Director of Plant Quality

Director of Plant Quality

PURPOSE OF POSITION:

The Director of Plant Quality is a pivotal role within our organization, dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of quality, safety, and compliance across all plant operations. This position demands a strategic leader with a deep understanding of food safety regulations, quality assurance practices, and the ability to oversee and improve plant-wide processes. The Director will work collaboratively with various teams to ensure that our products meet rigorous quality and safety standards, catering to both customer expectations and regulatory requirements.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Manage Plant Food Safety and Regulatory Compliance

• Serve as the key resource for operational food safety team members
• Standardize and enforce operating procedures related to quality, sanitation and food safety
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory policies at each facility
• Maintain internal quality procedures necessary for compliance with customer and 3rd party requirements
• Manage facilities non-conformance program
• Conduct regular reviews of facility documentation and update as necessary
• Identify and implement solutions to minimize potential risk exposure

Manage Plant Quality Leadership

Oversee Plant Quality Managers at Anchor owned facilities

Develop quarterly key performance data for quality management and operation leadership review

Coordinate, lead, and provide meeting minutes for monthly & annual food safety meetings across all sites

Proactively identify opportunities to increase operational efficiencies and communication

Ensure all facilities implement are adhere to effective corrective actions that stem from internal, external and customer audits

Foster an internal culture of Food Safety

• Foster and grow an internal culture of food safety and drive continuous quality improvements across each Anchor owned facilities.
• Create and implement food safety training programs
• Evaluate and modify training programs annually
• Ensure training compliance across all sites for both new-hires and annual training requirements
• Drive quality project management as it relates to corrective action, non-conformance, process improvement and audits

Enhance Supplier and Customer Partnerships

• Work alongside Sales and Customer Service Teams to ensure compliance with Anchor and customer requirements and product specifications

• Work with Plant Management and Plant Quality Manager to investigate, document, and respond to non-conformances regarding products produced
• Coordinate and host all customer, third-party, and SQF audits at Anchor facilities
• Maintain documentation for all third-party audit certifications
• Ensure corrective action and compliance with any audit findings

Product Quality

• Work with procurement and operations to refine inbound specs and grading criteria

Travel Responsibilities

• Up to 25% travel, traveling to Anchor locations in Montana, Indiana and Wisconsin.
• Up to 50% daily travel to our local facilities located in Hillsboro, ND, Buffalo, ND and East Grand Forks, MN.

QUALIFICATIONS:

The ideal candidate will possess the following:

• Bachelor's degree in related field
• 5+ Years of experience in quality assurance, food safety management, and regulatory compliance
• 5+ Years in a significant leadership role
• Meticulous attention to detail and accuracy in work product
• Demonstrated problem solving experience
• Proficient in Microsoft Office products including Outlook, Excel, Teams, Word, and PowerPoint
• Ability to see the big picture while focusing on the process and procedures necessary to produce deliverables
• Ability to establish and meet deadlines
• Flexibility and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a team player
• SQF Practitioner, PCQI certified, HACCP certified, and Food Defense certified

WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The work environment characteristics and physical demands 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 the essential functions.

This job operates within both a professional office environment as well as ingredient processing facilities.

While performing the duties of this job within the processing facilities, the employee will be exposed to machinery and moving parts. The employee may be exposed to adverse weather conditions, high precarious places and confined spaces, & airborne particles including grain dust and hazardous materials or fumes, which may require the use of PPE. The noise level in some of the work environments may require the use of hearing protection. While performing the duties of this job inside the office, the employee is frequently exposed to normal working conditions for an office environment with a noise level that is usually quiet to moderate.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee may be required to stand for long periods of time as well as use hands or fingers to reach or handle, and to reach with hands and arms. The employee is regularly required to stand, walk, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee will occasionally lift and/or move up to 40 pounds. All vision abilities are required to encompass close-up work. On occasion, employee must be able to tolerate and endure extended seasonal hours and maintain alertness to meet deadlines.

ABOUT THE COMPANY:

Headquartered in Fargo, ND, Anchor Ingredients is the most customer-centric, innovative and transparent farm-to-food partner, dedicated to delivering premium ingredients and added value services to the food and pet food industries. Our farm-level relationships, combined with our global reach, allow us to efficiently procure and process ingredients from around the region and throughout the world, uniquely positioning us to fulfill our customers' diverse ingredient requirements. We take pride in our world-class team which boasts extensive industry experience combined with an unwavering dedication to our company's mission, vision and values, and a commitment to delivering quality and innovation throughout the entire food supply chain.

DISCLAIMER:

This job description is not a complete description of responsibility, but reflects the general qualifications, duties and/or responsibilities necessary to perform this position. Anchor Ingredients reserves the right to revise the job description as circumstances warrant. All candidates who receive a written offer of employment will be required to successfully pass a background check, as well as testing for commonly abused controlled substances in accordance with the company's Drug Free Workplace Policy. Anchor Ingredients is an at-will employer, which means that either the employee or the company may terminate the relationship at any time, with or without notice, and with or without cause. We are an equal opportunity employer.