Director of Food Safety and Quality Assurance

Summary

Join Vital Farms as the Director of Food Safety and Quality Assurance, reporting to the VP of FSQA. You will lead a team of food safety experts, developing and implementing sustainable processes to meet the company's growth. Responsibilities include overseeing quality and food safety across internal and external operations, ensuring compliance with regulations, and collaborating with suppliers and co-manufacturers. You will analyze data, mitigate risks, and improve processes related to SQF, HACCP, and other standards. The role requires extensive experience in food safety and quality management, specific certifications, and a strong understanding of relevant regulations. Vital Farms offers a remote work environment, competitive pay and benefits, including retirement contributions, bonuses, and professional development opportunities.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in Food Safety and Quality Management preferred with strong regulatory and GFSI scheme understanding (specifically SQF)
• Holds a bachelor’s in food science and technology or related field
• HACCP Certified, GFSI / SQF practitioner, PCQI, and other applicable certifications
• Knowledge of FDA, USDA, and State food safety regulations
• Willingness to travel: Approximately 25% - 50%. May be periods when travel peaks above
• A high attention to detail, well organized, and able to juggle many projects at once
• Comfortable in a fast-paced environment
• Passionate about food safety and developing a food safety culture
• Strong sense of servant leadership
• Positive attitude and motivated by contributing to the overall success of the team
• Science base expertise in food safety, quality assurance and regulatory compliance with an understanding of sampling, testing and verification processes within a manufacturing environment
• In depth knowledge and understanding of working with developing requirements, and auditing co-manufacturers, suppliers, and partners to develop and execute finished goods that are rigorously reviewed for all food safety and quality aspects
• Ability to understand and analyze issues involving food manufacturing, natural sciences, mathematics (including statistics), technical and legal documents
• Ability to develop or facilitate the development of and implement training programs that increase efficiency and ensure employee competency
• Ability to help develop and/or execute strategic plans to meet departmental and organizational business KPI’s while complying with regulatory and customer requirements

Responsibilities

• Build and provide leadership to a crew of industry leading quality and food safety experts which scales with our growing business
• Oversee the development and implementation of sustainable and scalable food safety and quality processes to meet Vital Farms’ fast-growing needs
• Evaluate operations, both internal and external, from a strategic level to ensure that products and processes meet all quality specifications and requirements
• Identify high-level operational risks and drive mitigation strategies and continuous improvement
• Ensure quality and food safety standards are met by analyzing and trending the results of internal QA, product, plant process documentation, regulatory compliance, and third-party audits
• Collaborate across departments to study and improve compliance, processes, and areas, including but not limited to, SQF, internal auditing, document control, product specifications, food safety and HACCP Plans, prerequisite programs, regulatory requirements, customer/consumer complaints, sanitation, commercialization, supplier verification and management, recall and traceability, environmental monitoring
• Ensure a thorough and robust supplier program that is inclusive of all partners and co-manufacturers and that the program meets all relevant standards
• Ensure regular sampling and testing of products to ensure compliance with Food Safety requirements and Vital Farms standards
• Oversee raw materials and specification retrievals from all incoming ingredients and food contact materials and verify they are sourced from suitable suppliers and specifications are completed
• Oversee customer complaint procedure, reporting and action plans ensuring all items are addressed in a timely appropriate fashion by all relevant departments including product recall practice and procedures

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a similar field
• SQF internal auditing experience, audit certification preferrable
• In depth knowledge of shell egg applicable regulations and guidelines and experience in shell egg processing preferred

Benefits

• A fast-paced, energetic, remote environment with passionate people who are leading a movement to bring ethically produced food to the table
• Competitive pay and benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision, and Paid Parental Leave, just to name a few)
• Generous retirement contributions: 401(k) + 3% Contribution from Day 1
• Annual bonus and equity grant (subject to business results and company approval)
• Free eggs and butter, along with friends and family discounts
• Fun team SWAG that will make you the talk of the town
• Professional development opportunities and an amazing team dedicated to your growth