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Salary: USD 170,000 - 180,000 / annual
The Farmer's Dog is seeking a Senior QA Manager for Food Safety, Quality & Regulatory (FSQR) to ensure the highest quality standards across their fresh dog food products. Reporting to the Director of FSQR, you will develop and implement processes supporting internal and external Quality Management Systems, act as a subject matter expert, and communicate quality risks and strategies to cross-functional teams.
Key responsibilities include:
- Own execution of Food Safety and Quality programs at third-party manufacturing partners
- Lead Root Cause Analysis and implement Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA) in response to quality or food safety issues
- Provide practical food safety expertise and guidance to support manufacturing site operations
- Oversee implementation and optimization of microbiological programs, including risk assessments and compliance monitoring
- Support investigations and resolution of escalated complaints involving regulatory agencies (USDA, FDA, AAFCO)
- Make complex, risk-based food safety decisions ensuring compliance while enabling reliable product delivery
- Conduct food safety, quality, and regulatory risk assessments and audits for new manufacturing partners, suppliers, and fulfillment centers
- Analyze data to identify trends and issues, using insights to guide improvements and cross-functional education
- Monitor and evaluate contract manufacturers for alignment with food safety and quality standards
- Lead cross-functional teams to drive adherence to food safety initiatives and process improvements
- Direct day-to-day food safety and quality activities within assigned areas
- Engage and coordinate with subject matter experts to ensure ongoing regulatory compliance
- Exhibit strong project management capabilities across multiple concurrent initiatives
- Collaborate effectively with co-manufacturers, supplier QA teams, product development partners, and third-party service providers
- Partner with Sr. Manager, Quality Engineer and cross-functional teams on new product launches
The role requires 4-5 days per week in-office at the SoHo location in New York City. Travel of 30-50% is required.
Qualifications:
- 10+ years of experience in Food Safety & Quality within the human food industry and manufacturing environments
- 3+ years of direct experience managing food safety programs at third-party manufacturing sites
- Deep knowledge of FDA, USDA, and GFSI compliance standards
- Expert understanding of FDA and USDA regulations and documentation requirements
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Microbiology, Food Safety, Quality Management, or related field
- Certified in PCQI and HACCP (including Seafood HACCP); ASQ certification preferred
- Strong background in food product development, production processes, and core food safety principles
- Experienced in conducting food safety audits and applying Lean Manufacturing tools for root cause analysis
- Excellent communication skills including presenting, report writing, and training across all organizational levels
- Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Access) and Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms)
- Skilled in using statistical and analytical tools to support quality and safety initiatives
- Ability to thrive in fast-paced, ambiguous environments; naturally curious and proactive self-starter
- Strong problem-solving skills, excellent attention to detail, and ability to prioritize tasks effectively
- Skilled communicator able to distill complexity into simple terms to drive decision-making
- Must be based in or willing to relocate to the New York City metropolitan area
