

• Th is position will support butter and milk powder manufacturing sites
• Guide plants in m onitor ing and analyz ing product safety and quality data , including customer complaints and feedback, product testing results, ingredient issues, audit results, and product and processing parameters . Communicate and work with customers as needed.
• Guide plants to c omplete root cause investigations and CAPA plans for product safety and quality issues, audit findings, and customer complaints . Verify closure of CAPAs .
• Guide plant on product disposition.
• Report on quality and food safety metrics and communicate with cross functional leaders on quality issue s/events and customer concerns .
• Assist with hiring and onboarding new quality staff and plant quality training .
• Assist with customer audits, 3 rd party audits and regulatory inspections as needed.
• Coach, mentor, and direct work of plant quality teams at the manufacturing sites .
• Engage corporate and external technical experts to partner with site Quality Assurance teams to ensure the robust QMS programs are develop ed and implement ed.
• Work with cross functional teams and maintenance of product specifications, ingredient and supplier issues, design and commercialization of new products and manufacturing processes . Support line trials and first production runs as needed.

Experience/Skills/Education requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Food Science , Dairy Science, Chemistry, Microbiology or related discipl ine .
• Seven (7) years of experience in production, quality assurance, or sanitation within the food or pharmaceutical industry.
• Five (5) years of experience in a progressive leadership role in plant quality or corporate quality roles.
• Strongly prefer e xperience with butter and/or milk powder manufacturing
• Extensive experience in HACCP, GFSI certification, quality assurance standards, food laboratory testing, and statistical process control techniques, and food processing sanitation.
• PCQI certified or ability to become certified
• CQE , LEAN, or Six Sigma certification and/or experience preferred
• Experience managing quality for multiple sites is preferred
• Experience in dairy processes and sanitation, such as raw milk receiving, butter and milk powder
• Excellent organizational, communications, interpersonal and team interaction skill s

Salary Range: $107,680 - $161,520. In most cases, candidates offered employment expect to be hired at a pay rate near the middle of our salary ranges.

About Land O'Lakes, Inc.

Join us and be part of a Fortune 250, farmer- and member-owned cooperative that is reimagining the business of food. We have been named a Top Workplace by Indeed and LinkedIn, and to the TIME 100 Most Influential Companies list.

Benefits for most full-time roles include medical, dental, vision, PTO, life & disability insurance, education assistance, a 401k and a variety of well-being resources. Most part-time employees are eligible for prorated PTO, holiday pay, employee development programs, prorated education assistance, and a 401(k).

Land O'Lakes, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) M/F/Vets/Disabled. The company maintains a drug-free workforce, including post-employment substance abuse testing pursuant to a Drug and Alcohol Policy.

Neither Land O’Lakes, nor its search firms, will ever contact you and ask for confidential information over the phone or in email. If you receive a call or email like this, please do not provide the information being requested.

Land O'Lakes does not use Automated Decision-Making Technology, as defined by California law, to substantially replace human decision-making or make significant decisions about applications for employment or contracting opportunities.